Jon Younger, a founding partner of the Agile Talent Collaborative and partner emeritus of the RBL Group, is a trailblazer in HR tech with a rich and varied career.
As an entrepreneur, Jon co-founded successful start-ups Provant and NetValue USA, both of which grew into publicly traded companies. His advisory services to the Government of Singapore on HR Transformation underscore his profound grasp of global business dynamics.
With extensive consulting experience, Jon played a pivotal role as the senior vice president and chief learning and talent officer for National City Corp, significantly shaping the strategic direction of a prominent US bank holding company. He has made substantial contributions across various sectors, including finance, energy, pharmaceuticals, and consumer products.
An accomplished author, Jon has penned five books, including the highly regarded "AGILE TALENT" (Harvard, 2016) and best-sellers like "HR FROM THE OUTSIDE IN" (McGraw Hill, 2012).
In the realm of education, Jon shares his strategic expertise in executive programs at the University of Michigan and the Indian School of Business, focusing on talent strategy and strategic change leadership. He holds a PhD from the University of Toronto, where he was recognized as an Ontario Graduate Fellow and Canada Council Grantee in Social Psychology.
Jon Younger is widely recognized as a key figure in the "freelance revolution," advocating for the transformative potential of freelance work in today's business landscape while continuing to shape the future of HR and technology.
Past talks
What makes you special?
April 30, 2025 2:00
In a crowded freelance market, standing out isn’t just an advantage, it’s essential. But what truly sets you apart? In this interactive workshop, Jon Younger will guide you through the art of telling your story and building a brand that excites and attracts clients.
Through hands-on exercises and expert insights, you’ll learn how to define your unique value, craft a compelling narrative, and position yourself for long-term success. Whether you’re just starting out or refining your brand, this session will help you gain clarity and confidence in what makes you special.
Where Is The Freelance Economy Heading?
May 15, 2024 10:00
Five people from the German and international freelance scene took the stage at Freelance Unlocked 2024: Matthew Mottola, Jon Younger, Manuel Meurer, Marc Clemens and Thomas Maas. The question was where the freelance economy is heading. What they say reflects the market in May 2024 and may have changed.
**What the panel covers**
- The market: panelists who run freelance platforms describe more applicants per job and fewer jobs than before. One says the years after 2020 were abnormal and the market now looks more like 2018, and that freelance jobs usually pick up before permanent hiring does. Mottola's view is that it is hard to earn anywhere, but easier as a freelancer.
- Where work is growing: Younger points to interim and fractional work in Germany, to banking, and to ever narrower niches. His advice is to look at adjacent fields if your own is slow.
- Career phases: Younger says the first year is rough, satisfaction rises, and around year five many ask whether this is what they want. His tip: find two or three trusted people who give honest feedback.
- What holds freelancers back: a panelist names false self-employment (Scheinselbstständigkeit) as the biggest German problem. Mottola says Germans do excellent work but talk too little about it, and he suggests regular status updates and quarterly reviews with clients. Another panelist says outdated profiles and CVs cost interviews.
- AI and software: Mottola likes automating proposals and client messages. One panelist says AI saves him 90 percent of the time he spent on podcast descriptions, another warns that many AI-written applications fall apart under questioning.
- Five to ten years ahead: Mottola expects it to look less like "freelancing". Younger hopes for more collaboration and more global cooperation. A panelist says German clarity on false self-employment would let more companies hire freelancers.
**Who it's for**
Freelancers who want several market views in one conversation.