Author Archives: Nicolas Castro

Differences between a freelance and a contractor, two ways of referring to the same thing?

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5 keys to reducing costs without losing talent quality

Posted on March 9, 2023 - 12:59 pm by Nicolas Castro 1

Managing costs without compromising on the quality of the workforce can be a daunting challenge for startups in the US, especially when trying to avoid layoffs. However, it is crucial to find ways to save money while still attracting and retaining top talent. To help your company achieve this, we’ve compiled some effective strategies for reducing costs without compromising the quality of your human resources team. Discover these tips and ensure your startup’s success.

1 Use talent recruitment platforms:

Instead of spending large sums of money on hiring and recruitment agencies, startups can use these platforms to recruit talent. This format can help find specific talent in a short amount of time and within the budget allocated for the role.

2 Offer non-monetary benefits:

To attract and retain the best talent, it is not necessary to offer high salaries. Instead, startups can offer non-monetary benefits such as flexible schedules, days off, training, and growth and personal development opportunities. These benefits can be highly valued by employees and can help reduce payroll costs without compromising on the quality of the team.

3 Establish a referral program:

A referral program can help startups find and recruit high-quality talent at a lower cost. Offering incentives for current employees to recommend another quality talent can be an effective way to build a high-quality team without incurring large costs.

4 Encourage remote work:

Allowing employees to work from home can help startups reduce office space costs and other expenses associated with working in an office. Additionally, remote work can allow companies to recruit talent from around the world, which can increase the quality of the team without increasing costs.

5 Use online collaboration tools:

Online collaboration tools can help startups save time and money in managing their human resources team. (Asana, Trello, and Slack) can help teams work together more efficiently without incurring large costs.

These are the five key strategies that startups can use to reduce costs in their human resources team without compromising on the quality and efficiency of their talent.

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Differences between a freelance and a contractor, two ways of referring to the same thing?

Posted on March 9, 2023 - 12:02 pm by Nicolas Castro 1

Of course not, the freelance and contractor modalities are not the same, although both involve working on projects in a temporary and somewhat independent manner.

Although remote work and contractors share some similarities, such as the fact that both involve working outside of the traditional office, there are some key differences between these two concepts.

A freelancer:

An independent professional who offers services to different clients without having a fixed employment contract with any company. Freelancer can work from home or their office and is responsible for finding their own clients, negotiating their rates, and setting their own work schedules. Freelancers typically work on a project or hourly basis and have no guarantee of job continuity. In addition, freelance work is usually short-term.

A contractor:

An independent worker who is hired for a specific time, typically contracts of 1 to 2 years, depending on the project, within the company. Unlike freelancers, the contractor has an employment contract with the company that hires them. They receive a fixed salary and may have additional benefits such as health insurance and paid vacations.

The key lies in the type of work they perform. Although freelancers and contractors are independent workers, their work may differ in scope and duration. Freelancers can work on a variety of projects for different clients, while contractors are often hired by a single company to work on specific long-term projects.

Companies, such as startups, have specific and urgent roles to fill, so our platform is designed to solve this problem for them. We look for on-demand talent, make a match, and get to work.

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Layoffs in the technology Sector and their Impact on remote work

Posted on March 6, 2023 - 12:37 pm by Nicolas Castro 1

Layoffs in the technology

The current situation in the world of technology is one of uncertainty and constant change. Many #tech companies are experiencing a decrease in their revenues and are cutting costs, which has resulted in an increase in layoffs in the industry. Although in the past, employment in technology companies used to be considered a secure job, nowadays this is not necessarily true. The demand for human labor has decreased in some areas, and there is increasing pressure on workers to be better and more efficient.

5 keys to reducing costs without losing talent quality

The technology sector:

is one of the most dynamic and fast-moving in terms of change and evolution. It is constantly transforming and developing, just like the capital market. This modifies the plans of #tech companies. The focus is no longer on growth, but rather on profitability.

Investors are increasingly seeking technology companies that can demonstrate their ability to generate sustainable revenues and maintain a competitive advantage in the long term. This means that technology companies must be more aware of the risks and opportunities that arise as technology evolves and markets change. They are feeling the pressure to be more transparent about their strategy and financial results. Investors are demanding more information and accurate data on the performance of technology companies, including information on profitability, growth, and the ability to maintain a competitive advantage.

Layoffs

The increase in global competition:

is playing a significant role in the context of layoffs in the technology sector. With more companies competing for a share of the market, many find it difficult to stay afloat and cut costs by eliminating jobs.

Repeated layoffs shake the stability of full-time employment, leaving a pool of highly skilled talent available to join the freelance remote talent mode. Reconsidering their job security and eager for greater control and flexibility over their time.

Work dynamics are changing as much as this industry

Faced with the massive reduction in personnel that prominent companies are carrying out, different hiring models and opportunities that respond to the concerns and interests of new talent become relevant. In this way, a conglomerate of technology workers is created, available to participate in new projects.

Furthermore, layoffs can also affect the work culture of a technology company. Technology companies often have unique work cultures, based on collaboration, innovation, and teamwork. When a company lays off a large number of employees, it can negatively impact the morale and work culture of the company. The remaining employees may feel less committed or even fearful of being the next to be laid off.

Despite the instability, many niche companies continue to grow and expand. There is a high demand for skilled individuals in areas such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, robotics, software development, data analytics, etc.

In this context of the accelerated transformation of the technology sector, the constants to face the new labor organization seem to be two: flexibility, remote and asynchronous work.

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7 key working trends for 2023

Posted on January 18, 2023 - 7:11 pm by Nicolas Castro

This year presents we want to present you the 7 working trends for 2023 companies with questions regarding the labor market situation. With the COVID-19 pandemic control, new adjustments in labor dynamics were necessary. Many companies have returned to in-person work, while others have opted for remote or hybrid work. Environmentally friendly open spaces are crucial for agile and sustainable work, benefiting personal development and health. Establishing a home office agreement to support remote work is also essential.

So it is necessary to be current on the upcoming trends in 2023.

coding

Who wants to establish guidelines for expanding themselves?

Onboarding: Successful onboarding is critical to ensure employee retention. Working with IT recruitment specialists to hire the right candidates and fit them into the company culture is essential.
Company culture based on confidence: A culture of trust is crucial for successful labor relationships. Transparency, collaboration, mutual respect, and support lead to productivity, a better working environment, and employee retention.
Fulfillment within the organization: Employees prioritize fulfillment, well-being, and happiness over stressful work environments. They value developing bonds with colleagues, mutual respect, inclusion, and work-life balance to improve performance and enhance positive leadership.
Remote and collaborative work modality: Many companies have adopted a remote work plan that allows employees to work from anywhere, promoting active collaboration and building bonds. With the pandemic, remote work has become a necessity, and organizations need to adjust to the teleworking law for both part-time and full-time jobs.
Multiple employment: Remote work has changed the way collaborators participate in projects. It is now more focused on achieving goals and fulfilling tasks rather than maximizing productivity. Talents prefer to manage their time and work on multiple job proposals to increase their earnings.
Flexibility in team dynamics: Flexibility in team dynamics is crucial for boosting the performance and career growth of freelance members. Collaborating on common projects based on knowledge and technical skills has become the norm, and productivity is now being measured by goal fulfillment within a flexible time scheme. Talents prioritize their independence and the ability to link productive time with leisure, which is why they need holidays and days off according to their convenience.

