Since the pandemic, working from home has become the norm for many of us, and like it or not, this has given us a taste of the future of working and what will inevitably become the new norm. But remote working isn’t really a new thing at all.
Independent workers, such as freelancers and contractors, have been working in this manner for decades. Of course, there are some major differences between working independently and being a full-time employee, but for many, the chance to experience the benefits of remote working has seen a huge increase in the number of people choosing to go self-employed, and in organizations realizing the perks to hiring independent workers over full-time employees.
In this article, we’ll be sharing with you the 3 top reasons why the independent workforce is becoming the dominant workforce, and what the potential benefits of this are to your organization.
Pay only for what you need, when you need it
One of the biggest benefits to organizations when it comes to hiring independent workers is that you pay only for what you need when you need it. One of the most common myths around freelancers and contractors is that they are more expensive, but the truth is, when you hire someone to work on a specific project or task, it’s possible to get much greater value for money.
A full-time employee has a number of different tasks to do throughout their day or their week, but there may also be days and weeks that are very quiet for them, yet their salary doesn’t change. We’re not saying that full-time employees don’t work as hard, as there are plenty of tasks that are still incredibly important in the day-to-day running of things, so there’s no need to start bumping off your entire workforce just yet. But what tends to happen here is that an employee will have several tasks on the go, meaning outcomes may ultimately take a little longer than if you had someone dedicated to one sole task.
It is here where Indies can be a great addition to your workforce. Independent workers tend to work on a project-by-project basis, and payment is often outcome-based. An agreement is made on what needs to be done and how much it will cost, and then payment is made upon delivery of said outcomes. This way of working has so many benefits including being more efficient, more focused, and more cost-effective. So, if you have a project that has a tight deadline you want overseeing without any distractions from other areas of the business, you may want to consider hiring an Indy.
Source the exact skills for your requirements
One thing about the independent workforce is that there are people out there working with the craziest of niches and that’s what they do all day, every day! You have the ability to source someone with the exact skills, experience, and knowledge to work on your particular project and do so with greater expertise and efficiency than anyone else inside or outside of your organization.
When you hire an employee, you’re often looking for a well-rounded individual with a set of transferable skills that can be applied to many areas and tasks within a business, but you may need someone to be experienced in using a particular software that no one else knows, and having that particular knowledge is what makes them fully qualified for the gig.
“Doesn’t this make Indies way more expensive?” I hear you ask. Not in the grand scheme of things. Hiring someone with the exact skills and knowledge to get your project completed quickly and to the highest standards is something that can be so valuable to your business. It’s important to know your strengths and weaknesses here and be open to outsourcing certain jobs to those with who you can have complete confidence in delivering the outcomes you desire.
Streamline your projects
Working remotely isn’t for everyone, and with the world, in lockdown, it became clear which organizations embraced the work-from-home life and which ones didn’t. But for the most part, the pandemic has led to a positive embrace of remote working, with many businesses shutting down their offices and sticking with fully remote or partially remote working arrangements.
And this means that organizations are now more open to the idea of hiring the likes of freelancers or contractors, now that they have seen how easy it can be to work in this way. One of the best things about utilizing the independent workforce is their flexibility in how, when, and where they work.
Hiring an Indy means they look after themselves – they don’t require a desk in the office, you don’t have to go through lengthy onboarding or training, and you don’t have to watch over them 24/7. Now that might sound like a micro-managers worst nightmare, but for those who want to streamline their projects and create a better work-life balance for all, there’s a lot we can learn from working with freelancers.
Sure, good communication is required for any project to succeed, but just because you’ve got bums on seats in the office doesn’t mean more work is getting done. With the points mentioned above in mind, you can really widen your search and find the perfect fit for your project when location is not a dealbreaker.
Still not sure you’re ready to embrace the independent workforce in your business? If you’ve still got questions, then check out our article on hiring independent workers vs full-time employees, where we debunk the top myths and assumptions that are most likely stopping you from hiring an Indy for your next project!