DECEMBER 2019 | FUTUREOFBUSINESSANDTECH.COM
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FUTURE OF WORK Arianna Huffington
Learn how the entrepreneurial powerhouse is fighting the burnout epidemic
Read why employers should embrace flexibility Discover how one artist went freelance full-time
Lauren Hom Urges New Freelancers to Stick With It Becoming a full-time freelancer is no easy feat, but artist Lauren Hom says it can also be rewarding, both creatively and financially. Since quitting her full-time job in 2014, hand-lettering artist Lauren Hom has been commissioned to create work with major clients including Google, AT&T, and Time magazine, but Hom’s success didn’t happen overnight. “It does take a couple of years to get started,” Hom says. “This is arguably the most frustrating time, as it’s when you’re the most hungry and ambitious.” Deciding to freelance full time can be daunting, as it can take years of financial instability to build up a sustainable amount of work. The advantage, Hom says, is in the personal autonomy, getting to set your own goals and projects. Almost half of working millennials in the United States are freelancers, and Hom urges new freelancers not to give up if work doesn’t accumulate immediately. “Keep showing up. Don’t quit before the compound interest starts to pay off. Being passionate is the most important thing.” n Ross Elliott
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Freelance Designers Need Sharp Skills and a Strong Network to Get Ahead Freelancing offers designers a lot of freedom, but it can be hard to stay ahead without a good network of support and up-to-date skills. A global survey of more than 17,000 design professionals by Dribbble found that more than 75 percent of respondents have done freelance work within the past year, and many are currently hunting for new freelance opportunities. So, how can freelance designers — in an increasingly competitive market — set themselves apart and generate more job opportunities? The answer is by leveling up their skill sets and building their networks.
Honing skills Nearly half of the U.S. designers surveyed said they learned design in school, but a third reported learning design on their own. There are many resources for learning new skills that don’t involve a classroom. The most successful freelancers keep their skills honed through regular design exercises, like Dribbble’s Weekly Warm-Up, or expand their knowledge base through digital learning communities like Skillshare or Udemy, which offer the ability to take online classes on your schedule. Building connections When it comes to getting hired, it’s critical that freelancers build meaningful connections with fellow designers and hiring professionals in the industry. Common ways designers find freelance opportunities are through direct email, in person, or via message on a portfolio website or networks like Dribbble, LinkedIn, Instagram, or Twitter. Though there is a clear opportunity to secure freelance work through in-person connections, more than 50 percent of designers surveyed reported not going to any conferences, workshops, or industry get-togethers in the past six months. Being a freelancer can enable you to find meaningful opportunities to express your creativity and to build a career that you’re proud of, all on your own terms — but you have to work at it. n View Dribbble’s full survey results online. Zack Onisko, CEO, Dribbble
Publisher Alexandra Scelzo Business Developer Abraham Freedberg Managing Director Luciana Olson Lead Designer Tiffany Pryor Designer Kayla Mendez Lead Editor Mina Fanous Copy Editor Kathleen Walsh Director of Sales Shannon Ruggiero Director of Business Development Jourdan Snyder Director of Product Faye Godfrey Content Strategist Vanessa Rodriguez Cover Photo Thrive Global All photos are credited to Getty Images unless otherwise specified. This section was created by Mediaplanet and did not involve USA Today. FOLLOW US: @MEDIAPLANETUSA
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Pivoting to a Human-Focused Workforce Benefits Everybody
Arianna Huffington Says Technology Is Ushering in a More Human Work Culture Expert Moe Carrick explains how companies and leaders can inspire and improve the lives of their employees, and why this is so important. Moe Carrick has made it her job to make everyone else’s job better. In her book, Bravespace Workplace, Carrick outlines what companies need to do in order to make their work environments more human-friendly, and how to bring out the very best work from people. “I have worked in places that were great and not great,” Carrick says in an interview, describing her job at a large corporation where she watched the clock every day. “I watched the minutes tick away and felt like work would never end. It felt so unrewarding. I felt lonely and isolated. I didn’t know I wasn’t the only person having this experience.” This was the inspiration for her book, she says, because, “We know what it takes to make a great workplace and we’re not doing it — we need to be.” A big part of why this is so important is because people are working longer hours than ever before. Carrick points out people are spending more time at work than they are with family and friends, so they’re bringing basic human needs into the workplace. n Lynne Daggett 4 • FUTUREOFBUSINESSANDTECH.COM
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Arianna Huffington predicts a more human-focused work environment in the future, which is better for employees and companies’ bottom lines.