(Differences between a freelance and a contractor,
two ways of referring to the same thing?)
On-demand holidays: remote work requires a change of mindset for talents and business people. This is because compulsory breaks and time off, which are established according to an agreement depending on important dates, are a thing of the past. Now there is another logic regarding time management, as collaborators are the ones who define how long their holidays will be, without any limits established by law.

As is common every year, those organizations that are ready to face fixed events and deal with the unexpected are the ones who will be in the best conditions to take up challenges, overcome obstacles and move forward.

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It is impossible to compete with those who enjoy and love what they do

Posted on January 18, 2023 - 7:06 pm by Nicolas Castro

The Head of Operations in a company not only is in charge of avoiding and reducing failures that do not add any value to the organization but they also try to optimize processes in order to make them more efficient by means of strategic initiatives. Pablo Zuccarino is the Head of Operations in The Flock and told us about the challenges he takes up and the satisfaction he feels in such a job in a startup, where he is ready to draw up on the blank sheets.

How do you deal with time management and processes of this kind of ground-breaking company which does not have any how-to manual?

Such a good question, as every company is different and the startups in particular do not have any magical recipe for resolving problems. What I often do is to make agreements among teams that let us work in an organized and efficient way. As an agile person, I am always open to change and many times we apply the Lean manufacturing process for continual improvement. In organizations like this one, with such an exponential growth, procedures are hard to organize due to constant change. However, by using continual improvement, we adapt our processes in small pieces to constant change. The most important thing for us all is to be efficient so the changes can be transparent within our procedures for both the Flockers and our customers.

Where do you start from when accelerating processes? How do you focus on a potential problem?

I start by doing an assessment of the place or organization that asks for the process’ improvement. The aim of that need and the expected outcome are established. Then the Pareto principle (80/20 rule) is applied in order to prioritize the needs of improvements that are found and to make changes in the required processes for obtaining the greatest benefit in the shortest time possible.

Can you describe a Head of Operations’ typical day?

Really busy. The Head of Operations is focused on every process functioning, on the project’s follow-up and on guaranteeing a proper service for the clients. But above all, we want to make sure the Flockers know this is the best place to work and that the clients consider us as partners in their developments rather than simple software service providers. It is essential to do a daily follow-up of projects and processes without neglecting the long-term strategic aims.

Which is the greatest challenge when setting your goals?

Within a start-up, every goal is a challenge. There are too many things to do, changes take place very fast and that is the attractive part of short, middle and long-term aims. It is relevant to identify the quick wins that enable us to make quality leaps in our growth. It is also vital to be defiant with the objectives but at the same time being a bit conservative on some occasions. An uncontrolled growth may cause big problems in the processes at the expense of the customer service quality. That’s why our main objective is to grow as fast as possible without giving rise to risk in our service quality.

Which is the most difficult methodology to apply and why?

There are no easy or difficult methodologies to apply. The challenge arises when you work as a change agent in the company you are collaborating with and there is no applied methodology.

It is common that there is some resistance to change and if there are no outcomes or synergy among the teams, it is really hard to generate change opportunities. I used to work as an agile coach for a bank where I worked with a big team and there was a huge resistance to methodological changes.

We agile workers tend to come across as relaxed when you meet with people who are used to working with more traditional methodologies and that generates mistrust. I got really satisfied with the end of the year’s feedback: “This thing about agility gives good results, I didn’t believe it at first but now I see it more organized and we can see the improvements more clearly.”

Which is your slogan when working?

“Have fun”. It is impossible to compete with those who enjoy and love what they do.

I constantly get enormous satisfaction from the work we are doing in The Flock, which is really entertaining. New challenges are continually arising and that make us improve every day.

Why are startups so attractive for remote talents?

Because of the flexibility and constant innovation that most of them offer. Those who work remotely are not comfortable with the idea of office work and like to manage their own time. And startups allow that. People work by objectives that are in general very challenging but they are able to manage their own time and energy. In most cases, the startups offer great challenges related to technology and continual improvement which is important for those who dare to go beyond and face them.

Which are the main challenges of designing processes and establishing them in a remote work enterprise?

Most people who work remotely, either digital nomads or freelancers, usually do asynchronous work. So they adjust their timetable the way they want. The challenge is to synchronize in an efficient way their work with the rest of the team. By means of agile methodologies, specified requirements, repository management and automatic deployment processes it is possible to achieve this even when working from different time zones.

Which is the difference between doing a job in-person in a company and doing it remotely?

In my whole life I have worked in-person, hybrid and remotely. I consider it is completely possible to work remotely and even more efficiently, as you can invest the commuting time in personal tasks, such as going to the gym or picking up your children from school. However, it is also a nice thing to often meet your colleagues to build better relationships within the company.

It is essential to be organized with time management when working remotely. You should follow certain behavior rules and be able to fulfill the established goals. If we are not able to control this, we may be not doing our best to fulfill the goals or we may be going through a burnout due to working 14 hours (which was so common at the beginning of the pandemic, when people were not used to remote work.)

Today’s worldwide trend is remote work, The Flock knows it and it is ready for this increasing way of working.

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10 keys for creating a remote business culture

Posted on November 24, 2022 - 1:55 pm by Nicolas Castro 3

The remote business culture

is related to the values, objectives, missions, and views of a certain company and the employers are the ones who transmit them to the employees, who share them with each other in every project. This remote business culture represents the structural foundation, whose purpose is to create a sense of belonging and promote not only mutual support and cooperation among the members of the enterprise but also compliance with the schemes and working rules.

Regarding the internal level, it is expressed throughout the adopted modality and guidelines that regulate the working dynamics but it also controls the relationships among the employees. Those who work for a certain organization feel identified with its proposal, so they adapt their behavior and their way of perceiving what they perform there. But at the external level, it can be present in the exchange and collaborations that the company has with other enterprises.

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic

many companies had to start to consider other options completely different from the traditional working model. On this point, we should focus on the factors that allow current companies to keep on track and go for virtuality.

The challenge of creating this culture within the remote model requires new strategies that aim at maintaining communication, emotional intelligence, and empathy. Besides these strategies promote leadership and make the learning of necessary tools easier in a continuous, efficient, and coordinated way.

By the latter, it is essential to point out that, as they do not share a physical space in this new model, employees’ expressions, gestures, and behavior during their virtual meetings are crucial in terms of dialogue and exchange with others.

As part of these new marketing strategies, it is also important to highlight which are the market needs that the company can fulfill in the present, which are the skills and techniques to do so, and which will be the objectives. This enables the enterprise to pay attention to its client’s needs and desires and design a plan to satisfy them.

Moreover, the organization must take action to accompany and strengthen every employee’s and team’s development by promoting the fulfillment of tasks, and the meeting of deadlines through joint agreements and criteria.

