Once considered an option for IT or other technical or repeatable tasks, contract workers nowadays perform a wide range of functions.
The 20 most popular freelance skills with which you can land a performance
Big data interpretation remains an important point of attention for employers looking for candidates, according to an Upwork report.
The alternative workforce has arrived. According to research by Deloitte, there are expected to be 42 million self-employed in the US by 2020. A shortage of technicians will make the use of contract agents more attractive as it enables companies to streamline individual projects if necessary.
Now it is fairly common to find technical freelancers and contractors who work with their own staff in almost every department, from marketing to finance, says technology recruitment agency Dice.
The 2019 study by Deloitte’s Global Human Capital Trends showed that 33% of respondents reported extensively with alternative arrangements for IT, 25% for operations, 15% for marketing and 15% for research and development.
The company defines the alternative workforce as a workforce that includes contractors, freelance and independent employees, gig and crowd employees.
The wave of alternative employees also extends to part-time: Deloitte’s latest millennial survey found that 64% of full-time employees want to do “side hustles” to earn extra money.
Although an alternative workforce is a good solution for companies that need help to meet technological needs, many organizations have not yet fully exploited the opportunity.
Data from Deloitte showed that 54% of the organizations had few or no processes for hiring and managing an alternative workforce.
However, this figure can change quickly. The same Deloitte survey found that 51% of the respondents indicated that they intend to develop an alternative personnel plan in the future, which means that this segment will soon be much more competitive.
Tips for finding and building an efficient temporary workforce
The alternative workforce offers the possibility of temporarily hiring specific positions that would otherwise be difficult to fill with a full-time employee. To succeed in building a team with external and alternative employees, Dice recommends the following:
- Work with an agency that has a screened schedule of freelancers, temporary staff and contractors in your vertical. These companies are usually able to find several qualified candidates on the same day, sometimes even available candidates who can start the next day. This can be invaluable for fast-growing companies working on major projects that are strategically essential but tactically difficult to manage with only existing employees.
- Create targeted recruitment campaigns focused on an alternative workforce. Mainly focused on attracting millennial and gen Z employees, 84% and 81% of whom respectively indicated that they would like to consider alternative work instead of a full-time job with one employer.
- Build your own freelance platform especially if you hire multiple positions. Developing customized talent networks and platforms can help streamline recruitment processes for specific projects. With this strategy you can build a network of freelance professionals who are already familiar with your business processes and are ready to work on specific projects.
- Fully understand who you are working with and whether someone else also hires them on a freelance basis. Before you hire a technologist for a project, you and the recruitment manager must have a good understanding of the scope of work for the position, including the responsibilities of the position: will the person hired mainly work on a single project, or multiple projects – and employers? If your needs are significant, consider hiring an employee who is available to focus solely on your projects.
- Develop a clear process for working with your alternative workforce, both for freelancers and internal staff. Keep in mind that freelancers often juggle multiple assignments at the same time – just like recruiters and project managers. Clear operational standards enable your company to address inefficiencies and other issues before they have the opportunity to grow into bigger ones.
- Know marketplace rates and pay fair rates. In IT in particular, companies are expected to be very transparent about the rates they pay for performance. Now, more than ever, freelancers and contractors know exactly what they are worth and are more likely to refuse work opportunities that do not offer rewards consistent with their experience and skills.
“Organizations that take this workforce seriously can develop strategies and programs to approach and engage talented people around the world,” concludes the Deloitte report, “driving business growth and increasing workforce diversity.”
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