{"id":2356,"date":"2020-04-03T02:21:28","date_gmt":"2020-04-02T23:21:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/kusuaks7\/?p=1961"},"modified":"2023-12-21T11:43:53","modified_gmt":"2023-12-21T11:43:53","slug":"this-pandemic-is-driving-huge-growth-in-remote-freelance-work","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.experfy.com\/blog\/future-of-work\/this-pandemic-is-driving-huge-growth-in-remote-freelance-work\/","title":{"rendered":"This Pandemic Is Driving Huge Growth In Remote Freelance Work"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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GETTY<\/small><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tWelcome to the freelance revolution in the era of COVID-19. This is the third report, and invites freelance business and thought leaders to comment on topics of importance as the global economy works through the pandemic.\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\nOne of hottest topics among freelancers this week is the future of remote work.\u00a0That\u2019s my question this week to freelance leaders:\u00a0How do you see the medium and longer term impact on your business of the current \u2018shift to remote\u2019 of your clients because of COVID-19?\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tOverall, leaders see remote as a game changer and a win\/win for freelancers, organizations and employees.\u00a0But, sustainability needs a firm foundation: the right investment, good operational plumbing, smart HR systems, strong soft skills, and outstanding communication.\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tLeaders also say that freelance platforms, remote and distributed from day one, are uniquely able to educate, support and partner with organizations turning to remote distributed teams.\u00a0Companies are learning that remote distributed, teams easily \u201cplug and play\u201d with enterprise freelance platforms.\u00a0That, in turn, leads to the next step in a tech powered future of work: blurring the distinction between employee and freelancer.\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tHere are the observations that our freelance revolution leaders shared:\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tBen Huffman, CEO of\u00a0<\/strong>Contra<\/strong><\/a>:<\/strong>\u00a0\u201cThere is a fundamental shift to project based employment, tricky at first, but long term will lead to a renaissance in how we work and enable all of us to achieve greater work-life balance.\u00a0COVID-19 is an accelerant to a trend that has been long overdue. We have seen a 10,000% increase in membership on our platform in the last month alone.\u201d\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tTaso du Val, CEO of\u00a0<\/strong>Toptal<\/strong><\/a>:<\/strong>\u00a0\u201cThe current pandemic has forced almost all of our clients to very quickly transition to a fully distributed workforce. In many cases, this has created significant disruption in how teams operate and conduct their business. For a company like Toptal, which has always been a fully distributed team, we\u2019re able to offer guidance as to how to do this in a way that helps our clients both manage immediate challenges and sets them up for success in the mid to long term. The lasting impact to our business is acutely correlated to the ability of our clients to manage through this transition.\u201d\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMax Friberg, Cofounder of\u00a0<\/strong>Inex One<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0in Sweden:<\/strong>\u00a0\u201cI see growth in the medium and longer term. Our platform helps investment teams to collaborate online. I think the Covid crisis sparks an overall shift towards efficient online platforms. I also think this behavioural change will stick, even after the crisis ebbs.\u201d\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tLeslie Gar\u00e7on, Cofounder of\u00a0<\/strong>Weem<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0in France:<\/strong>\u00a0\u201cMost WEEM projects were done on clients\u2019 premises and we and clients encouraged it. With COVID-19, projects have shifted to remote. Meetings are replaced by conference calls and clients realized that consultants\u2019 commitment was unimpacted. Long term, it might confirm the efficiency of fully remote projects.\u201d\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\nPaul Estes, Editor in Chief of\u00a0<\/strong>Staffing.com<\/strong><\/a>:<\/strong>\u00a0\u201cAn estimated 58% of knowledge workers now work remote.\u00a0The feeling that work couldn\u2019t be done remotely is largely debunked.\u00a0The challenge now: many companies invested in large and expensive physical campuses and are incented to drive utilization over the benefits of more progressive remote work programs.\u00a0We will see a shift in how talent wants to engage.\u00a0Companies that focus on outcomes and flexibility will attract the best and the brightest.\u201d\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tEmma El Karout, CEO of\u00a0<\/strong>One Circle<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0in the Mideast and Africa:<\/strong>\u00a0\u201cRemote work will be tough to roll back once we beat this pandemic. Companies that resisted remote work are seeing real evidence that it works. Remote work itself is going to improve exponentially as people invest in it as a primary work arrangement, and will require an overhaul of HR practices.