Gig Economy Is Reshaping I.T. in the Enterprise, Hire an Expert vs. Paying for Online Courses, Supporting Mental Health, and More...

Four years ago, I hired a virtual assistant, which changed the way I lived and worked. After 20 years in big tech, I left to focus more of my time advocating for the Talent Economy and the future of work. This newsletter shares my weekly round-up of the most important stories that educate and inspire people to re-imagine what is possible. I hope you enjoy them!

Talent Economy Podcast

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, or on your favorite podcast platform. Do not forget to subscribe, rate, comment, and share with others interested in understanding the future of the talent economy.  

What Role Will Telemedicine Play in Health Care After COVID-19? - We talked with Dr. Jonathan Wright about the opportunities and challenges the healthcare system faces as they start to embrace telemedicine.

The Freelance Revolution

The rise of independent contractors and globalization of knowledge work is the Industrial Revolution of our time. Everywhere we look, we can see the U.S. workforce undergoing a massive and structural change.

The Future to Combat Bias is: Freelance - While remote work has allowed the world to become interconnected and knowledge shared at a rapid rate, it has exacerbated the gap between those countries who have a strong knowledge economy base, and those who do not.  

How the gig economy is reshaping the I.T. enterprise  - The gig economy is taking over the enterprise as more employees opt for a more flexible work structure. Constellation Research report found this type of work is also proving to be invaluable for big and small organizations.

Full-Time, Salary, Contractor, Gig-Worker: The Pros and Cons of Different Job Designations - Employment is regularly evolving, especially as technology continues to accelerate. The U.S. has an especially unique way of thinking about employment and the typical work week compared to other countries. Specifically, we tend to work more than employees in other countries.

Cybersecurity must take center stage in the gig economy - In the U.K., the gig economy now accounts for more than 4.7 million workers – and employs 1 in 10 working-age adults. Increasing connectivity is making picking up a 'gig' as easy as making dinner plans with a friend or finding a date. All this is altering the way that people view and perform work.

Why you should just hire an expert instead of paying for an online course to grow your business - I'm not against e-learning or online courses. My company offers classes, and we have several trusted partners who offer courses. But digital education is not always the answer.

Suddenly Remote

We see unprecedented numbers of companies implement emergency remote work programs. I will be dedicating this section of the newsletter to providing Tips and tricks from the home front as many knowledge workers go remote during the pandemic.

The Long Arm of State Tax Law Threatens Telecommuters - The new popularity of remote work is putting a spotlight on income taxes that New York and five other states impose on workers living elsewhere.

Survey Reveals 4 Transformational Remote Work Trends - My firm, The Kung Group, recently surveyed more than 500 founders of venture-backed companies from within our network about how the global health crisis has impacted their businesses and altered their roadmaps for the 2020s. Some of the results were surprising. They indicate that we're likely to see profound changes to the professional world when we emerge from this pandemic.

Four Ways to Preserve Company Culture as Work From Home Continues - After three months of remote work, companies are embracing the idea that it might become semi-permanent. Facebook Inc. and Google announced that employees don't have to return to the office in 2020, while Twitter says staff can do their jobs from home for good. But what happens to company culture when physical distance remains long after the virus recedes?

9 Companies Who Are Actively Looking to Hire Remote Workers Right Now - While some people are planning to return to an office over the next weeks and months (assuming they were even able to work from home in the first place), other people might be looking to pivot to full-time remote life.

Wellness 

We will spend one-third of our lives working, and the disruption to the way we work has never moved faster. This all has the potential to impact our overall wellness as we navigate the changing landscape and fight for balance. Wellness at work affects each of us, our teams, and our companies. 

How Organizations Can Support the Mental Health of Black Employees - Most Black Americans, regardless of education, socioeconomic status, or job title, experience racism every day. But with the placement of a knee on George Floyd's neck, racism shifted from a chronic stressor to a trauma trigger.

After 20 years of working at big tech companies like Dell, Amazon, and Microsoft, I have become an independent freelancer to continue my efforts in driving the conversation forward. I recently launched my bestselling book, Gig Mindset, and feel privileged and honored to help lead the charge on Staffing.com by Toptal. It’s our job to bring you world-class insights about this dynamic talent economy from top experts and thought leaders in the field. Through case studies, articles, and in-depth reports, we will equip the staffing industry to take advantage of these massive shifts in on-demand talent, distributed teams, and remote work. In addition to serving as Editor-in-chief of Staffing.com, I’m excited to host The Talent Economy Podcast each week. We are here to educate and inspire.