In this article, we will review some aspects to take into account when creating a business culture:

Defining the company’s personality and values: this means not only clarifying the features by which the members will be able to interact with each other and with their clients but also outlining which are the values that they will defend in those interactions.
Being clear about the mission and view of the brand for developing tasks: employees must be aware of what the organization is like nowadays and where it is going ahead. So the entire purpose of the company, the needs and demands they want to comply with, and the strategies must be clarified.
Encouraging employees to accomplish the organization’s goals: it is essential to let them know about the benefits they can get when meeting the deadlines in search of complying with those goals.
Motivating employees to learn new skills: the market is constantly changing its conditions, so the workers must be up-to-date by learning the necessary skills to remain in it. This will allow them to be more versatile and move forward in their career.
Providing tools for leadership development within the team: the enterprise must accompany and allow its members to make decisions and solve conflicts proactively, keeping the connection of the team in search of guaranteeing everyone’s well-being.
Acknowledging every worker’s performance: receiving recognition makes workers feel appreciated by the company. Being aware that you are doing well and that contributes to the normal whole operation is gratifying to continue improving.
Promoting mutual support and collaboration within the work team: actions must be taken to boost the team spirit and encourage collaborative work, so they can help each other.
Generating gathering spaces, no matter how far they are: it is essential that there exist areas outside the working environment, where employees can meet with each other virtually, share common interests, express genuinely, and build bonds with their colleagues.
Boost communication between employers and employees flexibly: by adopting more independence and autonomy, remote work involves holding another kind of strategy for communicating. To do so, the most adequate channels to share relevant information must be defined. When and how that will happen should also be established.
Improving body language in the digital world: in this type of meeting, the body has a different role from the one it used to have in in-person meetings. So, it is recommended to pay attention to non-verbal expressions and observe and listen carefully to others, apart from verbal communication.

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Discover the working trends in the Tech World⁣

Posted on November 23, 2022 - 9:22 pm by Nicolas Castro 1

Remote work has been increasing more and more.

Performing daily tasks from your living room, managing flexible time, and being in contact with people and projects from all over the world was a utopia some years ago. However, the post-pandemic world has shown us that not only is this modality completely possible but also it is a current reality for many.

At The Flock, we are keen on getting to know which are the working trends mainly in the tech world. That’s why, in October this year, we carried out a survey of technological profiles around the world in order to look into their preferences when developing themselves as professionals.

The survey respondents were men and women of all ages. The main age range was between 25 and 35, followed by the one between 36 and 45. We received responses from different nationalities, such as Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Colombia, Mexico, Peru, and Costa Rica.

Most of the ones polled belong to the Development area, followed by Business and Product, and finally, Design. The first answer that called our attention was that 90% of them are currently working remotely. Most of them have chosen this modality during the last years, exactly between 2 and 4 years ago, which coincides with the pandemic appearance that has made us redevelop our working methodologies.

Regarding the interests that bring about this choice, most agreed on the fact that the home office enables them to balance their personal life and work in a more effective way. In the second place, almost a quarter of the respondents highlighted the chance of working in any part of the world, which solves commuting issues. Finally, other aspects such as optimization, income level, and improvements in productivity were mentioned.

Besides, we also wanted to determine if the choice of one modality or another is related to the fact of choosing projects in places away from their cities of residence. But the answers were divided almost in halves into those who work on projects in their own country, those who have international clients, and those who do both. This can indicate the flexibility provided by the new technologies combined with remote work modalities, enabling us to be part of worldwide projects.

Moreover, we would like to point out that 60 % of the ones polled stated that they have once received a proposal for working remotely during the last 6 months. And among the most decisive aspects in order to evaluate this kind of offer are time optimization, salaries, challenges involved in every project or position, and finally, the company culture.

In accordance with labor relations in this type of job, most said that they were full-time independent contractors closely followed by those who work in an employer-employee relationship. To a lesser extent, some respondents are freelancers who look for clients on their own (11%) or use platforms for that purpose (6%). Regarding working conditions, almost half of them affirmed that they were established unilaterally by the company or employer, meanwhile, the minority said they reached an agreement about it together with their employers. Just a small percentage stated that they themselves set the conditions.

We also wonder how many of these people that are nowadays working remotely would like to come back to an in-person modality if there is a chance. Taking into account all the benefits that remote work brings about, we were not surprised when we discovered that most of them claimed they would not work face-to-face again.

However, there was a smaller percentage of respondents that would dismiss the chance of working remotely or would come back to an on-site modality. And there is only one reason: daily contact with the work team. This tells us that there is still a challenge to take up in this new scenario: how to create communities and promote work teams even thousands of kilometers away.

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Access the world’s best jobs. Apply as Talent

How to cope with Qatar World Cup and not die trying: suggestions for companies

Posted on October 19, 2022 - 7:04 pm by Nicolas Castro

Global phenomena take place regularly and they alter the normal course of daily situations and the fulfillment of responsibilities.

They are large-scale events like the Qatar World Cup that catch the attention of the worldwide population every certain period of time and modify the routine temporally. This also has an impact on work development, such as working time management and execution within the enterprise. Working spaces must take into account some essential aspects in order to cope with these events in the best way possible and encourage their employees to continue working on their projects.

No matter if it is a remote or in-person modality, companies must deal with the challenge of an internal reorganization so they can provide alternatives to comply with the ongoing projects in a flexible way during these spectacles. Both remote and in-person teams have to suggest different ideas which allow to create or strengthen the business culture in order also to avoid a decrease in the productivity of their talents during this period.

The 2022 World Cup is coming and it is interesting to focus on it because of its geographical, economic, and political importance, as well as on what it provokes in every person, considering its values, motivations, and interests.

An encounter among various national football teams which are made up of members who belong to different nationalities; the presence of a huge audience and fans coming from all over the world who invest their energy and resources for getting there; football chants that every team feels represented by; flags waving everywhere, among others features of this championship, are relevant when thinking also about the companies.

How is it possible to integrate talents and promote the values work team without putting aside leisure?
How can we set up a virtual space for employees to share recreational activities that allow them to know each other going beyond geographical limits?
Which are the most adequate measures to increase the freelancers’ performance and the deadlines and tasks compliance taking into account the worldwide distraction caused by this sport celebration?

Aiming at collaborating with businesses given the need of revising the working schemes, this article offers answers to the questions above.

It is certain that the World Cup turns on passion, emotions, and enthusiasm in people and there is a great interest in being part, either attending the matches or watching them on the screens. Avoiding the lack of focus and the efficiency decrease of remote talents requires coming up with some measures that make possible their temporary adaptation during this celebration.

Let’s share some useful strategic actions that we will roll out in The Flock when negotiating the working guidelines while finding a balance:

Revise and modify the project stages. Extend deadlines: both coordination and cooperation among freelancers are crucial even during these distracting events.
More flexibility, so they can have more available time to attend a certain match or watch it when the national team they support is playing.
Promote virtual gathering spaces for those who prefer to watch the matches together with other fans and share a leisure moment.
Make marketing advertising campaigns via e-mail where useful information about talents’ personal and working development is provided. The World Cup and other cultural and sports phenomena are important as they show worldwide points of view, objectives, and choices that allow each team and its members to build their own path. It is beneficial that employees have the chance to chat and learn together with professionals who provide tools to boost these aspects of their lives in a constructive and optimistic way.
Set up teams to create interactive games (gambling) for employees to participate in and with real games for winners: providing relaxing and leisure environments that lead to empathy and solidarity but also to self-care and self-defense.
Suggest integration activities among those who make up the work team, promoting working productivity: the idea is to create a solid bond based on mutual support among employees. Empathy, listening, and collaboration are key to fulfilling the planned tasks.
Reflect on inclusion, diversity, and acceptance of differences within the organization, considering the regulations and prohibitions that the host country imposes in relation to religion and sexual orientation or gender identity.

