Beyond Hybrid: The Evolution of the Gig Economy

I truly enjoy my career, but part of me envies those entering today’s workforce in the middle of our digital revolution, able to choose from new options and paths that never existed. Hybrid work has created opportunities to work productively anywhere and at any time, which go beyond just choosing a physical location. It also enables more freelancing opportunities, making it easier to pursue passions that suit our unique schedules.

Expanding the pool of available talent

Seamless remote collaboration means a lot of jobs can be done by anyone, anywhere. I’ve seen first-hand how this opens enormous work and economic opportunities for people who might historically have been overlooked. In economies with a talented workforce but relatively few local opportunities, hybrid work is a true game-changer. For technology employers struggling to attract and retain talent, a geographically diverse pool of workers can make a significant impact. In fact, the number of job postings for contract roles in the tech industry has tripled in the last two years.

Freelance talent supplements core staff, allowing teams to access specialized knowledge and be more agile than ever before. To me, both freelance and core staff talent complement each other and should work harmoniously instead of competitively. ?

Seamless collaboration will drive the next generation of work

It shouldn’t be a surprise that I love technology – the way it enables us to innovate, how it inspires communities, and simply the brilliant creations that happen because of combining human interest with STEM. HP has been at the forefront of making hybrid work happen smoothly. We’ve innovated across hardware, software and services with an eye toward mobility, built-in security and seamless collaboration tools that allow people to focus on the tasks at hand rather than the technology they’re using. All of these tools are applicable to the growing number of gig workers. High-performance machines originally designed for computer game enthusiasts are also well-suited to creative individuals in need of flexibility and computing power to drive their various projects.

Collaboration is a two-way street. For gig workers around the globe, the ability to work flexibly and seamlessly with a variety of clients is important. Likewise, the enterprises that employ freelance workers need agile services that allow them to collaborate securely with a widespread, varied workforce. Our tailored services ensure people get the most out of our devices for their specific use case. And our ecosystem offers comprehensive support, from device deployment to remote management, to promote circular economy through device disposal and reuse.

An evolving workforce will continue to bring new perspectives and expertise

Something I always try to remember is that every generation thinks about work differently. The collection of remote collaboration tools is still relatively new. A generation of students for whom this technology is second nature are beginning to take their places in the global workforce. In the same way that millennials looked at technology differently because they grew up with the internet, the next gen is already steeped in collaborative technology that will inspire innovation and push capabilities even further.

The rise of intelligent automation will play a big role in this. Easier access to machine learning as a service is already helping bridge language barriers, making it easier than ever to collaborate with experts from across the globe.

As the ways we collaborate continue to evolve, so too will the ways employers and employees continue to work together. And isn’t that quite exhilarating?