As to what kind of person tends to join the tech worker co-op movement, their profile is now starting to change, in the UK at least. Richard Rowley, Founder of the Agile Collective, which is a member of the Co-operative Technologies network, explains:
We used to rely on those defecting from IT organizations elsewhere who were fed up with traditional employment models. But we’re now increasingly taking on young people who we identify as having the right skills, who believe in a growth mindset, and can adapt their brains to the challenges.
We often find younger workers are more enthusiastic and better at collaboration than those joining at a later stage in their career path.
Skemp, on the other hand, says her own personal decision to join CoLab in its early days was due to the organization’s values and principles, which are based on sociocracy:
I wanted a job where I’d have a voice, and that’s a core reason why other people join too. It’s a different way of collective bargaining. No one holds power over you, and it changes the power dynamics that people often find so toxic and harmful in their work lives. You can work where and when you wish, which makes it’s more flexible.
So, the kinds of people we see joining us are those disillusioned with the corporate world, who want something different. We serve mission-oriented companies only, so shared values are a huge part of the draw for people who want to do something more meaningful.
Read the rest at Diginomica
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