It is essential that freelancers have the chance to relate and integrate their personal life with the working dynamics (without mixing them), as they can come up with innovative solutions without quitting their leisure activities. This takes to an increase together with development among talents and their projects.

Although all the enterprises should consider this event on their agenda, those who work remotely are the ones who make a greater joint effort, due to time independence, asynchronous work, and places from where talents are involved but, at the same time, they obtain more significant benefits.

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Football is to low-class what technology is to middle-class: a chance for climbing the social ladder

Posted on October 4, 2022 - 2:08 pm by Nicolas Castro

Successful remote work and the technology boom require an essential change in the way entrepreneurs manage their own companies.

Talent-oriented rather than geolocation-oriented recruitment, flexibility towards change or fast market expansion are some of the strengths of remote work and Latin-American startups are taking advantage of them.

According to Forbes magazine, Mateo Bovio, current partner and Chief Sales Officer in The Flock, is a serial entrepreneur, has a fulfilling career path and looks older than 28. Mateo, who is an Argentinian industrial engineer living in Italy, defines himself as a “digital entrepreneur”, if he comes up with an idea, he does the impossible for achieving it. He speaks five languages, got two master’s degrees but what really defines his profile is his passion for what he does.

Commercial profiles have a key role in this new asynchronous, remote and technological context where the world becomes small and accessible. Since June, he has been in charge of looking for new clients and new business opportunities.

– What is your experience like working remotely for a startup such as The Flock, living in Italy but looking for clients all over the world?

– The experience is amazing. The new digitalization model allows us to go beyond the reality structure and change that model and I love that. The commercial part is crucial for any enterprise, everything can improve but if there are no sales, there is no business and for those who work in the sales area, we know how to deal with that pressure better than others. On the other hand, working remotely is something I am used to and I find it easier when it comes to commercial management and results. I attend certain face-to-face meetings or events when it is really worth it as I know they will be useful. I also use current digital tools a lot. The pandemic also contributed to it and the clients got used to a video call or attending an online event. Besides, if you are good at selling, making the most of marketing and media and if you support your business with a comprehensive commercial strategy, you can then choose good referrals and, on top of that, you get surrounded by great partners. In that case, you are a whiz.

– Which one do you consider as the most disruptive model of this new technological context where speed and flexibility are key concepts of this tech era?

– The most disruptive model is the social one. Nowadays I am writing a book about that which will be released in Latam in December 2022. Football is to low-class what technology is to middle-class that intends to be skilled, it is a chance for climbing the social ladder. Today there are plenty of young people who set up their own technology business after school or university and that deeply moves me. They are the main characters because they know how to use technology with impact in every aspect. We must know how to use technology, it is an evolving and emerging tool and there are more and more new things coming up and we must be constantly reading about the new trends. Talking about the most disruptive technical model, I would mention blockchain, it is a technology that, due to its transparent and transactional features, can change and is actually changing the society organization.

– The queens of the entrepreneur ecosystem seem to be the startups and scaleups, both of them attract the best talent since these kinds of companies have flexible policies and fully remote jobs. Which makes the difference in The Flock from the other platforms?

– For sure, the startups are the queens of the entrepreneur ecosystem and we young people imposed a paradigm change with flexible policies and fully remote jobs where the premise is working to live rather than living to work. It is part of a generational and cultural shift. In accordance with this, there is The Flock, which is the top Latin-American freelance talent platform. Within this company, there coexist product, development, design, business and data profiles that are validated in advance and in a technical way on the platform. They are also asked about their preferences related to coding to be able to assign them certain projects or enterprises. I have never seen in Latam an IT talent platform where there is such a huge freelancer’s community and where freelancers are treated the same way as in-house employees. We keep on working on this line to provide usefulness and certainty to the flockers. We in the Flock are clear that 50% of IT talent will be freelance in the next five years. So we must help organizations not to be left aside from that talent recruitment but we always take care of our talents by taking our catchphrase into account: “free refers to freedom and not to the lack of charge.”

– Startups are a new way of doing businesses and technology is the foundation of this type of company. Which is the biggest challenge that you face?

– Startups face a big challenge and that is to become profitable in a short term and I agree with the fact of having that challenge. I cannot understand startups that are not profitable and raise funding rounds. I prefer bootstrapped startups that do not do this and sell until they reach a balance without the help of investments or the ones that do it but only for making their profitable business grow, like we do in The Flock.

– You are a prime example of the possibility of working fully remote. How do you manage your schedule with so many different time zones?

– Any common person in my shoes would be in shock. However, luckily I do not consider myself as a common person. I put a lot of passion and energy into my job and that makes me work happily, although it is essential to manage my google calendar properly in order to work out, sleep well, spend time with family and friends, travel and work in an efficient and productive way. It is not easy to have a commercial profile but I take advantage of an innate talent and I work on it. I have just finished a master’s degree on neuroscience which helps me to sell more and better but, at the same time and on the personal aspect, to deal with stress and anxiety and use them as a daily propulsion. Time zones are a complex topic but if you are organized, constant and have a good attitude, you can make it.

– Do you think that entrepreneurship and innovation must go together? Or is it more important the way you set your own business rather than the product or service itself?

– For me, the important thing is to find a need and focus on it to solve it. Also, at the same time, to see if someone is willing to pay me for that solution and if so, I ask myself how difficult it is to reach it. That is entrepreneurship, innovation is another thing.

– What do you think about the metaverse? Do you think it will have an important impact on the daily life of entrepreneurs?

– I see the metaverse as really marketing-oriented. If we split up the word, the second part is “verse” which in Argentinian slang (verso) stands for something that people speak a lot about but it is not true. It is an old concept but, more recently, it has been introduced strongly into the market by Facebook, that now is called Meta. I consider it is very similar to virtual or augmented reality we were used to in Pokemon GO or some innovations in the tourism area.

– Which do you think is a daily catchphrase that an emerging technological startup must follow?

– Always forward.

– If it is very hard for Mateo Bovio to give up an idea that has come to his mind, which would be some advice for someone who has a project in mind and does not know where to start from?

– First of all, they must consider if it is sellable. Then, if they have attitude and perseverance, they will find the proper team to put it into practice. My advice is to set up your own business as a lifestyle.

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An unknown but increasingly requested position: what CTOs do

Posted on August 22, 2022 - 9:42 pm by Nicolas Castro

CTOs/Technology represents the talent economy basis.

When people can learn, share and work from any part of the world, all traditional assumptions about work are open for revision. The growth of computer speed, the infinite capacity of data storage, and the power of internet connections make global collaboration possible in real-time and in almost all disciplines.

According to research conducted by Harvard University, companies are considering the recruitment of freelance talent as a key aspect of their business strategy. This “new” trend has taken center stage with key figures.

One of these new roles that appear on this on-demand talent stage is the CTO. The responsibilities and tasks of a Chief Technology Officer are well-defined and this job position is increasingly in demand. So, what are these department managers in charge of?

