Preparing your organization for the freelance revolution
The news is in. The gig economy is going strong. According to the latest Deloitte study on Global Human Capital Trends, self-employment is expected to triple by 2020. That means 42 million independent workers will be available for hire.
The study shows that organizations across industries are looking to reinvent traditional approaches to recruiting, staffing and leadership in order to improve workforce productivity. The big question is—does your organization have a plan for how to integrate highly-skilled freelancers?
IS IT TIME FOR YOUR ORGANIZATION TO PIVOT?
As the number of independent workers continues to grow, the question of whether gig workers should be considered employees or contractors is a hot topic in today’s business news. This conversation is happening because as organizations leverage the gig economy, freelancers have become integral assets. Companies are working with freelancers and solopreneurs more than ever before.
Erica Volini, Deloitte’s Global Human Capital Leader, sums it up in an interview with Yahoo Finance, “What that’s telling us, at least organizationally, is that we have to change the processes, the policies and the programs to be able to manage this gig workforce. It’s not workers that are on the side anymore, this is a huge portion of your workforce, they have the same ability to talk about your organization whether they like it or not, influence your corporate brand, your employment brand and ultimately they play a big role in the productivity.”
Freelancers, or gig workers, need to feel connected to a company culture in order to thrive. Social enterprise, the combination of profit-making and the need for respect and support within the business environment and stakeholder network, is driving change in business and leading to deeper conversations about human capital, organizational strategy and collaboration.
Soundings Connect is committed to vetting candidates on behalf of our clients to find the perfect fit. We partner with innovative organizations and freelancers because we’ve paid attention to workforce trends. “Alternative work” has become mainstream.
As the Deloitte study suggests, “Best practices to access and deploy alternative workers are just now being invented. If the economy continues to grow, organizations must be more flexible in adapting to these new work arrangements, and plan to use them in a strategic way.”
TALENT ALIGNMENT LEADS TO SUCCESS
At Soundings Connect, we discovered early on that our talent pool is as versatile as our clients and their needs. We came up with a multi-step screening and application process, rooted in behavioral-based interviews and strength-based assessments, to ensure that we connect our clients with freelancers whose talents align with the company culture and brand.
One of the key findings of the Deloitte study was that gig workers and freelancers need to feel an attachment to the brand identity of the company they’re working for. Companies need to provide a sense of belonging and meaning to freelancers who are eager to contribute to successful projects.
Now, more than ever before, your organization needs access to the best talent in a competitive market. The blended workforce is the new normal. Your organization can build a team of forward-thinking, innovative professionals, who will drive change and profits, with the help of Soundings Connect.
_____
At Soundings Connect, we thrive on building relationships and strategic connections. We want to discuss how we can help your organization take advantage of the amazing opportunity the freelancer revolution presents. Contact Soundings Connect for a free 30-minute consultation about how to prepare your organization for the freelancer revolution.
Tracy Judge, MS, CMP
Founder & Chief Connector
Soundings Connect