Begig

Freelancing has picked up a great momentum with the covid-19 acting as a catalyst to the already growing freelancing industry. With the availability of diverse technologies, technological equipment and tech-based platforms, freelancers are able to get work across the globe. Companies are hiring freelancers and gig workers in record numbers in today’s time. Professionals in this industry are therefore minting money more efficiently than before. With the technological advancements, the freelancing industry will continue to benefit. 

Technology is immensely powerful and has the potential to bring about vast changes in the next 20 years and even after that. We are fortunate to be living in a world where science paved the way for some great innovations which has made our lives easier like never before. Here’s a list of some of the technologies that are believed to change our lives forever over the coming decades and beyond:

Space Tourism

Electric/Self driving Cars

Flying Cars

Working in VR

Wearable Screens

Cloud gaming without machines

The COVID-19 impact on the global as well as Indian economy will take time to be assessed, especially with organisations shedding weight (read employees) and work from home getting to be a rule rather than the exception. However, it does seem to point to a future where gig work is likely to become the norm.

According to a recent report jointly published by global management consulting firm Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and non-profit organisation Michael & Susan Dell Foundation, India’s gig economy will triple in the next three to four years, creating around 90 million jobs in the next eight to 10 years, in the non-agriculture sector alone. Work worth about $250 billion could also be generated terms of volume and contribute at least 1.25% to India’s gross domestic product (GDP).

Post pandemic workforce – hybrid and diverse

COVID-19 has not just altered sectoral landscapes but, indeed, the way we work. It has almost created a caste system in the workplace. There are two kinds of workers today thanks to COVID-19: the in-person and hybrid jobbers. The latter work on a mix of both online and in-premise platforms.

Agreed that hybrid workers need special attention, connectedness and empowerment by HR teams so that business outcomes don’t waver from their in-person peers, but as new McKinsey research shows, common organisational culture, social cohesion and shared trust are oftentimes victims in a hybrid model. It may lead to the emergence of two very conflicting cultures within the same office – one that is workplace-centric with strong organisational values and cohesiveness taking full advantage of in-premise face-to-face interactions. The other one relates to the isolation and disenfranchisement of remote workers who infrequently show up at the workplace, and don’t necessarily benefit from hierarchical bliss. Such workers tend to underperform as there is absence of a sense of belonging. Undoubtedly, employee engagement is key.

The brutish nature of the pandemic has also thrown open the door for a more humane workplace where diversity and inclusiveness are prioritised. Since both are linked to employee engagement, that’s one sure way HR can balance the online-offline dichotomy. One way to up the diversity quotient in organisations today is to look beyond qualifications and experience while hiring. HR managers must level up candidates on enthusiasm, creativity, the desire to succeed and other parameters too. Besides, there is now research to prove that 21% of the companies with gender diversity perform better than their competitors, while those that are ethnically diverse perform 33% better than others.

Human resources should figure out a way to balance the online and offline paradigms with the help of technology and face-to-face counselling.

Balancing work and personal life, how gig working helps

The recent ‘lie flat’ movement that has set China abuzz can be the harbinger of change the world over. Millennials are now resisting the Chinese government’s 996 culture which pushes for a 9am to 9pm work routine six days a week – supposedly for the advancement of the nation.

A growing number of Chinese youth now feel they cannot take on the pressures of academics followed by jobs that swallow up all their time and don’t allow them to pursue activities of leisure and pleasure. Surviving on bare minimum, working only when they need money (many of them just ‘lying flat’ in bed the whole day), they are shunning the so-called symbols of success, such as a personal car or a home, as unnecessary or beyond their means because of rising costs.

Elsewhere around the world, the new work from home culture following the COVID-19 outbreak has given a delectable taste of freedom to millions who are getting used to working in their pyjamas and avoiding the long car ride or sardine-in-a-can train or bus commute to spend more time with their families, especially young children.

The gig environment is ideal for a relaxed, stress-free life, allowing workers to choose flexible working hours, projects of interest to keep their mind ticking and take a break when they feel like it.

More spare time can also mean improved mental as well as physical health as people exercise, choose healthy eating options, pursue a passion or learn new skills.

Not running into managers or bosses every day too has its plus points.

For others laid off by organisations reeling under the impact of the pandemic, gig work is not an option but a necessity. India’s unemployment figures in May 2021, when COVID-19 led to a spike in infections and large-scale fatalities, stood at 11.90%, (14.73 % in urban and 10.63% in rural areas) according to business information company, the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy. Though unemployment rates fell in June to 9.17% (10.07% urban and 8.75 rural) it’s evident that those who now have no means of income will be looking for all kinds of work options to sustain themselves.

Find your mental space – introduce flexibility, choose gig

Shail Joseph, 40, has been working with a television production company for nearly 20 years. Joseph was her company’s mini star with several hit episodes and wildly popular advertisements under her belt. But the production company job had a downside: Tremendous work pressure and very few leaves. The work pressure and the commute from her office to home and back (three hours) also left her physically and emotionally drained.

This almost-daily punishing schedule also left Joseph with little time for herself and her two other passions, travel and music. At best, she could travel once a year for 10 days. When the coronavirus pandemic struck in 2020, like others, Joseph started working from home. Since she was not travelling, she could extract a few hours to join an online music class. Joseph could feel something had changed inside; she was far more relaxed mentally than ever before. Then a realisation: She must unshackle herself from the job to live a more fulfilling life.

After making sure that her finances were in place, Joseph quit her full-time job and worked out a deal with her office: She will freelance work part-time and pick up projects according to her schedule and liking. In the last six months, her entry into the gig economy has given Joseph what she aimed for: A lot of time to recharge her creative cells, choose gigs she likes, and a lot of time to indulge in her hobbies. “I think finding that balance between your income and expenditure and mental peace is extremely important. My entry into the gig economy has really helped me achieve that”.