The beginning of the end of 9 to 5 jobs
Answering the question why 9 to 5 jobs are a relict of the past and a more agile approach is needed.
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“If employees are forced to do work outside of the office, then they should be able to do personal things at the office. (…) Instead of pushing people into the 9 to 5 model because you’ve always had it, create a workplace flexibility program. “ — Dan Schwabel
Many of us are still working in 9 to 5 jobs and doing the same treadmill everyday that is not dependent on how much work you have but set regulations. That is not for long. People and companies are finding other fruitful ways of working and cooperating . Some companies embrace remote teams and even help their members to relocate to a country of their choice as well as offering adequate salary to local needs. Read on to learn more.
Abundance of tools & global businesses
As Dan Schwabel points out in his article that a 40 hour work week and 9 to 5 approach was valid and useful back in the days when Internet was not that popular and we were not that extensively connected. Meetups, Facebook, LinkedIn, mobile phones, tablets, less costly data packages and faster connections (e.g. fiber and LTE) — these are just a few supporting names for the most connected society ever.
Business is done globally and that does not only relate to the big players, corporations, the blue chip companies or whatever you call them. Together with the shift for a more agile management with faster reaction time and shorter product life cycle more start-ups then ever are emerging as Martin Zwilling notes in Forbes. They have ideas and can respond quicker when compared to blue chips. The author also mentions that:
Looking ahead, a National Venture Capital Association and Dow Jones press release predicts that 2014 will bring further good news for entrepreneurs across several fronts, including more investment, greater IPO volume for exits, greater employment opportunities at startups, and even more improvements in the economy.
But it’s not enough to have an idea — you need help as well, often from the abroad to make business. And that means working across time-zones and cultures. This is already done by corporations as they are in constant search for cost-cutting and, as a result, business process outsourcing (BPOs) or moving their subsidiaries to a less costly countries looking for cheap but qualified staff.
The above means working not 9 to 5 but often 8 to 8 to get feedback from relevant parties and get things done. For instance contacting developers in China in the morning, agreeing on a new deal with your partner in the US in the evening and establishing new customer service procedures with your Customer Service Team in India somewhere in the afternoon. This leaves very little time for some R&R. If there is a need for working accross all day there should also be an equilibrium to meet the needs of employer and employee or just your own sanity when you’re an entrepreneur.
We can push it a little further. If I am best creative in the mid-day why should I come to work in the morning ? If I am to make business or get on calls / meetings throughout the day why not be more flexible ? It all ends with getting the job done and done efficiently, professionally and on time (or faster). Empowering people with the ability of making their own decisions and arranging the day themselves is, in my opinion, inevitable in the near future.
Buffer — the creators of BufferApp that enables you to post online content to different social media and on the exact time you wish has already embraced this approach. They have even taken a step further by encouraging their workers to work from whichever country they want and offering help in moving there. Having a dispersed Team does not need to be a negative. Someone finishing work in the US can pass the work to somebody in Europe and then in China. Therefore we are working 24h enabling people to keep their work-life balance. I am a big fan of Buffer mainly because their boldness for change and trying new things while remaining consistent with their vision, keeping their colleagues content and owning responsibility. More on the Buffer approach you can find in a blog post by Joel Gascoigne, Founder & CEO of Buffer.
Skills exchange
Another thing is that we are shifting from full-time employment and a regular job to contract work and building our own brand. This is becoming more visible in the US and UK. I am not only refering to the start-up world which is having it’s golden years. I mean more and more people freelancing in different jobs which were earlier immanently connected with working in a company as a full-time employee. We can see the change happening, for instance, by such networks as Avbl which has been called “Airbnb For Skills“ by FastCompany and said to liberate people from their 9 to 5 treadmill. The network is not open to all yet and seems to be wanting to grow organically but is surely a sign of coming changes.
Forbes has also touched on the subject and states that the Millenias are the generation that is pushing the change:
“ (…) today the experiences of men and women starting their careers are closer to juggling multiple positions than steady growth. “
The magazine also quotes that 45% of Millennials will choose workplace flexibility over pay. This would include working from home, different offices or countries. The tools are out there but one should not forget about the quality of working together face to face. The machines have let us advance but we should not let them forget that these are only interfaces which will not let direct contact cease to exist. In the most connected world ever the value of emotional contact and building relationships is becoming even more important.
No ordinary office
Another thing is that people also like to work outside the regular office. As Chris J Reed states on Linkedin:
“ There have been many studies done that shows that the low level of noise and casual movement of people in a Starbucks or equivalent is actually a driver for increased productivity and creativity. “
Coffee shops or co-working spaces are becoming more and more popular worldwide to meet, work and share ideas. People come in different time of the day not only for the beverage but most importantly for the interiors, people and chill out / atmosphere they need to thrive. They work in the hours most suitable for them when they reach peak of their productivity while being able to enjoy their best coffee, juice, cake or anything else. An interesting example of a co-working space is Ziferblat founded by Ivan Mitin where you would pay for the time spent there and could use all amenities, beverages you need. Mistaken by some as a coffee shop which has lead to dire consequences for the place.
Salaries and wages or assets ?
Experts at the New Economics Foundation in London have proposed an idea of a 21-hour work week. That means working half the time that you are now (for most of people in the world). When you think of it for the first time — madness. How will people be able to live their lives with half the salary and the same life ? Or will their life be different, better ?
“People who live off their wages and salaries as their hours are cut would find their incomes dropping (and their free time rising). People who live off their assets, their investments, might not see the same kind of decline in income. This might widen the gap between the richest and everyone else. “ — David Brancaccio, host of Marketplace Morning Report
Do you build and develop your assets or do you live on your salary ? Are you in search of new things to learn and create your future using your own hands and actions or is your future created for you ? What will you do when 9 to 5 will perish ?
