Why Companies are choosing Freelancers over Full-Time Employees
Will Lee
of Business.com published a piece of editorial last year
about using Freelance services and I thought that I should share it here, as it
is completely relevant to the freelance services offered by ZigZag ….
Article
dated Jul 19, 2018 begins….
Companies
are increasingly hiring freelancers to meet work demands rather than full-time
employees. What makes this growing segment of the workforce so appealing to
corporations?
It’s the
time of the freelancer. Even with the challenges facing freelancers (like
the unpredictability of income and lack of benefits), more and more workers are
either wholly abandoning their traditional jobs in favor of a more flexible
schedule or keeping the security of a permanent position while freelancing on
the side. With the numbers growing steadily, it makes sense that freelancers
would eventually attract the interest of corporations.
The
status quo for years was for companies to hire permanent employees. However,
recently, corporations are more frequently outsourcing project-based jobs to
freelancers, rather than hiring full-time staff.
Whether
you are a freelancer yourself or a business owner considering hiring a
freelancer rather than a long-term employee, the outlook is bright as this
arrangement increases. These are the main reasons why companies love to hire
freelancers.
1. Specialized skills and expertise
There’s
always been a stigma attached to freelancers, with many believing that they
aren’t as skilled as their full-time counterparts. This is not true, especially
as of late. Because freelancing offers freedom and flexibility that’s
impossible with traditional 9-to-5 jobs, many workers are turning to it as
either their sole source of income or additional income. Therefore, the talent
pool is rapidly increasing, meaning that people from various fields are using
their significant knowledge and expertise in freelancing gigs.
Think
about how this could be useful for a company. Say you need a professional
writer for a single project. It would not make sense to hire a full-time
writer, because your writing needs aren’t enough to justify it. Hiring a
full-time employee would be expensive and a waste of company money. However, a
freelancer would fit the project perfectly. The company would use the
freelancer’s skills for the project, pay them, and then the two entities would
part ways.
2. Cost-effectiveness
When
companies hire full-time employees, they are responsible for providing
benefits. These usually include health insurance, paid time off and sick leave,
which are all expenses that the company has to pay. Freelancers are free
agents, not part of any company’s permanent staff, so the employer does not
need to provide freelance workers with any benefits. This is a perk for
employers but a disadvantage for freelancers, who lose money whenever they take
a vacation or get sick.
When
freelancers are hired for projects, companies can spend less because they only
have to pay the freelancer for their services. This could be one of the
fundamental reasons motivating corporations to utilize freelancers more frequently.
3. Project-based work
Not all
projects and tasks require a full-time employee. Many projects are one-off
assignments that have various start and end times throughout the year. These
projects may require completely different skill sets, so hiring one person full
time to complete them just doesn’t make sense. A full-time employee may have
the specific skills needed for one project but lack the expertise to complete
another effectively.
This is
where freelancers shine. Freelancers are expanding their skill sets to keep up
with the evolution of the workforce. However, more pertinent to
employers is the specificity of the skills most freelancers have. You may
have a project that requires a graphic designer but not enough to justify
hiring one full time. The logical solution? Hire a freelancer. Then, when the
next short-term project rolls around, such as one where you need the skills of
an app developer, you can hire another freelancer with those skills. This makes
more sense than hiring full-time staff for short-term assignments.
Freelancers
may find jobs easier to obtain in the future. There has been a shift in mindset
toward freelancers. While the myth that freelancers aren’t as skilled as
full-time employees may remain, many corporations are starting to see the
benefits of using freelancers instead. Financially, freelancers ease the burden
by not being entitled to benefits. They also have specific skills perfect for
short-term projects.
Here is a
link to the original article : https://www.business.com/articles/why-companies-hire-freelancers/
