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* Hoxby announces new client win - 5th June 2019

* Hoxby’s Virtual ‘Round the World Attempt Reaches Seattle - 25th May 2019

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FAQs -

> How did Hoxby start and how has it grown?

Entrepreneurs Alex Hirst and Lizzie Penny started Hoxby in 2015 because they wanted to tear up the 9-5 work system in favour of something radically more inclusive. Hoxby replaces the one-size-fits-all 9-5 with the idea of an individual ‘workstyle’ that evolves alongside your lifestyle. Hoxby has grown exponentially over the last four years to become a £1m+ turnover business with a community of 800 freelancers across 30 different countries. Our client portfolio includes global brands like Unilever, Merck, AIA and Amazon Web Services through scale-ups like the football streaming platform MyCujoo.

> Why is the workstyle movement so important?

Lack of flexible working options is a huge barrier to success for so many people. It is also a consideration that companies need to make if they want to attract and retain the best talent. Furthermore, long working hours and lengthy commutes are counterproductive to the performance and wellbeing of employees at any level. By 2021, half of the working population in the UK and the US will be working freelance and flexibly. This is the way the global workforce is moving and yet many organisations haven’t fully understood the implications, and more importantly, opportunities. At Hoxby we campaign for a happier, more fulfilled society through a world of work without bias - we believe in fundamentally restructuring work to be judged on merit, accelerating both diversity and inclusion agendas and productivity through radical changes to move to more agile working structures. We are passionate about helping other businesses to navigate towards the future of work that we believe in.

> How do you communicate as a remote working business?

We don’t have swanky offices, instead we use Slack, Google Meets and Zoom to bring our teams together. The result is a fast and flexible community that delivers brilliant people at amazing value.Our community communicates through Slack and delivers projects through Google Suite- we set rules around our use of technology to ensure visibility over communications and a common language for all of the Hoxbies - by way of example, we never email each other and we always use G-Meet for video calls. That way, everyone knows where they stand and there is a foundation created for effective communication. Joint CEO Lizzie Penny and Alex Hirst produce a short 2-minute video each week for the Hoxby community called ‘Workstyle Freestyle’ which brings them up to date with the latest news, thinking and ideas as well as giving us a forum to answer their burning questions - it’s light-hearted, transparent and authentic, all of which are key to building engagement within a remote workforce.

> How do you motivate a remote workforce?

As Hoxby is a meritocracy, we reward output, but also those embodying Hoxby values. For example, we have a Hoxby Hero initiative, which invites Hoxbies to nominate anyone they feel has been particularly heroic that week - we have found peer to peer recognition to be incredibly motivating and widely appreciated by the Hoxbies, who we hope are forming lateral bonds, rather than hierarchical ones.

> Why are increasing numbers of people starting to expect flexible working arrangements from their employers?

The concept of the eight-hour day dates back to the 1800s. A social reformer named Robert Owen coined the concept (referring to eight hours work, eight hours leisure and eight hours rest). The world of work has since revolutionized - the percentage of workers in the service sector rose from 33% in 1841 to 80% in 2011. Symbiotically, great employers have begun to blaze a trail for flexible working whilst indispensable and talented employees realized how much of their productive day was wasted by a lengthy commute and pointless physically present meetings.

> Why are many companies still reluctant to offer flexible working to their employees?

Technology enables remote working to happen seamlessly. If other companies are reluctant they should investigate the solutions our Futureproofing.byhoxby service provides.

> Where can I find useful images and the latest Impact Report to download?

You can access all media assets here

About Hoxby

Hoxby is a community of self-employed professionals that provides Futureproof consultancy services to help businesses evolve for the future of work, as well as agency services across Marketing, Communications, Innovation, Finance, HR and Operations.

Founded in 2015, we are a social enterprise with a vision to create a happier, more fulfilled society through a world of work without bias. We are built on the belief that everyone choosing their own ‘workstyle’* is the future of the global workforce: a much needed refresh of an outdated 9-5 system, where inclusion comes as standard and diversity is harnessed for competitive advantage.

The way we work is uncorporate and refreshing; no bureaucracy, hierarchy or jargon, just brilliant people working together to get the job done well.

Hoxby is the brainchild of Alex Hirst and Lizzie Penny, who, as a result of their own experiences, are passionate campaigners for a world of work without bias, providing access to work for those who might otherwise not have it.

Today, Hoxby’s virtual agency includes over 800 freelancers across 30 different countries, each adopting the freedom to choose their own ‘workstyle’.

‘workstyle’ - the complete freedom to choose where and when you work

Hoxby in the press

“If you’re thinking of making the leap to go it alone, Lizzie Penny, co-founder of Hoxby, an award-winning community for self-employed, knows what you need to follow your dream…“

(Marie Claire, 2019)

“Business leaders need to set clear rules so that all employees are using exactly the same technology channels, says Alex Hirst, co-founder and joint chief executive of Hoxby.“

(The Telegraph, 2019)

“With Hoxby in the lead, perhaps we’ll see more marketplaces that are organized around a vision, purpose and set of values that bring freelancers together around a shared workstyle as well as economic opportunity.“

(Forbes, 2019)

“The best example I've seen of that is a company called Hoxby. It's a freelancer community that's all virtual, but what they do is use technology in a really smart way.”

