With millions of Americans now working freelance, Dave Colford, Chief Customer Officer of Worksuite, discusses the shift in workforce dynamics on the latest episode of the Disruption Interruption podcast. Tune in to learn about the key strategies businesses need to adopt to manage decentralized talent and how collaborators are gaining more freedom and flexibility in choosing projects.
(Tampa Bay, FL) December 23, 2024 – In a world where 64 million Americans work freelance, organizations must rethink how they manage talent and collaboration. (1) In this week's Disruption Interruption podcast, Dave Colford, Chief Customer Officer of Worksuite, joins Karla Jo Helms (KJ) to break down the future of flexible workforce models. From practical strategies for engaging contingent workers to the importance of innovation and empathy in leadership, Colford's insights illuminate how businesses can adapt to the growing influence of decentralized workforces and turn disruption into opportunity. "This shift is driving a much higher level of honesty about what matters most to the company, as well as new levels of accountability," the expert explains.
The Freelance Revolution
We are living through a defining moment in the history of work—one where the lines between full-time employment, freelancing, and contingent work are blurring. COVID-19 accelerated a shift that was decades in the making, showing that knowledge workers could remain productive outside of traditional office settings.
“If this had happened 10 or 15 years prior, I don't know if we would have been able to pull it off," points out Colford. Technologies facilitating virtual collaboration played a critical role, enabling businesses to adapt quickly to the new reality. "We've now entered this timeframe where we're challenged to define the future of the workplace," Colford says.
Employer Challenges and Control
The employer-freelancer relationship is defined by a different level of control and accountability compared to full-time employees. "While a manager can request a quick call with a full-time employee at any moment, a freelancer may be working on another project or unavailable," exemplifies Colford.
This outcome-based approach means freelancers are accountable solely for delivering results by the agreed deadline, not for ongoing communication or traditional performance management. "That lack of control, from an employer's perspective, is certainly a challenge. You have to wait until the end of the quarter to see if they hit their marks," Colford mentions.
The Future of Freelance Work
Freelance work, especially in tech, is evolving into an industry of its own, fortified by shifts in employment law. With non-competes becoming largely unenforceable, except for high-level executives, freelancers now enjoy greater freedom to choose projects that align with their interests and career goals.
While NDAs may govern specific projects, there is no enforceable way to prevent freelancers from seeking other opportunities, making freelance work more attractive and dynamic than ever before.
"The balance of power has shifted so significantly" highlights Colford. "Freelancers can work across industries and sign up for contracts that are as advantaged for them as it is for the company." Colford concludes, "Freelance work unto itself is not an industry... but is becoming one."
Links
Disrupting How Freelance Dominance and Tech Innovation Are Redefining Power Dynamics in Business with Dave Colford
https://omny.fm/shows/disruption-interruption/disrupting-how-freelance-dominance-and-tech-innova
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dave-colford-7467096
X: https://twitter.com/davecolford
Disruption Interruption is the podcast where you will hear from today’s biggest Industry Disruptors. Learn what motivated them to bring about innovation and how they overcame opposition to adoption.
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About Disruption InterruptionTM
Disruption is happening on an unprecedented scale, impacting all manner of industries— MedTech, Finance, IT, eCommerce, shipping, logistics, and more—and COVID has moved their timelines up a full decade or more. But WHO are these disruptors and when did they say, “THAT’S IT! I’VE HAD IT!”? Time to Disrupt and Interrupt with host Karla Jo “KJ” Helms, veteran communications disruptor. KJ interviews badasses who are disrupting their industries and altering economic networks that have become antiquated with an establishment resistant to progress. She delves into uncovering secrets from industry rebels and quiet revolutionaries that uncover common traits—and not-so-common—that are changing our economic markets… and lives. Visit the world’s key pioneers that persist to success, despite arrows in their backs at www.disruption-interruption.com.
About Dave Colford
Dave Colford is reimagining the way companies engage with the global freelancer, contingent, and influencer workforces. As Chief Customer Officer of Worksuite, the premier SaaS and professional services platform, Dave is at the forefront of reshaping workforce strategies to meet the demands of the modern economy.
With over 25 years of experience driving enterprise-level digital transformations and management turnarounds, Dave has a proven ability to turn challenges into opportunities. His leadership in sales and marketing, honed as Chief Revenue Officer at Dodge Construction Network and President/Chief Revenue Officer at Hanley Wood/Metrostudy, has made him a go-to expert in creating sustainable value for organizations navigating disruptive change.
But Dave’s impact goes beyond the boardroom. As a father of five, a Boy Scouts of America volunteer, and a mentor with Capital Partners for Education, he’s deeply committed to shaping not just the future of work but the future of leadership. His ability to balance innovation with empathy makes him a force for meaningful transformation in business and beyond.
About Karla Jo Helms
Karla Jo Helms is the Chief Evangelist and Anti-PR® Strategist for JOTO PR Disruptors™. Karla Jo learned firsthand how unforgiving business can be when millions of dollars are on the line — and how the control of public opinion often determines whether one company is happily chosen, or another is brutally rejected. Being an alumnus of crisis management, Karla Jo has worked with litigation attorneys, private investigators, and the media to help restore companies of goodwill into the good graces of public opinion — Karla Jo operates on the ethic of getting it right the first time, not relying on second chances and doing what it takes to excel. Helms speaks globally on public relations, how the PR industry itself has lost its way, and how, in the right hands, corporations can harness the power of Anti-PR to drive markets and impact market perception.
References
- Segal, Edward. “What to Know about the Freelance Workforce as It Grows and Changes.” Forbes, 3 June 2024, forbes.com/sites/edwardsegal/2024/05/14/how-and-why-the-freelance-workforce-continues-to-grow-and-change/.
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