\u201d\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tRishon Blumberg, Cofounder of\u00a0<\/strong>10x Management\u00a0<\/strong><\/a>and 10x Ascend:<\/strong>\u00a0\u201cWe are seeing early signs that highly skilled, very experienced, remote freelancers are still in demand and this may ramp up as companies start to come back online but still need to be agile and keep headcount low.\u201d\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tStephanie Nadi Olson, CEO of\u00a0<\/strong>We Are Rosie<\/strong><\/a>:<\/strong>\u00a0\u201cWe serve large brands and agencies, and the normalization of remote work eliminates the need to legitimize how remote work can be successful, which has been a mild barrier. The remote-first nature of our consulting just made a jump from liability to asset column for many of our clients. This will lead to faster adoption of our model, greater success\u00a0for our clients, and hopefully the marketing industry at large.\u201d\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tFlorent Ogoutchoro, CEO of\u00a0<\/strong>The Tech Guys<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0in Benin Africa:<\/strong>\u00a0\u201cThe fact of everyone shifting to remote work has two main impacts on a business like ours. First, it is easier to convince new clients about the advantages of our services. Second, companies will develop new processes adapted to remote work, which will make collaboration with us more efficient.\u201d\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\nJeffrey Moss, CEO of\u00a0<\/strong>Parker-Dewey<\/strong><\/a>:<\/strong>\u00a0\u201cCompanies that have historically not provided remote opportunities are quickly making the adjustments, and seeing how remote can fit into their existing processes.\u00a0In my view this won\u2019t replace on-site work, but helps companies see where it complements.\u201d\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tJames Sandoval, CEO of\u00a0<\/strong>MeasureMatch<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0in the U.K.:<\/strong>\u00a0\u201cThis sudden shift to working remotely is a brilliant proving ground for innovation but clients are telling us it\u2019s also enormously disruptive. Many organizations are in shock, exacerbated by unnerving furloughs and firings to preserve cash. \u00a0We\u2019re expecting the mid-term impact on our business to be similarly disruptive, but it\u2019s also an important opportunity. We\u2019ll see demand for professional services depressed for a period, but we\u2019re converting this into breathing space to double down on platform development. The longer term outlook remains very promising.\u201d\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tSam Durand, Founder of\u00a0<\/strong>Going-Freelance<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0in France:<\/strong>\u00a0\u201cWhen the crisis ends it will be time for companies to transform how they work and define their \u2018new normal\u2019. \u00a0Clients will need help to set up their new organization with flexibility, more on-demand talents and more empathy in their culture.\u201d\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAlok Alstrom, CEO of\u00a0<\/strong>AppJobs<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0in Sweden:<\/strong>\u00a0\u201cFor clients in the remote work category, we see a massive increase starting in mid-February and accelerating as the crisis deepens.\u00a0 For the long term, the high number of \u201chome quarantined\u201d will accelerate the adoption and development of \u201cworking from home\u201d by companies worldwide. This will prove challenging at first, but with time we will see an increased interest in all remote working platforms.\u201d\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tSteve King, Cofounder of\u00a0<\/strong>Emergent Research<\/strong><\/a>:<\/strong>\u00a0\u201cMedium and longer-term, the pandemic induced recession will increase use of non-employee talent. Companies are focusing on flexibility, agility, and resilience and non-employee talent contributes to these objectives.\u00a0The massive growth in remote work helps business leaders realize workers needn\u2019t be co-located to be productive.\u00a0They’re also learning freelancers are relatively easy to integrate into distributed work teams.\u00a0The bad news is that the near-term impact on most independent\/gig workers is likely not good.\u201d\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tChandrika Pascricha, CEO of\u00a0<\/strong>Flexing It<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0in India:<\/strong>\u00a0\u201cWe are seeing 3 strong themes, though\u00a0it’s early days.\u00a0Existing\u00a0users of freelance talent<\/a> are doubling down and expecting to do more. Internal champions see this as an opportunity to use freelancers in a more strategic\u00a0and structured manner.\u00a0Our platform has seen growth in incoming inquiries from potential clients and organisations looking to leverage independent talent as a serious strategy.\u00a0There’s been growing interest in Flexing It’s remote consulting product through which clients around the world efficiently leverage India’s talent pool.\u201d\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAlexandre Maximen, Cofounder of\u00a0<\/strong>Getapy<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0in Canada:<\/strong>\u00a0\u201cWe see a decrease in customer spending as they cope with Q1 losses. Once they financially recover and operational fundamentals are back to pre-COVID levels, we see the market easing up and huge opportunities for innovative solutions in the remote space.