Juan Cruz Montes, Director of Technology in The Flock,

explains some of his duties and tells about his daily routine in the leadership of the technical team of one of the Latin-American platforms with more validated talents. According to him, when making up a technology team, the key is to make a balance between challenges and practice, to find harmony among technologies to fulfill delivery, stability, and trust in the whole area. “Finding talents is also difficult but luckily in The Flock we specialized in that.”

The CTO has a main role within a company’s organizational chart and fluctuates from the commercial to the technical area, as they develop innovative products and take responsibility for the technology that allows the company to operate. “We define the technological direction. I started programming when I was 15, later on at 19 I began to work as a developer and I went from big companies to smaller ones until I ended up being a freelancer for many years. I traveled the whole world as a freelancer and I worked with clients from almost all continents. Then I came back to Argentina and I joined The Flock project.”

Many on-demand talent platforms match profiles with projects and he claims that The Flock’s distinctive feature is the fact of putting the focus on the community and making the freelancer’s life as easy as possible. The talent seeks freedom and flexibility, which is not offered by traditional work. The world is completely different from our parents, working in the same enterprise for decades is no longer attractive. In The Flock, we offer solutions for all the freelancers’ pains, as well as many perks.

There is an increasing demand for technological profiles. The CTO of The Flock considers that the pair react + node has been the most requested for the last years, at first it was a stack only for start-ups but since the adoption of Typescript is slowly getting into the corporate world.

The tech industry moves forward by leaps and bounds and many of its new developments have a huge impact on society. Juan Cruz considers that technology is disruptive when it changes how we do something or breaks established habits. For example, Uber has changed the way the world moves, Netflix has modified the way we watch TV, Rappi has affected the way we order food and some apps modify, for instance, our way of paying. We in The Flock have changed the way we work.

He thinks Latin America is one of the regions with more tech talents who are very well qualified. “In countries such as Argentina, Mexico, Brazil, and Colombia there is a vibrating and healthy start-up ecosystem that produces many world-class developers. The regional challenges lead to innovation and it’s there where the Latin-American talent shines.”

He considers that a person who wants to become a CTO does not have to know about all the technologies but he is convinced that they must like being up-to-date in order not to be left apart quickly. “I would recommend that person get involved in their favorite technologies community and focus on learning everything about its basis. Opportunities are endless, we only need to be passionate about what we do.”

Being a CTO implies knowing how to attract, manage and promote loyalty within the IT professionals team of the company. His daily slogan to perform successfully at work is: “first make it work, then make it better.” Constant improvement, daily and incessant construction. Sprint by sprint, quarter by quarter.

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Latin American Talent has the key for succeeding in a remote world in their DNA

Posted on August 1, 2022 - 8:38 pm by Nicolas Castro

Remote work has increased 91% in popularity over the last 10 years. After the Covid19, it has grown and it has accelerated processes that some companies had already started. Within this new working model, many challenges have arisen but they must be turned into chances. Today it is no longer necessary to be from 9 to 6 in an office to develop professionally. The freelance modality allows workers to manage their own time given accomplishing goals or objectives it’s what is really important. Not where or at what time you are working. Given freelance and remote work are growing exponentially the recruiting world is changing too and now ONLINE has become the main way for connecting with new talent. The biggest demanding task in this post-pandemic era is, at the same time, the biggest advantage of remote work. Nowadays all meetings and interviews are virtual and, although that has provided a wide variety of possibilities when recruiting talents because of the access to people all around the world, it has also taken out an essential part of communication, the non-verbal one.

The most significant challenge for organizations is how to make the best talents work in their company when there is such a great offer in similar conditions. What makes The Flock different from the rest is that despite being freelance #flockers that join the team and certain projects, the enterprise culture is above all the employees. There are activities in common in order to gather and meet each other no matter where they are. The Flock is above all a COMMUNITY of talented tech freelancers, where they can access challenging projects globally, self-managing themselves 100% but being also part of a network that supports them and that they can rely on.

The distinctive feature of Latin-American talent is contained in its DNA

According to the UN, in 2020 remote work was only considered as an option by 3% of the population. Today between 20% and 30% of Latin Americans work this way.

The great difference in all Latin America, not only in the labor market, is that people who are born and live in this region have a more adaptable personality to change. Since childhood, adaptability comes from the culture and the situations experienced in this zone. And that makes them a talent hub for companies outside Latin America. People from this region are brought up in an economically and, in some cases, socially unstable context, which allows them to develop an adaptability and flexibility capacity different from people from the rest of the world.
Doubtlessly, this feature is key when having to work remotely. Currently, the balance between personal life and work is clearer than before the pandemic. Home office stabilizes these two aspects. It is no longer only a “benefit”, workers do not only look for an attractive salary but they consider the offer as a whole. And that involves an equilibrium between work and personal life and a more flexible schedule and conditions.

Today’s workers want to be evaluated for the value they provide and not for the volume. And the question here is how to build confidence in the digital world. Micromanagement (personnel management philosophy that involves the strict supervision of the assigned tasks to employees by the manager or a hierarchical superior) is a waste of time and energy and it generates distrust not only from the leader to their team, but also the other way round and the best results come from teamwork and synergy indeed. It’s the leader who must create that confident relationship so their team can work efficiently and independently without worrying about insignificant matters.

The challenge of retaining talent

Before it was common for a professional to stay the whole career in the same organization but these days it is more frequent for talent to change jobs and enterprises and even to work simultaneously for many of them. This represents an explicit and implicit fact. Both parties are aware of the ‘threats’ within the labor market which can tempt the resource drain. Is this the end of the company’s presence? As stated by Forbes Magazine, the main millennials’ ambitions are 57% travel, 52% being rich, 49% buying a house, 46% having a positive impact on society and 39% raising a family. Therefore, every talent wants to add new experiences, instead of accumulating years of experience. They want to work how, when and where they want. They are no longer interested in a career in a company with rigid hierarchies, they want to work with leaders from whom they can learn, and work on challenging and impactful projects.

So, the question is how to retain talent. In relation to freelance talent digital platforms, the key is to provide support for them so they can focus on their tasks without dealing with matters that are not of their competence. This is what happens in The Flock. Every employee works in the area they love and then the community supports them in order to perform well in their objectives.

Opportunities: the launch pad to success

Despite the labor market is more and more competitive due to the endless chances of online self-learning courses, it is no longer necessary to have university degrees that guarantee the talent’s knowledge. Every talent has something good to offer and the only thing that separates them from success is the chance of showing their abilities and skills. The Flock offers multiple challenges and projects in which each talent can develop without worrying about anything but their work. Clear goals, a supportive community, and the opportunity to start the life you long for.

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The Flock: the digital platform of validated talent where everyone wins

Posted on June 16, 2022 - 5:06 pm by Nicolas Castro 1

Ramiro González Forcada and Nicolás Castro are 29 years old and founders of The Flock, a digital platform of Validated Talenthat match technological projects with Latin American freelancers.

Its beginnings and the pandemic as an opportunity

It was in the midst of the pandemic and socially isolated, as almost everyone, when they started to brainstorm about their current enterprise, which is present in more than 10 countries and manages more than 20 projects at the same time with 50 #flockers working on that. The confinement played in their favor to have greater availability and thus be able to work, almost exclusively, in the project they trusted so much.

