Being an Employee may not be the way forward

Post COVID, it may well start to be recognised that "Employee" status may not be best for either individuals or companies.

Obviously the pandemic has created new ways of working that has forced everyone to adjust. Back when The Honeycomb Effect was founded, the decision was made to only use contract staff, not to hire people. Why? No overheads in terms of staff who may not be billing hours to projects, and to also enable a remote working environment from the beginning, so no rent. So we've been used to this way of working for a while now.

One of the things that we've learned most from this approach, is that whilst individuals do feel security in the world of full-time employment, the comfort of being able to work flexibly, charge appropriately for time spent and also ensure that we only work with clients we like is hugely advantageous. That's right. We don't work with people we don't have a synergy with. Because we don't have insane overheads that might force us to.

And from the client perspective, they only need to pay for the services we provide, they're not obligated with superannuation or sick leave, it's flexible for them if they have to manage a downturn, and they are free to choose another provider if they decide they want a different approach. The relationship is very honest.

But by far the biggest thing that delivers a result is the mindset shift. When you are working on a client project, you are not just delivering to their business need, you're delivering to your own as well. It's your business on the line, as well as theirs. There is a sense of ownership which in my experience often seems somewhat diminished in large corporate environments.

People should not fear being their own boss. Work on your brand, your network and your performance. The work will be there if you look after your business.

www.thehoneycombeffect.com.au