The Freelance Revolution Is Here: Trends to Watch This Year

The Freelance Revolution Is Here: Trends to Watch This Year

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1. Hybrid Workforces are the Currency of the Future

There is an inherent flexibility provided by contract workers, as well as many major benefits that can be had from restructuring the post-COVID organization into a hybrid workforce.  Now more than ever, agility has topped the list of priorities for companies across the board, as they were pushed to pivot and shift quickly during the height 

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1. Hybrid Workforces are the Currency of the Future

of the pandemic. In fact, a study from Upwork revealed that two-thirds of CEOs feel agility is the new business currency.  Also, although 70% of companies were working on digital transformation strategies, the progress was not sufficient enough to protect them from the operational and economic difficulties brought on by COVID-19.

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2. Companies Will Lean on Contractors to Fill Technical Skill Gaps

Companies are looking for qualified staff wherever they can find them, and in many cases, this means that they are expanding their use of contractors for tasks that require specialized skill sets.  Knowledge workers -- and especially those with skills to fill in-demand roles in data analysis, big data, AI and machine learning, software and 

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2. Companies Will Lean on Contractors to Fill Technical Skill Gaps

application development, and IT security -- will continue to be in high demand. This provides ample opportunity for freelancers with these skills to pick up contract work, fill in these gaps, and be selective about the companies they work with and the time they spend.

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3. Highly Skilled Professionals Will Opt for Freelancing Work Over Traditional Employment

With more companies leaning on freelancers to fill skill gaps, it makes sense that this growing demand for jobs that require specialized skill sets puts a premium on contract workers who have these abilities. Bringing a highly-skilled independent contractor on board for specific projects can save organizations tens of 

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3. Highly Skilled Professionals Will Opt for Freelancing Work Over Traditional Employment

thousands of dollars as compared to a full-time team member while delivering equally high-quality results.  It can also give organizations the ability to launch new projects and initiatives more quickly than if the company took the time to hire a full-timer or train in-house staff to do the needed tasks.

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4. Organizations Will Rely Less on Staffing Firms for Contractors

The shift to freelance and remote work has brought with it a proliferation of hundreds of on-demand talent platforms, which can lead to time and cost-savings for companies when compared to traditional staffing agencies.  Platforms like Stoke Talent that build in tools to help navigate the intricacies of freelance hiring - including features that 

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4. Organizations Will Rely Less on Staffing Firms for Contractors

help companies remain compliant, elements that support onboarding and offboarding, and payment capabilities -- will also become integral in making this process just as smooth as hiring a new full-time worker.

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5. Full-Time Remote Work Is Here to Stay

Today, a growing number of workers can live wherever they want and still have access to a variety of job opportunities they otherwise wouldn’t be able to pursue.  Not only that, but large swathes of both tech and non-tech workers like consultants, marketers, insurance brokers, and financial workers are wanting and expecting 

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5. Full-Time Remote Work Is Here to Stay

permanent work-from-home options. Many companies — including some of the tech sector’s biggest players — are accommodating this new preference.  In fact, 50% of Facebook’s 48,000 employees are expected to work remotely within 10 years, and Twitter and Square made their “work from home forever” options official.

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6. More Remote Work Will Lead to More Freelancers

The widened acceptance of remote work will create greater opportunity for freelancers and thus, may inspire more people to choose a freelancing path rather than full-time route.  Because the shift to remote work has not only turned out to be feasible but also incredibly effective, organizations may no longer be apprehensive to hire remote freelancers. Instead, it 

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6. More Remote Work Will Lead to More Freelancers

has proven that freelancers can be an asset and are worthy of investment, especially given the other clear advantages for companies. Also, in the wake of a global event that forced companies to pivot to a fully-remote work model, more businesses are now better positioned to tap into the freelance market than they were before.

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