They make up a seamless team and they complement each other. They foster remote, independent and asynchronous work. Nico states that Rami has a good mix of strategic vision, leadership and critical analysis. On the other hand, Ramiro declares that they have both the same desire, objectives and values but from different perspectives. “I encourage the team and always challenge us to go one step further. Nico does short-term oriented management and has a good trade-off between moving on and experiencing the current moment, he knows how to enjoy every step.”

They met when they were children, as they used to live in the same neighborhood and their schools were near. They had many people in common and they met again at university. “We started to get to know each other little by little, at first in study groups, then in social meetings and later on we set up different projects. In that moment we realized that we enjoyed working together, we had similar ideas and dreams and we wanted to create something big. We made some things before that did not result as expected but we never gave up. We had the feeling that we had to work together and we finally got to this project which joined many objectives: global outreach, technology and impact,” say both of them.

The pandemic was a breaking point for the start of The Flock. “That context helped us a lot when trying to demonstrate that it is completely possible to work with people from many parts of the world and focused on meeting objectives instead of schedules,” states Nicolás. The arrival of the pandemic showed people’s potential to the world and that they could be able to develop their tasks from anywhere. Ramiro also claims that “it was a reality before the pandemic but with this phenomenon, everyone was forced to do it, and even some companies that would have never taken the leap are now experiencing positive results.”

The challenging world of startups

They are versatile, skilled and passionate about technology and they argue that the start-up world evolves really fast and flexibility is needed in order not to be left out soon. The most challenging is to find the product-market fit. That is to say, to find the moment in which you know exactly the added value that is provided to the client and they perceive it in the same way. That moment, when you understand how to speak to them, what to say and how to sell, which is really important, represents the starting point where more growth can be obtained.

They work with elastic teams which is a win-win scheme where both parties win.

Although there are many similar platforms, the added value of The Flock is that every #Flocker who joins the platform can work in a comfortable way, as they forget about dealing with clients, they have an income in dollars and on time, they have predictability regarding potential projects and it is fully remote. Every talent can decide when and where to work, which gives a real balance between their jobs and personal life. Moreover, they state that it has great benefits for companies, as they have motivated teams, they invest in the necessary skills for every product stage when they need it and they improve their return of investment in the labor force, among others.

The founders highlight communication as an essential aspect in order to be able to work with elastic and remote teams both for the clients and the Flockers. That’s why in The Flock we put a lot of emphasis on following the project implementation methodology.

The importance of reliability and curiosity

According to their experience, talent must have reliability in people in order to develop themselves professionally within remote teams. The idea is to know that when they say they will do something they will actually do it. This is very appreciated in The Flock and it adds a lot of value to the profiles. Regarding this, Ramiro mentions a key concept: curiosity.

“Working in remote teams makes you relate to different cultures and languages; you must be curious in order to be constantly learning from others.”

“We are very strict when validating a talent, we permanently look for the perfect manner to make up an IT team.” Therefore, in The Flock they create a rigorous process, by means of which they quickly detect the level of every applicant. Their objective is to become the biggest validated talent platform in Latin America that searches for the perfect match between talent and project.

They affirm that Latin America is a high-quality pole of talent attraction, they are really motivated to grow in a professional way. Besides, they underline the good level of English, which is the universal language in the digital product development world. Nowadays, this region possesses a lot of skilled people, not only in the technical field but also in languages and social skills.

Finally, how do you see TF 5 years from now? We expect The Flock to be the leading digital talent platform worldwide. They see themselves working with more and more quantity and variety of people and enterprises, with increasingly ambitious projects and improving the work-life balance of many people. That’s where we’re headed.

#TheFlockTip

What would you advise someone who wants to quit their permanent job in a company and start working as a freelancer? “We consider that nowadays talented people, especially from the digital product development world, have more opportunities than ever. Indeed, enterprises are the ones that are concerned about getting good talent and not the other way round. They argue that it is the right time to take the leap towards the independent and freelance world. “Companies like ours help in that transition and accompany the freelancer’s life.”

The founders made a short, random and a bit nerd quiz so as to know more about their vision and the way they are when working in The Flock.

Bonus track!

Does contact beat CV or does experience beat studies?

N: This has changed a lot. There are CTOs from huge companies who did not go to university or do not have any degree. I think experience obtained by working and the desire to learn beats any contact or degree.
R: Experience without a doubt beats studies. But studies plus experience is a boom.

Which is your favorite Google extension?

N: https://glossarytech.com/. It is really useful for those who do not know too much about technology and would like to understand and learn a bit more.
R: Google Docs Offline → To have access to everything when the internet goes down.

Which was the last app you downloaded?

N: A customer’s one. I can not tell you too much because of privacy policies 😉
R: Bird.

Your favorite emoji?

N: I really like the rock hand emoji ??.
R: The upside down face ? .

Your last search in Google?

N: Rock hand emoji haha
R: Upside down face.

Working day or night?

N: I love mornings. I wake up early to work or work out.
R: Free! No fixed schedule preferences.

Physical books or eBooks?

N: I am old school regarding books, I prefer the printed ones and their smell.
R: Both, it depends. When studying I prefer the physical one so as to take notes on it.

Which is your mantra on a busy day of work?

N: I try to prioritize and deal with one issue at a time.
R: Order and prioritization.

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Gig workers and their influence on the Tech World

Posted on June 10, 2022 - 3:01 pm by Nicolas Castro 1

During the last few years, the way companies recruit new employees and the way professionals offer their jobs have completely changed in the Tech World.

Some of the factors that made it possible are new technology improvement, digital economy development and different changes in a post-pandemic world.

Therefore, an economic concept based on people who offer their services in freelance and temporary ways through mobile applications has become popular. This new relationship within the labor market is called the “Gig economy” and it is applied by many new enterprises, as it accelerates recruitment times, which makes the search for skilled personnel easier for every task.

Small businesses and startups are the main driving force of the creation of digital platforms where workers offer their temporary services which are sometimes related to the tech world. There is currently a great number of young professionals who belong to areas such as web design and development, project management or copywriting, among others that are highly requested. The workers take the advantage of being part of various projects at the same time.

As the economy is becoming more and more digital, the Gig economy is making its way worldwide as one of the favorite options for millennials who prefer working in a remote, flexible, self-employed and short-term way and by objectives.

Although traditional recruitment processes have some known advantages, Gig workers possess certain aspects which seem to be increasingly attractive for 21st-century talents:

Innovation: they get in touch with innovative companies worldwide, which enables them to fully develop their creative potential.
Remote work: they are able to do their job from anywhere, they only need an electronic device and internet connection. In this way, there is a greater labor supply for them.
Labor flexibility: they give priority to flexible schedules that let them organize themselves and combine work and leisure. They prefer short-term projects where they are paid by objectives and not by hours worked. They even do different jobs with many startups simultaneously.
Extra incomes: they often use this labor model in order to generate an extra income by working as freelancers in their spare time, as every worker manages their own time.
Online payments: due to new technologies, professionals can invoice from anywhere in the world. There are several safe platforms by means of which organizations make payments in a digital way.

