Upwork report insights

“Unveiling the Work Innovator’s

Blueprint for Success”

In its recent research report Upwork identified three core attributes that set apart high-performing companies which are doing things differently than its competitors. They are calling this “The Work Innovator Framework.”

Let’s dig deeper on what it means?

After surveying 1,900+ global business leaders, Upwork found three core attributes that differentiated how Work Innovator leaders of high performing companies think and operate.

Put new technology to work throughout your organization.
The leaders from the Work Innovator companies personally try, learn, and adopt new technologies rather than relegating the task to IT to figure out.
Open your culture to flexible talent.
For business leaders, this requires a deep organizational change to create an ecosystem where all types of talent can thrive.
Create distributed team best practices that set your organization up for success.
Leaders who establish and communicate remote expectations, role clarity, and async operational best practices are more than twice as likely to trust their teams to get their work done.

Gen AI talk is everywhere, but the research found that only 51% of leaders are embracing new technologies, such as AI.
Only 53% of leaders are using flexible talent. But those who do create an environment where flexible talent models thrive, are 111% more likely to believe their teams have the right skills mix to meet their goals effectively.
Companies leading in distributed work practices are 83% more likely to report their organization as agile.
When asked whether their department had effective internal communication skills, 91% of Work Innovators responded affirmatively, compared with only 71% of their peers.

“Research consistently demonstrates that the ‘how’ of work is more pivotal than the ‘when’ or ‘where.’ The organizations poised for future success are laser-focused on this ‘how,’ leveraging data and insights to guide their efforts.”
— Dr. Rebecca Hinds, Head of Asana’s Work Innovation Lab

Do you want to become the Work Innovator? The research found four distinct actions leaders can take that directly drive performance gains and enable work innovation at your organization:

Using data and gen AI for decision-making across the organization.
Developing strong internal operational practices that guide how the company communicates, collaborates and orchestrates work across the organization.
Trusting in one’s workforce to do great work, regardless of location or worker type.
Having a strategic orientation toward caring for workforce needs across the company’s talent ecosystem.

Find more insights and numbers in the images below