Gary Swart, CEO of freelancer sourcing site oDesk took the stage at Net:Work 2011 to talk about how work is changing in the face of remote work trends. He started by pointing to a key competitive determinator all companies seek and must compete for: talent.
Swart said that competition for talent is rapid, despite economic woes. He specified two big problems: getting work to workers, and the hiring process, in terms of investment of time and resources. How to deal with both those problems has been steadily evolving: Work 1.0 was rigid, single-employer, and on location, probably what describes your grandfather’s career. Work 2.0 was about more flexible work schedules, better collaboration between remote teams and some ability to take work home with you. It’s sort of the model that’s still in place at big tech firms in Silicon Valley.
Work 3.0 is where we’re at now and where a good chunk of work is heading, according to Swart, and it’s only just getting underway. It means “access to the best people no matter where they are in the world,” and the “ability to work with those people as if they’re in the room with you.” Swart says it’s a transparent process, one that takes place primarily online using tools with built-in reporting elements. It’s a very situation-based, ephemeral mode of staffing, too: He applied a movie production analogy: the team comes together to accomplish something specific, then separate again.
He discussed examples of companies forming in order to source and staff remote work projects. Thumbtack is one, which serves 170,000 customers today, Swart says, and provides access to the services of 230,000 service professionals in discrete areas for on-demand, just-in-time labor requirements.
In short, we’re moving from rigid, structured, non-specific workforces to on-demand, targeted transparent freelancer-based staffing. Doing so saves on infrastructure, by cutting back on costs like transportation and facilities, and also leverages talent on a global scale that otherwise might go unnoticed and unappreciated. Swart sees Work 3.0 as just getting started, with its most significant effects on how we do business yet to be felt.
Photo by Pinar Ozger.
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gigaom: Work 3.0 is just getting underway, says oDesk’s Gary Swart http://t.co/6ZKEt16X
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RT @gigaom: Work 3.0 is just getting underway, says oDesk’s Gary Swart http://t.co/YK5aQokl
G+: Another example what Web 3.0 is… http://t.co/NIiHHcST) http://t.co/W1Zrl40E
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Work 3.0 is just getting underway, says oDesk’s Gary Swart: 8, 2011, 11:00am PT No Comments Gary Swart, CEO of f… http://t.co/SxWNdyjV
Looks like we’re trending toward a new way of looking at talent and resource management. http://t.co/jUgaNAXH
Work 3.0? http://t.co/CVlWQE4k
RT @greggretsch: Work 3.0 is just getting underway, says @odesk ’s @garyswart http://t.co/gXOgzTEW
Fburnr: Work 3.0 is just getting underway, says oDesk’s Gary Swart: Gary Swart, CEO of… http://t.co/hPAfDOkd
Work 3.0 is just getting underway, says oDesk’s Gary Swart http://t.co/mktKZBZP via @GigaOM #collaboration
GigaOM | Work 3.0 is just getting underway, says oDesk’s Gary Swart: http://t.co/VfPoS7g3
“@gigaom: Work 3.0 is just getting underway, says oDesk’s Gary Swart http://t.co/zkplSESg” (I haven’t finished 2.0 yet. can we prioritise?)
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I sometimes worry about benefits and security though… > Work 3.0 is just getting underway, says oDesk’s Gary Swart http://t.co/RLH2vPxv
RT @gigaom: Work 3.0 is just getting underway, says oDesk’s Gary Swart http://t.co/mQ8KYCDa
Work 3.0 is just getting underway, says oDesk’s Gary Swart http://t.co/xgTq7I0S
Thanks for the shout-out at @gigaom’s #workconf today, Gary! http://t.co/SaZ5xZi0 /cc @odesk Odesk is an awesome company.
Work 3.0 is just getting underway, says oDesk’s @garyswart http://t.co/FZboItgi <- We and @supportspace are believers!
#Work3.0 interesting concept for what comes next in talent management world: http://t.co/ej3cm4CW
We are at Work 3.0 level now ! Nice talk Gary. http://t.co/JL3hOPVy
Work 3.0 is just getting underway, says oDesk’s Gary Swart http://t.co/QHRQhjDX. Good video on global work.
Work 3.0 spelled out. http://t.co/2wWtwIe2
This is how we work today! Globalization FTW :-p RT @nilofer: Work 3.0 spelled out. http://t.co/CWV64r8H
Work 3.0 is just getting underway, says oDesk’s Gary Swart
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RT @nilofer: Work 3.0 spelled out. http://t.co/2wWtwIe2
El nuevo lugar de trabajo: La oficina ha dejado el edificio http://t.co/KK5lVpau
Work 3.0 is just getting underway, says oDesk’s Gary Swart http://t.co/TF8ASVy5
Work 3.0 is just getting underway, says oDesk’s Gary Swart — Online Collaboration: http://t.co/3dsh6n8u
RT @nilofer: Work 3.0 spelled out. http://t.co/2wWtwIe2
Really, oDesk changes my life. This is best steps taken of CEO.
Thanks…………..
Work 3.0 is just getting underway, says oDesk’s Gary Swart http://t.co/zYHiUxGQ #Cmgr #Collaboration #Communities
Work 3.0. The Office has Left the Building – http://t.co/gQQovVUB
RT @i_intelligence: Work 3.0. The Office has Left the Building – http://t.co/gQQovVUB
Work 3.0 is just getting underway, says oDesk’s Gary Swart http://t.co/xftcmROE
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Work 3.0 is just getting underway: http://t.co/dTeFNKiQ
Work 3.0 is just getting underway, says oDesk’s Gary Swart http://t.co/a13DBbfJ competition for talent is rapid, despite economic woes.
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#Work 3.0 is just getting underway, says Gary Swart from @odesk http://t.co/cT71o4jw RT @RegusBlog cc @SmartWork_BE @EuroGreenIT
Work 3.0 is just getting underway, says oDesk’s Gary Swart http://t.co/HD2acmge
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RT @MarieHattar: oDesk’s Gary Swart: Work 3.0 is just getting underway http://t.co/vILhBj4U
Mine too and thousands more, thank you oDesk
Work 3.0: all companies seek and must compete for on thing: talent http://t.co/2RP2Sxwb
Beyond flexibile work arrangements, Work 3.0 connects #postdigital workers & cuts opertaional costs http://t.co/YYnGys85 #yam #humancapital
As the global freelance economy prevails, I would like to see more local-focused efforts. A lot of these sites such as Elance and Odesk are so saturated that it makes it hard to compete as a freelancer. You end up driving your prices further and further down! I know it helps improve lives in countries where wages are lower, but how can I maintain my standard of living if I have to match their wages?
I’m based in Canada, so I’ve been using another site called, HiretheWorld. (http://www.hiretheworld.com) Knowing I can support our local economy, with the same benefits of online work, all make it worthwhile. (less competition too there).
Are your organization getting ready for Work 3.0 “access to the best people no matter where they are in the world” http://t.co/hMkPPZKQ
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RT @siljanovski: We are at Work 3.0 level now ! Nice talk Gary. http://t.co/JL3hOPVy
Work 3.0 is just getting underway, says oDesk’s Gary Swart http://t.co/j9AyGZMt Very interesting http://t.co/68Y0eA42 :)
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Work 3.0 is just getting underway, says oDesk’s Gary Swart — Online Collaboration http://t.co/dtpccpJG