ington predicts they will recognize the importance of nurturing those qualities. That means ensuring workers maintain a healthy work-life balance and take the time to focus on their own basic needs. Arianna Huffington has spoken often “Employees also need time and space to about the moment she, quite literally, recharge and reconnect with themselves collapsed from exhaustion. It sounds and return to work more productive like an exaggeration — and Huffington and creative.” Indeed, there is already a business says before her collapse she, too, thought incentive for companies to burnout was just the price she prioritize mental health. Huffhad to pay for success. ington points out, “According One broken cheekbone and many hours of restful sleep Well-being to one estimate, stress costs American businesses $300 later, Huffington has come isn’t just a billion per year. And an analyto understand the powerful perk, it’s a sis by the RAND Corporation correlation between personal competitive found that in just five countries well-being and productivity. — the U.S., Japan, Germany, the Though many say the ubiquity advantage U.K. and Canada — nearly $700 of the internet and tech is why billion is lost each year to sleep employees feel pressure to be deprivation.” constantly “on,” Huffington Contrary to what Huffington believed predicts technology will actually drive a before her own burnout crisis, businesses more human-focused era. “The rise of A.I. and automation will put benefit when employees are operating at a premium on what can’t be automated. 100 percent, and that requires down time And the qualities least likely to be repli- and reduced stress. “Well-being isn’t just a perk, it’s a comcated by a machine are those that are the most uniquely human: creativity, emo- petitive advantage,” she says. “And there’s tional intelligence, compassion, empathy, a direct connection between the health of agility, flexibility, complex problem-solv- a company’s bottom line and the health and well-being of every company’s most ing, wisdom, and intuition,” she says. As companies come to rely on their important resource — its people.” n employees’ most human qualities, Huff- Lynne Daggett MEDIAPLANET
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The Future of the Cubicle Experts explain how the workplace is changing with the times.
Flexibility in the Workplace Is No Longer an Anomaly Johnny C. Taylor, Jr., President and CEO of the Society for Human Resource Management, explains why flexibility is the future of the workplace.
How is the workforce changing in terms of flexibility and work-life balance? Oz Alon, Co-Founder and CEO, HoneyBook An entrepreneurial spirit has always been at the heart of American culture, the difference today is that technology is making it easier than ever before for people to pursue their passion. With a laptop and an internet connection, anywhere can become your office.
Zack Onisko, CEO, Dribbble We’ve found that our Dribbble family has time to do great work on their schedules, which prevents burnout and enables them to take better care of their families and themselves.
Christine Muldoon, MBA, Vice President, Marketing & Strategy, WebMD Health Services As more and more younger workers report feeling stressed out or depressed, employers are paying more attention to mental health. Emphasizing workplace flexibility and offering well-being resources to help manage stress are two other proven methods to help. 6 • FUTUREOFBUSINESSANDTECH.COM
“Balance” implies that work and personal life are two discrete worlds competing against each other in a zero-sum game. But increasingly, employees are seeking a lifestyle that unifies and integrates them both. For many younger employees, when and where work gets done is less important than what gets done — the work itself. This is especially true for the millennial generation, which comprises nearly half of today’s workforce. Employers are responding to this shift towards greater flexibility. According to Society for Human Resource Management’s (SHRM) 2019 Employee Benefits Survey, remote work continues to rise in popularity and, in turn, telecommuting of all types is increasing. Ad-hoc telecommuting is offered by a large majority of organizations (69 percent in 2019), and more than 1 in 4 organizations now offer full-time telecommuting. How can companies ensure they are staying competitive when it comes to offering work-flexibility initiatives? Organizations need to understand that employees expect flexibility. To meet these employee wants and needs, employers should survey staff to understand what works best for both their culture and operations. Employers should also check their competitors’ benefits and consider how offering increased flexibility might improve recruitment and retention. Why is the work-life balance so important to today’s modern workforce? In today’s workplaces, employers and employees alike require more flexibility to
meet their unique needs. Currently, there are five generations at work, each with its own reasons for wanting more flexibility. At one end of the age spectrum, younger workers are getting degrees and starting families; at the other, older workers are caring for aging parents, and perhaps looking for less demanding schedules as they approach retirement. These different stages of life do not fit neatly into a 9-to-5, Monday through Friday work week. Add to that, in 2020, Generation Z will start graduating from college and joining the workforce. They are used to remote everything, from classwork to dating to grocery shopping, so work is another dimension of life they’ll expect to digitize. Have you seen a correlation between productivity levels and work flexibility? More research needs to be done. However, employers have reported higher productivity and lower staff turnover after implementing flexible work policies. SHRM was a partner in a 2016 study that had some interesting findings: Employees in more effective and flexible workplaces are more likely to have greater levels of engagement in their jobs and higher levels of job satisfaction. Meanwhile, 9 percent of employers cited increased productivity as a reason for developing flexible work arrangements. What resources can companies utilize when looking to implement new employee initiatives like telecommuting or teleworking? SHRM provides numerous resources that can help employers assess the opportunities and challenges of implementing workplace flexibility policies. n MEDIAPLANET
To learn more about freelancing and how the workplace is changing, visit futureofbusinessandtech.com.