{"id":33470,"date":"2021-11-10T07:03:32","date_gmt":"2021-11-10T12:03:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/centricconsulting.com\/?p=33470"},"modified":"2021-12-16T10:48:47","modified_gmt":"2021-12-16T15:48:47","slug":"will-on-demand-talent-be-the-next-work-revolution-3-tips-for-building-a-freelance-talent-strategy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/centricconsulting.com\/blog\/will-on-demand-talent-be-the-next-work-revolution-3-tips-for-building-a-freelance-talent-strategy\/","title":{"rendered":"Will On-Demand Talent Be the Next Work Revolution? 3 Tips for Building a Freelance Talent Strategy"},"content":{"rendered":"
The remote work revolution is already over\u2014hybrid has won<\/a>\u2014but another major shift could be coming.<\/p>\n The number of platforms for highly skilled freelancers increased over 300 percent since 2009<\/a>, giving rise to new theories on how organizations of the future will use and manage talent.<\/p>\n The latest theories posit that organizations will have a completely different talent mindset, shifting from headcount to on-demand talent<\/a>, from talent acquisition to talent access.<\/strong><\/p>\n What does this look like? According to a recent Harvard Business School study<\/a>, many leaders believe their organizations will be operating with a smaller team of full-time employees, supported by a growing ecosystem of highly integrated on-demand talent made up of freelancers and outsourced partner\/vendor firms.<\/p>\n Businesses that adopt an on-demand approach to talent will become more agile, innovative and productive while simultaneously unlocking a larger universe of minds working in their unique problems. They\u2019ll also be less prone to chronic problems such as headcount creep, the global shortage of talent and what the World Economic Forum refers to as a \u201creskilling emergency\u201d as jobs are rapidly transformed by technology.<\/p>\n An on-demand approach to talent is also key for businesses wanting to transform into Exponential Organizations, defined by Salim Ismail, Yahoo\u2019s former head of innovation, as disruptive companies with huge impacts. Exponential Organizations (ExOs) scale at the same exponential rate of technology because they harness the power of new organizational techniques and new technology.<\/strong><\/p>\n In Ismail\u2019s book, Exponential Organizations, he says, \u201cFor any ExO, having Staff on Demand is a necessary characteristic for speed, functionality and flexibility in a fast-changing world \u2026 For any company today, having a permanent, full-time workforce is fraught with growing peril as employees fail to keep their skills up to date.<\/p>\n This growing reliance on freelance talent won\u2019t just come about because it benefits businesses. It\u2019s also increasingly what workers want<\/a>, too.<\/p>\n Data from MBO Partners says that nontraditional employment reached 51 million this year<\/a>, a 34 percent increase from 2020. Another study from Upwork revealed that 20 percent of U.S. workers<\/a> are considering freelancing as their future career. By one estimate, the number of U.S. freelancers will reach 86.5 million<\/a> \u2014 just over half of the U.S. workforce \u2014 by 2027.<\/p>\n \u201cOur research shows there are a couple of reasons freelancing is an attractive option,\u201d says Tim Sanders, vice president of customer insights at Upwork. \u201cYounger employees like the diversity of work and the idea of writing their own paycheck. Older workers like the income portfolio diversity as a hedge against recessions, layoffs, a company going out of business or being acquired by a poor employer.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n Some leaders may be hesitant to engage freelance talent, worried about the impact to organizational knowledge or culture. But that argument doesn\u2019t hold water in an environment where so many employees are considering a job change<\/a>. Plus, it\u2019s a mistake to equate freelance work with one-and-done small gig assignments<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cMany freelancers are highly skilled professionals looking for long-term relationships,\u201d Sanders says. \u201cWe have hundreds if not thousands of documented examples of client-freelancer relationships on our platform that have been going on for more than 10 years. The knowledge doesn\u2019t leave \u2014 it\u2019s just on-demand.\u201d<\/p>\n The first step to smartly engaging freelance talent is to make it a strategic growth priority, dedicating budget toward finding and hiring independent workers, Sanders says. Below, he shares additional strategies leveraging real value from freelancers.<\/p>\n To get real value from freelancers, don\u2019t wait to engage them when a project is in trouble or your team is barely treading water.<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t think of freelancers as a downstream band-aid,\u201d Sanders says. \u201cWhen you involve freelancers early in the life of a project, the freelancer relationships are better with your internal team members and the freelancers are more likely to share knowledge from other projects. By integrating freelancers into the whole project journey, they become a collaborative partner and will feel a sense of ownership over the project\u2019s success.\u201d<\/p>\n As an example of the real impact freelancers can achieve, the book The Human Cloud shares how a large motorcycle manufacturer worked with a team of highly skilled freelance designers, engineers, and developers to accomplish a multi-year digital transformation of their rider experience, resulting in a 5-star rated mobile app with over 150,000 downloads.<\/p>\n For freelancers to truly integrate into your teams and make a real impact, they need to know what your culture is and how to succeed within it. Educate them on communication norms, your mission and values and how you approach problem-solving. Give them the context they\u2019ll need to dive in and work their magic.<\/strong><\/p>\nBenefits of an On-Demand Talent Strategy<\/h2>\n
Workers Choose Freelancing for Freedom, Project Diversity<\/h2>\n
Building a Freelance Talent Strategy<\/h2>\n
Engage freelancers early.<\/h3>\n
Educate freelancers on your culture.<\/h3>\n