Navigating Uncertainty in the Future of Work

Online freelancer marketplaces offer workers the flexibility and control they desire. However, workers also struggle with the uncertainty resulting from these benefits. In traditional brick-and-mortar workplaces, workers who experience uncertainty during specific phases of their assimilation into a new role or organization engage in information-seeking behaviors. Understanding these phases of heightened uncertainty helps organizations better cater to workers' informational needs e.g. through mentorship programs. While understanding the uncertainty that online workers experience as they assimilate into their career is critical to understanding online workers' needs, such an understanding is currently severely limited. thus, we conducted semi-structured interviews with 29 online freelancers to investigate critical events that contribute to uncertainty early in their online careers. We situate these critical events within the context of organizational assimilation, and how participants employ diverse information-seeking tactics.