(The Drum, 2019)

“We are also going to see more organisations similar to Hoxby, a consultancy that was effectively founded in the cloud. Established businesses will also find it easier to integrate or migrate their existing systems into the cloud.”

(Helen Tupper, Marketing Manager, Microsoft, The Times, Oct 2018)

“For creative companies like Hoxby - the work is only made richer by the diversity of those that contribute to its creation, and by the conditions they work in. It’s imperative that creativity is nurtured within our teams and not stifled by the presenteeism and exclusion of rigid, outdated working policies.”

(Alex Hirst, Campaign, March 2018)

“Hoxby is truly proving the Gestalt theorists concept that the basic principle: that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.”

(The Guestlist Podcast, March 2018)

“Our people work when they feel most productive and trust they are measured on output and outcomes rather than the minutes they’re at work.”

(Lizzie Penny, Raconteur, Dec 2018)

“For example, Hoxby, launched by former marketers Lizzie Penny and Alex Hirst, believes "flexible working is the future of the global workforce" and hand-picks freelancers from around the world to provide services to businesses.”

(Emma Gannon, Campaign, June 2018)

“One thing seems beyond doubt: By requiring physical presence, you won’t get the best people for the job. Lizzie Penny, co-founder of Hoxby, a virtual community for freelancers, and a vocal advocate against what she calls presenteeism, claims that presence does not correlate with or lead to quality. Presenteeism only narrows your search pool. The most talented people in the world don’t all live in one place.”

(Forbes, Oct 2018)

“Organisations like Hoxby are revolutionising the lives of freelance specialists from all fields by creating a network that allows them to find work tailor-made for them while sticking to their preferred ‘workstyle’.”

(Metro, June 2018)

“Alex Hirst and Lizzie Penny, joint CEOs of Hoxby, a virtual agency whose members work flexibly, say many of the members enjoy being able to fit work around childcare or care work, as well as simply having the freedom to create their own hours. They added that “the negative mental health and wellbeing implications of enforced presenteeism” can also tempt people to begin working flexibly.”

(Silicon Republic, Sept 2018)

“At Hoxby it’s always been our objective to eliminate the pain points of being a freelancer so as many people as possible can enjoy the freedom and empowerment of working for themselves, and thus helping to smooth the feast/famine cycle through providing access to other sources of income over and above paid day rate work - from having equity partners who earn through dividends to our commission structures for referring clients. In addition, Hoxbies working on Hoxby itself have complete freedom to work when it suits them, and this often means they can fill their capacity gaps with work for us.”

(Lizzie Penny, Forbes 2018)

“The effects of these changes are rippling through the workforce. For instance, according to a future-proofing report by Hoxby, a community of 450 freelancers who work for clients including the NHS, Diageo and Deloitte, half the working population could be freelance by 2021.”

(The Telegraph, Nov 2018)

“Too many organisations still don’t challenge the preconception that senior-level roles require a 9am to 5pm, five-days-a-week physical presence. This is not necessary in today’s digital world. Companies need to take this into account if they want to attract and retain the best talent, and sustain competitive advantage,”

Lizzie Penny, Sunday Times (March 2018)

“Previously, people felt lucky to be part of a big organisation but now we all want more control and more freedom,” she says. “We want to pick projects that excite us, and work where and when we choose. Self employment brings autonomy.”

Lizzie Penny, Telegraph (Feb 2018)

“People have the opportunity to earn an income in so many ways, from letting their home to writing blogs or crafting knits, this is creating a rise in the number of people rejecting the notion of the traditional 9-5.”

Alex Hirst, Saturday Telegraph (Feb 2018)

“Hoxby has been brilliant as it provides a perfect solution for flexible working.”

Metro (February 2018)

“My aim was not just for Hoxby to be an alternative to the traditional workplace set-up…But also to enable people to live better lives with more freedom. Now, instead of counting the hours, I structure my days around what makes me happy…”

Lizzie Penny, This Woman Can (January 2018)

“I inherently believe that company culture runs deeper than bricks and mortar. And that, whilst the 9-5 is bad for one’s soul, the future holds something much more exciting.”

Alex Hirst, HR News (January 2018)

“A third of those surveyed by Hoxby said they suffered mental health problems as a direct result of working rigid hours, including stress, anxiety, depression and insomnia.”

City AM (October 2017)

“The industry is long overdue a total overhaul of working practices to reflect the changing nature of society - more dual-income families, the gig economy, an ageing population.”

Fiona Chow, partner and head of PR at Hoxby, PR Week (October 2017)

Contact Us

media@hoxby.com