Precarious Work in the Tech Sector
The tech sector is a breeding ground for precarious employment, ranging anywhere from freelance ghostwriters for content marketing to troubleshooting complex technical issues with software engineers.
Although this work is perceived as unstable and unreliable (and in many cases it is), the tech sector seems to favour small jobs that can be managed quickly and at a low cost. More so, the new generation of employees (us) entering the workforce are rethinking traditional modes of work. It’s now possible to make a generous living running an Instagram account about coffee or cats.
Check out my friend’s podcast called Freedom Lifestyle. She quit her job at a tech start-up to pursue a career inspiring others to seek liberating and flexible working conditions, and let me tell you, she’s killing it.
It’s safe to assume that the tech sector will start employing more and more precarious workers as the nature of work changes. The tech sector is at the forefront of this change, creating thousands of new opportunities for non-traditional modes of work. More so, they are tackling the trend in changing work conditions head on by employing the new and flexible generation.
Do you think this is just a trend? Or do you think this wave of flexible work conditions will alter the workforce forever?
I attended a speaking panel tonight at the Career Centre hosted by Professor Greig DePeuter in conjunction with the Dean of Arts Office and the Department of Communication Studies. All five panelists were Laurier alumni that work in creative industries, such as advertising, digital media, journalisms, museums and publishing.
ReplyDeleteAlthough the panelists worked in a range of sectors, including some in tech, they all spoke about how precarious work was one of the major challenges of working in creative industries. For example, one panelist spoke about how she experienced racism and sexism from a particular client while working for a major advertising agency, which ultimately ended in the client walking away. When a client leaves, they can obviously still use the content that was created for them because they've paid for it, but the loss of a client can have serious consequences for the person responsible for that account. Although this panelist was glad that she didn't have to deal with that client any longer, it was a financial loss for the company.
Another panelist said that at one point in her career she was able to abruptly quit a job at a museum that she didn't like only because she was able to hustle and take on freelance work until she found a more stable income. However, although the freelance work she picked up was enough to pay rent, buy groceries, and afford other utilities, the stress of not knowing if she would have work the next week or next month was not worth it for her.
I agree that the tech sector will begin to employ more precarious workers as the nature of work changes. Gone are the days of staying at one organization fo 30+ years. I don't think that the wave of flexible work conditions will forever change the organization of work because, as with all things, there are always changes and improvements to be made. Instead, I think that we'll see more people become entrepreneurs, running their own businesses, and becoming experts in niche areas. With this change, there will definitely be more freelance and contract work, making the structure much less rigid, allowing people to take on work as a side hustle while they're working for someone else.
I personally believe that precarious work Is not a trend and that as the tech sector continues to grow, it will become the norm. Looking at large tech corporations, they are able to achieve more than their predecessors more efficiently meaning they require less staff to generate similar revenue numbers. This is a positive thing for the few who reach the top of these empires but for the rest of us alternate “hustles” are often needed.
ReplyDeleteLooking at recent companies it’s evident that precarious work will continue to grow. Companies like Shopify, Fiverr, Uber and Air BnB are encouraging people to see themselves as their own business who bring something to the market. The success of this business model has lead many other start-ups to pursue it for other services. In years to come as these start-ups continue to grow we will see precarious work spread from E-commerce and marketing services to new industries such as dry cleaning (currently being pursued by Vaundry).