Trends in freelancing
Early Stage Success: The Power of Freelancers in Talent Mix
Written by: Flexing It
6/05/2024
4 minutes read
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One key strategy stands out in early-stage businesses: the deliberate blending of traditional and freelance talent to create an agile and efficient workforce. This approach, early-stage talent mix, is critical to the success of organisations as they face the complexities of emerging markets and new developments.
At the heart of the early-stage talent mix structure,
- The core team typically multitasks and collaborates closely.
- A flat organisational structure fosters collaboration by facilitating fluid communication.
- Minimal hierarchy enables faster decision-making, helping respond to market shifts faster.
However, even the most adept core teams may encounter challenges beyond their expertise or bandwidth. To bridge these gaps and effectively meet organizational goals, companies turn to freelancers for specific projects.
Strategic outsourcing
Nearly 90% of expert freelancers at Flexing It indicated in a recent survey that they work on projects that are a strategic priority for the organisation.
More than 30% of startups and SMBs leverage freelancers, driven by the need for specialised skills, addressing temporary workload spikes, or fulfilling niche requirements that existing staff may need to fulfil. The critical advantage of freelancers lies in their flexibility and diverse skill sets, which often extend beyond the current scope of engagements.
Research underscores the prevalence of freelancers in building early-stage ventures, with 80% of tech founders utilising freelancers for development work from scratch. This strategic outsourcing allows companies to focus on their core competencies and accelerate growth by accessing specialised skills not available in-house.
The appeal of freelancers goes beyond their expertise; it lies in their flexibility and scalability. Early-stage companies benefit from the ability to quickly adapt to changing demands and scale their workforce as needed, thanks to the agile nature of freelancers. A report by MBO Partners reveals that 63% of independent workers choose freelancing precisely for its flexibility, aligning seamlessly with the needs of early-stage businesses.
The DIGIT Assessment Framework helps organisations measure their readiness, and prepares them to actively engage freelancers and build a strong Freelancer Value Proposition. The evaluation will help:
- Review and optimise your talent acquisition and management processes to ensure seamless integration and management of freelance talent at scale. This may include streamlining sourcing channels, onboarding workflows, performance management frameworks, and offboarding procedures.
- Build stakeholder alignment and awareness among leadership and hiring managers regarding the vision and goals of the flexible talent program.
Socialise the concept and address misconceptions about working with freelance talent through targeted awareness campaigns and sessions
Learn how you can seamlessly integrate freelance talent into your overall workforce strategy.
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