When the COVID-19 pandemic finally ends, it will likely be remembered as a time of great tragedy. But like any global crisis, it will also be remembered for the way it transformed society as people found ways to adapt, innovate, and build a new world.
For many companies, the outbreak has forced a rapid, unplanned adoption of remote work. For some, that has meant a radical change in the way they do business. But for others, like global freelancing giant Upwork, it has been just another step toward a remote-focused, more flexible workplace that they have long been building. As the pandemic has transformed the way companies operate, Upwork and its president and CEO, Hayden Brown, have a unique vantage point—both as a company that is undergoing major changes itself, and one that has built a business on bringing remote talent to a roster of 133,000 clients worldwide, and is used by many Fortune 500 firms.
Remote work has been a part of Upwork’s operations for its two-decade-plus history; at the beginning of this year, before the pandemic, more than half of its 600 employees and 1,400 freelancers were offsite. But COVID-19 surprised Upwork as much as much as it did any other company. In March—less than three months after Brown, formerly Upwork’s chief marketing and product officer, became president and CEO, Upwork went all-remote in order to protect its workers. Two months later, Brown announced that the company will become “remote-first” permanently.
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