How the IT Industry is Redefining Professional Flexibility and Mobility

The digital revolution has radically changed the employment landscape and redefined concepts of job tenure and security. With digital transformation now affecting production, management and virtually all aspects of commercial operations, modern professionals find themselves doing one project after another, working for multiple clients, and even moving from place to place.

This trend, which also applies to the mobile and web application development services sector, has dramatically altered employment ideals like mobility, flexibility, permanence, and security.

Traditional Concept of Tenure

“Stable employment” is commonly understood as long-term or a permanent form of job tenure which an employee achieves based on particular conditions of service for a company over a period of time.

Under traditional arrangements, employees are initially hired on a temporary basis or probation period until such a time that they perform satisfactorily to be promoted to “permanent” status. Getting a permanent tenure or status meant better remunerations and health benefits such as employee pension and other retirement benefits.

Tenure was, therefore, largely viewed as a kind of stability and permanence that one deserves after proving their loyalty, working satisfactorily, and growing organically in a company. As such, the classic ‘contract to permanent’ set-up was the dominant career path for many professionals in both public and private sectors since it is ideal for future personal security.

New Work Arrangements in the Digital Age

The growth of digital technology disrupted not only the way people worked but also the way they viewed employment itself. As information and communication technologies (ICT) continue to shrink distance and time, new kinds of jobs in the digital sector also offer new demands and challenges along with newer opportunities and possibilities.

Mobile and web app development are among the careers that are continuously skyrocketing in terms of demand, despite many of them being offered for shorter durations. In place of job tenure, contemporary digital service companies are therefore offering opportunities for a wide range of experiences, constant upskilling and growth, skills-based compensation and extreme work choices.

Fortunately, this setup seems to be working.

New Standards of Job Tenure: Mobility as Permanence, Flexibility as Stability

In the U.S., for instance, the Society for Human Resource Management reports that there is a shift towards output-oriented employment. Flexible arrangements, and per-project contracts, have become a popular preference for millennial workers compared to long-term corporate career prospects.

Apparently, these “gig jobs” appeal to “gig workers” who now value new experiences more than loyalty or a career path up the ladder of one company. Mobile app development in Singapore, for instance, is part of a massive trend that saw IT employment growing from 8,100 in 2017 to 197,500 in 2018, with demand for it projected to further grow by another 61,600 in the next 3 years (Infocomm Media Development Authority, 2019).

In the broader workplace, companies do not seem to argue that mobility and flexibility even increase company and individual success. It is therefore not hard to understand why mobility and flexibility are becoming the new employment ideals.

Growth and Opportunities in Reputable Companies

With the world being increasingly connected, offshoring work such as outsourced IT support services are rendered by companies across the world regardless of the company’s base location. The mobility and flexibility offered by “virtual office” jobs also fueled shorter-tenure options for those who prefer per-project or “gig” employment.

For modern workers, the possibilities of these arrangements are advantageous as it opens limitless prospects for growth and experience. Nonetheless, it is still critical to find a company with steady performance, reputable standing and provides the best care and opportunity for both employees and clients. Frontline, Singapore-based digital solutions and IT outsourcing firm is one such company with a rich history of successful partnerships and stellar career paths for employees. For more information, visit https://www.frontline.com.sg/.