Due to a number of factors, there has been a massive increase in the number of contractors and remote workers in Ireland. Organisations have embraced this change, especially as a result of the recession, when organisational structures went from a ‘pyramid to pancake’ framework to reducing costs and source more affordable talent. The advancement of technology (and decent broadband), has empowered some of us to move away from the traditional office altogether. There are other benefits to this pancake structure. Decentralisation and staff empowerment leads to more flexible and innovative levels of collaboration between staff and management. It also removes excess layers of management and improves coordination and speed of communication.
The new trends in IT have shown that traditional hierarchical leadership is less relevant in today’s marketplace. Lines of communication become more personal, more direct (e.g. via Microsoft Teams as opposed to traditional written letters). But this brings many benefits – inclusion and equality, trust, better cohesion due to increased dependencies, simplicity of goals and visions and ultimately, a happier workforce that delivers on commercial objectives.
Some futurologists see a trend that moves the world of work from the old ‘job-for-life’ to the ‘gig-economy’, where nobody has a fixed job but moves from project to project. This has benefits (by offering flexibility to both parties), but in times of recession, it can be a struggle to maintain a basic level of financial security for contractors and organisations may struggle to locate and commission the best contractors.
Evolve or Die
It’s often stated that companies have a growing requirement for experts (particularly in IT), due to the ever-increasing pace of change and complexity of the market. Successful organisations are those that can predict and react to market changes. This requires agility, transparency (clear information lines) and flexibility – whether that’s in response to the remote location, self-managed teams or preferred ways of working. There is also a clear need for trust in the organisation. When working with remote workers, there has to be a degree of trust in staff and contractors that they can and will deliver a project on time and in budget.
Organisations such as Zapier are 100% remote. This innovative company helps “more than 4 million customers grow their businesses with the power of automation by connecting over 1,500 apps. Founded in 2011, Zapier has always operated as an entirely remote company, and today has nearly 300 employees working in 27 countries around the world”. You can read more on the Zapier website.
So are we all headed for a flat, pancake structure? In the short term, small and the more dynamic organisations are already adjusting. Larger organisations may take longer to adjust due to a number of challenges including bureaucracy and clunky structures. Change takes time, so as the rest of us flex and innovate, larger, less nimble organisations will suffer. Whether they survive long enough to enact these changes is anyone’s guess.
Why Contracting?
If you are a full-time member of staff, we have numerous contracting benefits outlined on our website. In short, contracting empowers you to work when you want, on projects that excite you and you will be rewarded fairly for your efforts.
As a commercial organisation, contractors enable you to flex up or down, depending on the needs of your digital transformation journey. Contractors are the on-demand workforce that helps you achieve special projects or ongoing business needs that may have unpredictable timelines. Hiring contractors also keep your permanent staff focused on the task in hand when demand spikes. An experienced IT contractor will have worked for numerous clients during their tenure, exposing them to a wider range of technologies compared to their employed counterparts.
If you’re exploring your contractor options, take a look at some of the reasons our clients choose us to select their highly talented IT contractors.