“Companies today need to be flexible with—and offer flexibility to—their workforces.”
John Chuang, Founder and CEO, Aquent
A recent case study published in Harvard Business Review (HBR) presented a scenario where a company allowed one full-time employee to go freelance, then employed that same individual as a freelance contractor. The arrangement worked for both sides until other full-time staff started asking for the same arrangement. Company leadership was concerned this could spiral out of control and leave them unable to properly service their most important accounts. As a Harvard alumnus, Aquent Founder and CEO John Chuang was asked by HBR to weigh in on this question. Should the company allow other full-time staff to leave, but then continue as freelance contractors? John’s answer was a resounding yes. He argues that companies should understand the future of work and “Lean into 21st-century management, embrace the gig economy, and let more employees go freelance.” It all comes down to flexibility. By agreeing to allow staff to work as freelance contractors, workers get the flexibility they value, and employers get the flexibility to scale their workforce to meet demand and specific needs. He adds that, “As a global workforce solutions company, with only 10% of our staff as full-time, Aquent enables the gig economy—and relies on it.”
This article originally appeared on Harvard Business Review.