\u201d\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tChris Dwyer, VP R&D for\u00a0<\/strong>Ardent Partners<\/strong><\/a>:<\/strong>\u00a0\u201cSome business leaders call this the greatest remote work experiment in history.\u00a0Many organizations are struggling with infrastructure, technology support, and seamless communications. Longer-term, this will fundamentally shift how business operates and many, many businesses are learning how impactful remote work can be on worker productivity. When this pandemic is behind us, corporate planning will include a laser-like focus on digital transformation, distributed teams, and a more agile culture.\u201d\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAshmita Das, CEO of\u00a0<\/strong>Kolabtree<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0in the U.K.:<\/strong>\u00a0\u201cMany traditional businesses are working remotely for the first time and realizing benefits. Science and healthcare organizations were slow to adapt to remote due to the nature and complexities of their work. However, the current situation is forcing them to rapidly adopt new ways of working and collaborating. We expect them to implement better remote working policies within their organizations and be open to hiring location-independent freelancers through platforms like Kolabtree.\u201d\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tYoann Lopez, CMO of\u00a0<\/strong>Comet<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0in France:<\/strong>\u00a0\u201cThe silver lining of this crisis is a greater focus on enterprises’ flexibility, and relationships with suppliers, including freelancers. Remote is part of these changes.\u00a0 For Comet, a platform for IT freelancers, there’s no reason to work on-site besides companies’ policies.\u00a0If these change, it makes our platform way more liquid, especially in France where most of our tech, and large clients are in Paris, but many freelancers are relocating in smaller, less stressful cities.\u00a0This greater liquidity thanks to remote work makes Comet’s business stronger in the medium and longer term.\u201d\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\nJoseph Hajjar, Cofounder of\u00a0<\/strong>Ashghali<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0in Lebanon:<\/strong>\u00a0\u201cIn the short term, shifting to remote will lead to a decline in overall demand in our services sector although remote services can be outsourced and this might be an advantage for global freelance platforms. However, this is all temporary. We believe that there\u2019s going to be a spike for local demand once this pandemic is over because people were abstaining from all activities that involve human interaction.\u201d\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Welcome to the freelance revolution in the era of COVID-19.\u00a0This is the third report, and invites freelance business and thought leaders to comment on topics of importance as the global economy works through the pandemic.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":761,"featured_media":4167,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[182],"tags":[108],"ppma_author":[3616],"class_list":["post-2356","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-future-of-work","tag-future-of-work"],"authors":[{"term_id":3616,"user_id":761,"is_guest":0,"slug":"jon-younger","display_name":"Jon Younger","avatar_url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/?s=96&d=mm&r=g","user_url":"","last_name":"Younger","first_name":"Jon","job_title":"","description":"Jon Younger Ph.D., Independent Consultant, Agile Talent Collaborative, is an HR thought-leader, author, board member, Forbes contributor, and early stage investor\/advisor in several HR tech startups. His current emphasis is on Agile talent, the freelance revolution and the future of work. He is the author of Agile Talent, HR From the Outside In, HR Transformation, and many articles in HBR.org, Talent Quarterly, and other journals, and author of Forbes Careers blog "Freelance Revolution". Former advisory board member (HR transformation), Government of Singapore, he is an occasional lecturer at the University of Michigan, Indian School of Business, and Copenhagen School of Business and many corporate universities."}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.experfy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2356","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.experfy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.experfy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.experfy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/761"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.experfy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2356"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.experfy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2356\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":35094,"href":"https:\/\/www.experfy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2356\/revisions\/35094"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.experfy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4167"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.experfy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2356"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.experfy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2356"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.experfy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2356"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.experfy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ppma_author?post=2356"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}