Contractors and freelancers will enjoy greater recognition at a client and agency level and a higher profile with European business organisations as well as improved access to support and benefits following John Brazier’s appointment as PCG’s director of corporate and strategic affairs.
“I have two specific roles with new ambassadorial duties,” says Brazier. “The first part of my role is to build on existing relationships and engage with as many new bodies and partners as possible to develop a presence in markets where freelancers are operating.
“The second element is the question of evangelising on the whole subject of freelancing and the importance of this way of working. This will include continuing the education of agencies, clients and, on occasions, policymakers, so freelancing is taken far more seriously than it is now.
In his exclusive interview with ContractorCalculator, Brazier also noted: “Our objective is to change commentary to discussing the ‘world of work’, and not just ‘the world of employment’.”
Developing strategic relationships with membership organisations
PCG made significant advances in its relationship with UK and European membership organisations during Brazier’s six-year tenure as managing director. These included joining the Confederation of British Industry’s (CBI) Trade Association Council, the Trade Association Forum and the creation of the European Forum of Independent Professionals (EFIP), on which Brazier plans to build.
Brazier continues: “Strengthening and deepening our relationship with business membership organisations will enable us to promote contracting and freelancing as an alternative, yet complementary option to employment, and with its own set of benefits, to the client constituency.
“This includes targeting the employment business constituency through recruiter organisations, and highlighting the benefits of using flexible knowledge workers to medium sized business, whose use of contractors is relatively low compared to large organisations. I will also be engaging with the Chambers network in this regard.”
Promoting direct access to relevant individual support
Membership organisations will also provide a route to engaging with flexible workers in sectors, professions and disciplines outside of PCG’s traditional IT, engineering, media and management contractor base.
Brazier explains: “There are professional bodies and membership organisations that perhaps do not recognise and provide as much support to their freelance members as they do to the employed membership.
Strengthening and deepening our relationship with business membership organisations will enable us to promote contracting and freelancing as an alternative, yet complementary option to employment, and with its own set of benefits, to the client constituency
John Brazier, PCG
“We see this as an opportunity for greater engagement with sectors such as healthcare, health and safety, marketing and other associated professions including certain media disciplines. The result for individual contractors would be tangible, and might include joint packages of benefits providing targeted support for freelancers, or even a route into PCG membership.”
Driving through change, and success
Brazier’s previous role as PCG managing director had three main aims: to strengthen PCG’s finances; to grow the membership; and to extend the organisation’s reach commercially and in different areas of contracting.
The 55% membership growth from 13,500 to 21,000 between 2007 and 2013, and the expansion of membership benefits and partnerships are testament to Brazier’s success, along with PCG’s general acceptance as the lead body for its sector.
Notable political successes were bringing in highly skilled public affairs specialists who, working with parliamentarians, created the All Party Parliamentary Group for the Freelance Sector and gave PCG the ability to readily engage with the highest levels of government, with direct access to ministers, which it did not have previously.
PCG has also become a leading voice for freelancing at a European level, both within the European Commission in Brussels and through regular interaction with MEPs in Brussels and Strasbourg.
Building on engagement with policymakers, in Westminster and Brussels
According to Brazier, he will continue to help Simon McVicker, PCG’s head of Public Affairs to maintain and improve these political relationships – particularly at a European level, as befits his second PCG job title, which is director of European and international affairs.
“I will be supporting our strong public affairs team, led by Simon McVicker, with its ongoing activities in Westminster,” says Brazier, “and our Presidency of the European Forum of Independent Professionals will continue, as we are moving ahead quite strongly within Europe.”
Brazier believes that new research commissioned by EFIP and PCG, and led by Professor Patricia Leighton, will shed important light on the status of contingent knowledge workers within Europe.
He is also seeing gathering evidence that “across Brussels eyes and ears are opening to the concept that people are choosing to work independently”, despite the dominance of the social contract within labour market policy making in Europe.
Brazier also has a seat, representing PCG, on the Board of the European Small Business Alliance, an important body of business organisations across Europe which champions issues affecting small and micro businesses in particular.
Raising the profile of freelancing
“Much work remains to be done to change attitudes,” notes Brazier, “and we are raising the profile of freelancing through research and other broad methods of showing how the world of working across Europe is changing.”
Brazier concludes: “It’s early days, and my role is now to raise the bar and open doors at the highest level. It is to improve the profile of freelancing by making businesses and associations more aware of the freelancing option, and that PCG is there to provide support if needed. ”