Millennials have a very different view of the workday than their baby boomer predecessors. So it is no surprise that the very concept of “work” is changing as millennials usher out their elders to become the ruling generation of the workforce. This new conception of the workday is known as Work 3.0.
What Is Work 3.0?
Work 3.0 refers to the wave of remote jobs that are becoming increasingly common in the 21st century. Some of the defining qualities of a Work 3.0 position are:
It is location-independent.It does not operate on a set schedule.It requires an internet connection.The worker communicates directly with the client or customer.The employer is not financially responsible for on-the-job developments.Employee pay is determined based on customer satisfaction.
Some examples of companies enabling, making full and legitimate use of the Work 3.0 model are:
Freelancer
TaskRabbit
Gogo Van
Upwork
Fiverr
Uber
Deliveroo
Work 3.0 is usually beneficial for both the employer and employee.
For the employee, Work 3.0 affords a huge degree of freedom — freedom to work virtually when and wherever they want. Employees also have the freedom to develop work systems that will increase their job capacity and productivity, thereby putting them out ahead of their coworkers and increasing their income.
As far as the employer goes, Work 3.0 is cheaper, because they do not need to pay for an office and lots of the heavy-duty equipment that goes with it. It is also much easier to organise since the employees take care of almost all the scheduling and other logistics themselves.
The 3 Work Types
So how did we get to 3.0?
Work 1.0
It’s what is colloquially referred to as a “nine to five” or a traditional job. Employees are paid based on a set salary. They rarely have interaction with the end-users of the products or services they help create, instead of communicating only with their superiors. Work 1.0 is expensive for the employer since they have to provide so much overhead capital, not to mention the money they have to put into maintenance costs and HR. They do have almost total control over their employees’ work lives, though.
Work 2.0
2.0 workers are independent contractors and more recently, freelance creatives. Companies hire a contractor to do a short-term job, and they agree on a rate with the contractor before the job is done. Work 2.0 became popular with the rise of the internet in the late 90s and with it came a new type of working environment: the co-working space. The spaces are “offices” for independent workers to gather and work on their own projects, allowing for innovation while maintaining the sense of community and networking prized in the professional sphere.
Work 3.0
Work 3.0 offers the freedom and lifestyle opportunities of 2.0. 3.0 workers can travel or rearrange their schedules without disrupting their income. They can be a part of a large organisation or have multiple clients that can ensure them a steady flow of work, but they do not have to abide by one of the rigid “nine to five” organisational structures that are driving people away from Work 1.0.
3.0 workers are flocking to more flexible workspaces. Hot desk providers like Tableworks offer fluid workspaces in cafes, restaurants as well as convenient locations around the city, embracing the mobile cloud as they offer service members all they need to get their work done.
TableWorks @ Classified Stanley