The Covid19 pandemic accelerated the setting of a new model that is focused on the digitalization of work. This places us in a full training and developing reality which is being taken on increasingly with its ups and downs.
Nowadays there are around 1.100 million freelancers working around the world. In many countries, the supply and demand for remote workers have risen significantly during the last few years. The search for job advertisements making reference to this modality is placed in a more and more important position. For example, 41% of the American labor force is freelancers.
The independent work methodology is accepted worldwide and the demand will increase because the concept of work itself has also changed. Productivity is not related to the number of hours spent in an office by an employee. Moreover, strict compliance with schedules is a thing of the past. New generations will not want to come back to their workplace as they knew it and remote job positions will become more powerful in contrast to the traditional way of working.
The future of work, in which the digital world is more and more predominant, comes together with an increasing demand for freelancers. According to this model, not only the enterprises but also the employees are facing new challenges. Although this situation is profitable for many companies as general expenses are reduced, there are some questions that arise:
How to achieve effective communication
Internal communication is essential for the success of an organization since it makes possible the synergy of the work team. Having a virtual place for dialogue will keep the connection among employees and between them and their employers, it also enables them to overcome any obstacle on time. Arranging weekly meetings with clear goals represents a must for a remote team.
How to recruit talents
It is hard for those who have worked following the traditional model to think of a recruitment process for freelancers for the organization. However, there are many websites that function as platforms of talents, in which the geographic location is not taken into account.
How to build the company culture
It is not easy to imagine a business culture when facing this work fragmentation where one person belongs to several enterprises at the same time. In spite of this, the desire of a person to have a remote job position has to do more with being able to manage their own schedule rather than with belonging to an organization or not. Therefore, the freelancer can be part of a company but without being employed in a dependent way. This is a challenge for the managers, who must use different strategies to strengthen the much-needed culture of work. The first step is great leadership, as employees will respond by recognizing them and themselves as an active part of the company.
How to follow up the fulfilling of working goals
his new methodology is showing a positive impact on productivity since employees no longer work under pressure but they pursue an objective. Keeping updates and improvements in tasks is a good way of providing a follow-up without bothering someone. Establishing short-term goals makes it possible for the talents to organize their timetables according to their preferences without hinder productivity nor their approval of the enterprise.
It is clear that organizations must be adapted, but people who took on this new culture are also facing new challenges, such as:
Time management
One of the advantages of this modality is the lack of a manager giving orders. However, this can be negative if time is not well managed. One of the most valuable aspects of being a freelancer is having available time to enjoy the freedom that this involves. Therefore, it is important to fix a work schedule and priorities, provide a follow up of the working hours and know how to delegate.
How to get new jobs
According to a survey carried out by the financial services company Payoneer, 36% of the clients are in North America, while the European customers represent 27%. Using social media is a useful tool when trying to contact them, as it is free. Another way of acquiring clients is by word of mouth, that is taking advantage of the company’s acquaintances who may need their services. Networking and collaborating with other freelancers are other ways of getting new customers later.
Setting fees
Although remote job positions eliminate the geographical borders, freelancers must take into account that remuneration levels are set according to the cost of living in the customer’s country and not in their own one. It is a good idea to get in touch with other freelancers and revise tariff charts in order to estimate costs. Making an estimate of the hours that will take to fulfill the goals, evaluating the money that is needed and considering a profit margin are different ways of calculating figures. It is not a bad strategy to ask the client which is the budget that is considering investing in that project.
There are many challenges that both employers and employees must undergo, but being able to give answers to them and understand the future of work is essential if we want to be part of the new working model of the digital era.
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