These are some of the characteristics of this economic model that is making their way by leaps and bounds thanks to the offered advantages both for enterprises and professionals.

However, within an increasingly competitive working context, it is considerable to know what the companies are looking for and which skills they prioritize when recruiting talents.

These are some recommendations in order to be prepared if some opportunities arise:

Inside the Gig world, working experience or academic qualifications are not as relevant as the specific skills of every worker. The idea is to analyze the main problems, the current world challenges and the talent’s contributions to solving them. The most required skills are language, meeting deadlines and writing. It is also useful to recognize the strengths so as to develop them.
Learning to work independently without bosses telling what to do or when to leave is not only one of the benefits but also the challenges of this model. Being organized and able to manage time properly is a must.
Becoming part and familiar with the digital world and the new technologies is vital to perform and improve within a Gig context. Tech-skilled professionals are more and more required.
The constant training is significant. We are talking about areas that are constantly changing and updating, so a university degree is not enough. Continuous learning candidates are taken into account.
This economic model is equal to or more competitive than the traditional one, so it is crucial to demonstrate what someone is capable of. It is important to have a portfolio to show in any job opportunity. In this labor dynamics, they have to worry about performing the job properly and acquiring new clients frequently.
Considering what allows the talent to stand out from the crowd is also essential. The idea is to be clear about what their distinctive feature is and create a personal style. Therefore, they will be able to go into the labor market and offer their services successfully.

The gig economy is a trendy model that is chosen more and more by professionals who decide to manage their own time. It has become really popular during the last few years and predictions indicate that it will continue like this.

Although it is a competitive model that needs to be one step forward to achieve the best opportunities, it has numerous benefits and no one would regret adopting it as a labor dynamic.

Some say it is the future work, although we think that the future has already arrived. Now it is necessary to analyze how this trend will continue developing in the medium and long term.

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How to manage IT remote teams – 5 key aspects

Posted on June 3, 2022 - 12:48 pm by Nicolas Castro 2

The era of fully in-person work is going through a transition toward another working model. There are plenty of ways of making up, maintaining, and leading teams without having to meet face-to-face in a physical space, but this is not exempt from risks, which we must be ready to face.

Taking into account the changes that are taking place in the current world and, mainly, in the labor market, new demands and new stages appear, where it is possible to develop projects at a faster pace and at other spatial levels. These projects are interconnected from different places of the world and it is also feasible thanks to other team dynamics.

Asynchronous work, technological agility, and the chance of identifying the geographical location of talents in any part of the world have become really interesting considering that, at this moment, there are other ways of designing, achieving, and sharing projects.

Nowadays, there are many digital tools that let us use agile and flexible methodologies to assign roles and tasks among the members of each team, organize the schedule of every activity and establish assessment and revision methods. At the same time, it is possible to come to common agreements related to each project.

Regarding the IT area, the necessity of finding skilled personnel leads to the search for new talents by outsourcing and, at the same time, to the constant training that the new employees are offered to undergo daily challenges.

There are more and more companies that decide to work remotely but they do not know how to do it or fear failing during that process. Despite that, it is completely profitable. Beyond the economic benefits that are obtained after that decision, it is also true that leading teams remotely means putting faith in new working methodologies and internal and external strategies of communication. The result of these changes can be seen in better working conditions and greater creativity, productivity, and efficiency. So, when workers feel more at ease in the enterprise, they are likely to remain there.

The key is to generate a good work environment by creating mutual support conditions, where challenges can be seen as an opportunity to move forward and grow as professionals and not as an obstacle that prevents them from improving their performance.

The IT talents that are part of the teams feel the necessity of incorporating technical competencies and soft skills to fulfill their tasks properly and, in many cases, employers must invest in training to achieve that.

Therefore, it is logical that many companies feel that when modifying their work structure, they lose control of the process and the implementation of the planning. However, at this point, it is also essential to a supervision strategy and the chance of fluent communication, where everyone’s position is appreciated, so both of them know they are going on the same track.

Now, let’s speak about 5 key aspects when leading IT teams remotely:

Set out the working time: every planning requires setting goals to fulfill, way of measuring results and, at the same time, it is necessary to fix the deadlines that must be met by the team and the personal time of every worker. It is essential that this planning makes it possible to organize the personal schedule and the numberf hours assigned to work, because if there is a balance between boem, performance and productivity in the execution of projects are likely to improve. The way of solving difficulties must also be identified responsibly.
Make a constant follow-up: as they are not in the same physical space, employers and employees need to get in touch to move forward in each stage. Although it is true that when working remotely those distances seem to be longer, the leader of the team must get together with the other members not only through video conferences or video calls but also through common documents where they share the improvements, to evaluate the development of the project, revise the KPIs and make the necessary modifications.
Strengthen the communication: it is key to set out communication channels using which notifications, announcements, updates related to the team, and relevant information will be sent and shared. It is also essential to coordinate online meetings between the leaders and the people involved in the project, so they can speak about their ideas, suggestions, and contributions. Taking into account their needs and answering their questions lead to a fluent exchange that makes the improvement feasible in a fast and clever way.
Promote and develop confidence: it is important to appreciate empathy, offer attentive listening, and promote respect among workers. This makes it possible to develop a confident environment where everyone feels accompanied by the rest of the workers to achieve common goals. They should also be helped by their leaders to overcome any obstacle and learn from every experience. The fact of having the chance to express their feelings, expectations, and aspirations in front of others causes a better understanding, willingness, and commitment toward the job they are performing.
Appreciate the achievements at an internal and external level: this is an effective way to encourage the employees to continue developing their tasks and being part of the team. The appreciation can be within the enterprise or in a public way. This will boost their self-esteem, raise their desire for growth and success, and, therefore, they will feel totally encouraged.

In this sense, considering some trends, such as the Gig economy, which leads the way to the future of the business market, it is clear that the leadership of IT teams remotely is completely beneficial, as it is a tool that enables to offer more excellent temporary job opportunities to skilled personnel (by objectives or being part of certain projects). At the same time, it makes possible a coordinated job that balances the need of keeping certain flexibility and independence and the need of producing in a current context of high competence and hyper-specialization.

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7 Essential Steps in IT Talent Recruitment

Posted on May 19, 2022 - 2:44 pm by Nicolas Castro

The digitalization of the labor market has been ongoing for several years, but the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated its adoption as a necessity for businesses worldwide.

To remain competitive in today’s market, organizations must embrace the digital world and adopt technological solutions across all areas of their operations.

Rather than hindering productivity, the adoption of digital tools can create more enriching and rewarding working experiences for employees. Online work offers a range of possibilities that cannot be ignored by any enterprise seeking to stay up to date with the latest advancements and attract top talent.

The digitalization of work offers solutions to many of the challenges faced by companies in the current economic climate, including the need to optimize resources due to budget cuts. This requires a review of recruitment processes and working modalities that promote a decent, genuine, and high-quality workplace. However, traditional recruitment processes can be time-consuming, making it difficult for businesses to adapt quickly to changing circumstances.

In summary, embracing digitalization in the labor market is essential for businesses seeking to stay competitive and attract top talent. Optimizing recruitment processes and working modalities is key to creating a high-quality workplace that meets the demands of the digital age.

