Trends in freelancing
2024: Client Insights on Freelance Talent
Written by: Flexing It
22/01/2025
6 minutes read
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Freelancers aren’t just the future - they’re the now. Between April and September 2024, Flexing It’s H1 data uncovers how organisations are exploring non-traditional hiring models and using freelance talent to build agility, spark innovation, and slash inefficiencies.
Why are companies turning to freelance talent?
Flexing It’s client base of over 3,000 organisations has experienced firsthand the impact of on-demand professionals. A simple truth drives the shift: businesses can’t afford to wait. Here are the core reasons for their soaring demand:
- Getting access to specialised skills and a need for new expertise, which organisations either lack internally and/or are looking for
- Focus on driving innovation and getting an outside-in perspective.
- New skill areas can sometimes be difficult and time-consuming to build internally, and skilled freelancers and expert consultants can help bridge this gap.
- Need for agility and ability to quickly respond to market situations since hiring consultants is faster than hiring full-time hires (search processes for mid to senior talent are increasingly taking 6+ months).
- Keeping costs variable, especially during periods of uncertainty or when piloting new business models
- Need for surge capacity and support for time-bound mission-critical assignments like a product launch.
Most in-demand skills by clients.
Freelance professionals are addressing critical skill gaps across industries.
From April to September 2024, the top skills have been:
Work Nature Trends:
Flexing It’s H1 FY25 data highlights a shift in how work is structured, with flexible and hybrid models at the forefront.
- Onsite projects fell from 53% to 34%, while hybrid projects jumped from 22% to 41%. This highlights how businesses embrace flexible work setups to foster collaboration, improve productivity, and attract top talent.
- Global organisations are tapping into the power of India-based remote freelancers and consultants. Exceptional talent, cost efficiency, and remote work culture have been refined in the post-pandemic era. From Strategy to Technology to Marketing, these professionals drive transformation across industries without borders.
Freelancers are meeting leadership gaps for Clients.
Freelancers aren’t just filling gaps. They’re taking the reins. A remarkable 57% of client demand focuses on consultants with 5–15 years of experience, the implementers who drive transformation. At the top, interim CTOs, CFOs, and CMOs are steering businesses through change with expertise and flexibility, reshaping leadership hiring for the modern workforce.
Freelancers are building organisational capabilities.
Organisations are assembling bespoke consultant teams to tackle complex challenges, with some clients engaging teams of 20+ Flexing It consultants to manage entire functions. This is setting the stage for long-term growth.
Sector insights
Leading the charge is the industrial sector, accounting for 21% of the total project demand on Flexing It. Companies like Schneider Electric, Mahindra, and Ashok Leyland are leveraging freelancers for cutting-edge skills in automation, AI, IoT, and digital transformation. This trend mirrors the broader adoption by top sectors like FMCG, consulting, and technology, all-embracing the freelance edge.
This sector joins the top five adopters: FMCG, Consulting, Technology, Development Sector.
Freelancers are solving challenges with niche expertise
With their unique skills, freelancers are stepping up to address intricate problems. Some standout Flexing It projects include:
- PowerApps Development: Flexing It’s freelance developers turned vision into reality by crafting an MVP for cutting-edge product development, ensuring seamless functionality and a rapid go-to-market advantage.
- Data Engineering: A freelance data engineering expert built robust, scalable data pipelines, launching the integration of GenAI chatbots with precision and speed.
- Metaverse Strategies: Our freelancer implemented next-gen strategies for the metaverse, crafting immersive experiences and future-proof blueprints that helped position the brand at an advantage.
- Strategy Consultant: Delivered high-impact strategic guidance to the Policy Communications and Philanthropic Partnerships team, aligning their initiatives with broader business goals for long-term success.
- Digital Customer Acquisition & Marketing: Developed and executed innovative digital marketing strategies across multiple platforms, boosting customer acquisition and driving exponential growth in the online marketplace.
- ESG Consultant: Led critical efforts in life cycle analysis and carbon neutrality, empowering the company to reduce its environmental footprint and meet sustainability targets with precision.
Our Core Solutions
Flexing It offers a suite of products designed to help organisations access top talent seamlessly:
- Enterprise: Tailored freelance workforce solutions for large-scale projects.
- Primo: A streamlined solution providing seamless access, management, and payment of freelance talent with dedicated account support.
- FlexTeams: Bespoke consulting teams to solve complex, multi-functional business challenges.
- FlexExec: On-demand leadership talent, from interim executives to fractional CXOs, driving transformation at the top.
- Boutique Firms: Access 2000+vetted boutique firms/ agencies with specialization in areas of Strategy, IT, Marketing, etc.
The freelance revolution isn’t coming - it’s already here, reshaping the future of work, one project at a time.
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