Why Demand for Freelancers & Independent Consultants is Growing Everyday?

It is easier to start your career as a freelancer in 2022, as demands for freelancers Increases after covid-19. The pandemic has shaped people's perspective towards freelancing.

COVID-19 did not establish the freelance revolution. But we cannot deny the fact that it hasn't played an important role in accelerating it. The pandemic has shaped people's perspective towards freelancing. In the time where unemployment and layoffs were at a high, freelancing became a silver lining for many. A McKinsey report estimates that there will be around 500 million freelancers working through different platforms before 2030.

As per Payoneer's 'Freelancer Income Report 2022', the Indian freelancing industry is also growing at a rapid rate with the world. The report says that the income of Indian women freelancers has substantially increased as compared to the past two years. Also the industry is dominated by freelancers in the age group of 18-34 years. The majority of these freelancers are finding work from freelancing platforms in India. Only 7% of the lot relies on any other source such as online referrals.

Why is There a Surge in The Number of Freelancers?

People are not becoming freelancers just because it's a recent trend or because everyone is doing it. People are taking off their full time corporate hats and switching to freelancing because it has more to offer: more flexibility, more income opportunities, more ways to build a career, to name a few. Many full time employees are even freelancing as a side hustle to explore and brush their other interests and skills.

Another factor that plays a huge role is the rise in the number of opportunities for freelancers. Corporates are adding independent freelancers and boutique consultancies to their platforms. And this increase in demand is expected to grow. Older firms are joining the bandwagon as well.

It is easier to start your career as a freelancer in 2022. There are more freelancing platforms in India than ever to help people step into the world of freelancing. Whether a person is a newbie or a pro, these platforms offer plenty of opportunities for them. The in-built features and other support services make it easier for people to manage their work and clients. Also freelancers don't have to chase their clients for payment and generate invoices since these platforms ensure every freelancer gets paid for their work. This makes the process a little less daunting, especially for the newbie freelancers who are just stepping into the game.

Easier Ways to Grow Freelance Career

There are a number of fields, from creative to tech in which one can freelance in. Moreover there are a plethora of upskilling opportunities available in the market. Freelancers are building their portfolios by signing up on online courses, newsletters, podcasts etc. These platforms are helping them to strengthen their knowledge. Social media is also playing a huge role in providing knowledge to freelancers regarding recent trends and styles. Many freelancers have built their micro communities on social media platforms like Instagram and LinkedIn where they keep sharing their knowledge on how to build income, network and brand.

More Purpose Driven Platforms

FlexC is an AI-powered talent marketplace offering opportunities to work with the best companies in the country. Upwork has repositioned itself as a talent marketplace as well. Fiverr aims to provide users a gig in any and every skill, Hoxby aims to provide freelancers the work-life balance they desire. Every new age platform like these is redefining its purpose to differentiate itself in the market and attract top freelancers. These new age platforms are also trying to take care of vetting their clients, assignments provided by them and advising them to switch to more flexible and blended models.

Some More Reasons to Switch to Freelancing

Remote working has impacted employee engagement severely. It has become difficult for employees to feel connected to the workplace. Moreover the flexibility remote working offers has become irreplaceable. As a result of decline in employee engagement and leadership trust, employees have started to look for opportunities elsewhere. Many employees have also said to leave the organisation in case it does switch to a hybrid workforce model. These reasons have made freelancing an easier and more popular work alternative.

Why Companies Have Started to Hire Freelancers?

Both new and old established organisations have started to hire freelancers through talent marketplaces and including them in their various projects. Companies are now expected to have fewer in-house staff and a large remote and networked workforce due to these reasons:

Greater Flexibility:

By hiring freelancers, organisations can easily achieve cost and time efficiency & flexibility in their workforce structure. Hiring freelancers also helps organisations achieve talent mobility. Companies can move their in-house permanent staff across different departments for projects and hire a freelancer in their place to handle the operations in the meantime. Moreover, companies bear little to no training costs when they hire a freelancer which is an added advantage.

An Effort to Modernise the Hiring Process:

Today's hiring market is ruled by the applicants or the employees. There is no way an employee is ready to stay involved in a lengthy hiring process for a long time. Hence it is important for HR managers to find a way to keep the hiring process short and also ensure to find the right employee. Companies can rely on platforms like FlexC to help them find great talent in a short span of time.

How FlexC Can Help Connect Both Freelancers and Clients

FlexC is an AI-enabled talent marketplace for organisations to hire and manage their hybrid workforce. Organisations can hire top freelancers, contractors and full time employees as per their requirement. Each and every profile is verified by the team. The in-built dashboard helps managers track the new hire's real-time productivity and find out any bottlenecks if any. It is also an ideal space for freelancers to find gigs in top organisations. Every project is vetted by FlexC's AI tool ensuring it matches the freelancer's resume. The milestone tracker helps freelancers keep a track of how much of the project is completed. Once the project is completed, the platform automatically generates an invoice and ensures seamless payment.