According to TechUK

There is a growing interest among individuals to develop and expand their abilities by working in digital environments. The IT employment sector is also experiencing a steady annual growth rate of around 20%, which is expected to double or triple in the coming years as more agile and effective recruitment strategies are implemented.

The increasing use of digital channels has opened up new ways of working between employers and employees, allowing for more significant projects and the development of technical skills and abilities. Bringing in new talent to work on company teams strengthens internal communication, promotes theoretical and practical skills, and enables the design of customized solutions for each project.

Investing in specialized recruitment strategies can increase outreach and visibility in the market and help companies identify the exact talent needed to meet specific goals. This, in turn, can lead to the creation of unique, efficient proposals for clients and faster project planning. With the right talent in place, the success of a project is virtually assured.

In this context, IT talent outsourcing recruitment becomes a challenging task for companies.

It is essential to mention some keys related to it:

Search process design: understand the goals, know which is the available budget, and the technical necessities of the project to give the best option for that organization.
The specific knowledge of those who are in charge of the search. Regarding the technical specifications, the recruiter must be aware of the tech trends to understand what is needed.
Validate IT talent: through a series of questions and tests as a kind of exam, it is possible to recognize the best-qualified candidates, those who have the abilities and technical and soft skills that are required to be part of the projects of the company.
Strengthen the integration processes: it promotes experiences that make it easier to incorporate new people and the makeup of working dynamics among them and with the previous members of the team. The idea is to provide resources and opportunities to obtain a better adjustment.
Generate high-quality employment: the chance of getting a new job position improves the employees’ self-esteem and attitude. It is also beneficial for goal and project fulfillment through great common achievements.
Create a database of the available talents according to the required profiles: no matter if they are temporary or long-term jobs, the idea is to make a register of the specialized people in each area of the scientific-technological industry.
Offer a training and professional growth space for the selected talents: the organization intends to train and accompany their new employees so they can make available their training and past experience. The training and growth stage is motivating for each member and for the whole team.

IT talent recruitment makes reference to a necessity that has been coming on by leaps and bounds and, many times shows the obstacle that this causes in the development of an enterprise.

Therefore, IT recruitment service is undergoing a full consolidation moment and has become a crucial tool for companies, as it enables them to reduce costs and optimize time.

Having adequate personnel and the most appropriate talent is a plus when meeting the working objectives.

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Gig economy: A Revolutionary Trend for the Labor Market

Posted on May 17, 2022 - 6:35 pm by Nicolas Castro 2

Digital transformation of workplaces has generated new trends that revolutionize the labor market.

Nowadays, on-demand and independent jobs have caused an increase in worldwide employment options, which has become a feasible and sustainable option for many people.

Digital natives look for new ways of working and prioritize the chance of incorporating their jobs into their personal life. Spending 9 hours in a crowded office is no longer an option for those who have experienced management by objectives and without the pressure of time. This new model the demonstration of the “life-work balance” on which new generations are based and they put it into practice in every opportunity that the labor market has for them.

So, within this context of freelancers seeking professional growth and labor diversity rather than one job for their whole life, arose a concept in America that has become popular during the last years: the Gig economy. According to the Cambridge Dictionary, the Gig Economy is a way of working that is based on people having temporary jobs or doing separate pieces of work, each paid separately, rather than working for an employer. In general, these temporary services set by objectives are offered on digital platforms that establish a connection between workers and users who are asking for a specific service. As stated by the Gig Economy Index, almost 40% of the American labor force generates at least 40% of their income within this model. Besides, as claimed by the research From Workforce to Workfit, carried out by Kelly Services, a company specializing in external consulting, the demand for this kind of worker in that country is 47%. Independent freelancers’ microbusinesses in America represent 17% of the gross domestic product, which generates US$2.4 trillion.

The worldwide figures indicate the growth of this trend: the demand in Asia is 84%, in Europe it is equivalent to 80% and finally, in South America, it reaches 54%. Taking into account these figures, many experts claim that the gig economy is the future of work, due to its outreach, facilities, and working benefits both for employees and employers.

Among the most remarkable gig economy benefits and advantages for a freelancer, we can mention that:

Independent workers improve their quality of life: reaching a balance between personal life and work is one of the most valuable advantages. Remote jobs enable them to sleep better and even eat better, as they are not under the pressure of time.

They can have a flexible schedule: as they are hired for a specific project or objective, this type of worker can manage their time most conveniently.

They feel motivated: freelancer is highly motivated since they have the chance of working in a field they love. Management by objectives makes tasks more specific, making them feel more at ease.

They can save money: independent workers save on daily expenses, such as commuting or having lunch on the go.

It is also important to note that remote jobs give the possibility of generating income to people who are usually excluded from the traditional way of working, for example, those who are in charge of caring for others or are unable to commute due to a lack of mobility.

This methodology is also beneficial for enterprises, as they acquire the necessary resources and talents at the appropriate time and place. Freelancers really value independent work and they are constantly getting qualified, which makes it possible for the enterprise to create a highly competitive work team. However, this represents new challenges for the companies that must incorporate their traditional teams into remote ones. According to Kelly Services’ research, the enterprises that innovatively succeeded in this it is because they passed on the business culture early, implemented a comprehensive onboarding process, and used adequate digital tools.

Some data that show this trend worldwide are:

– The number of digital platforms that facilitate online work or that hire workers directly to offer their services increased fivefold around the world in a decade.

– Only 13% of people who worked remotely by the end of 2021 have fully returned to the face-to-face model, as stated by Infojobs’ research.

– A McKinsey report shows that more than 150 million people from Western Europe and North America have decided to become independent workers during the last decade.

– Lately, it has been known that more than 4 million American people have quit their permanent jobs willingly to set up their own businesses or work on their own.

As technology improves and the labor force evolves, the gig economy emerges as an original way of working which is based on independent development and without any geographical limits. Some of its advantages are easier access to opportunities, more efficient use of resources, and comfort for workers and clients.

In this model marked by a versatile and disruptive economy, specialization and knowledge are not limited by recruitment methods or borders. More than ever, there is huge competition in the business world and digitalization has become a need rather than an option to be at the forefront of the current market.

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4 Essential Challenges for Talent Outsourcing Companies

Posted on May 12, 2022 - 1:48 pm by Nicolas Castro 1

The Covid19 pandemic accelerated and change the talent outsourcing companies setting 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 around 1.100 million freelancers are 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, some questions 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, many websites function as platforms of talent, 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. Despite 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 without being employed in a dependent way. This is a challenge for managers, who must use different strategies to strengthen the much-needed work culture. The first step is great leadership, as employees will respond by recognizing themselves and themselves as an active part of the company.

How to follow up on the fulfilling of working goals

his new methodology is showing a positive impact on productivity since employees no longer work under pressure but 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 hindering productivity or their approval of the enterprise.

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 freelancing 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 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, which 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 geographical borders, freelancers must consider that remuneration levels are set according to the cost of living in the customer’s country and not in their own. It is a good idea to get in touch with other freelancers and revise tariff charts to estimate costs. Making an estimate of the hours to fulfill the goals, evaluating the money needed, and considering a profit margin are different ways of calculating figures. It is not a bad strategy to ask the client which 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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