How companies can benefit from working with freelancers
In a previous article titled “5 Benefits of Contract Recruitment in GCC”, we discussed the benefits of outsourcing where it is a cost-effective way to secure niche skills in this fast-changing Engineering and Power industry. Understanding that this is catalysed by the new normal of work, the projected gross volume of the gig economy is expected to reach USD455 billion by 2023, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) ranks competitively at 8th place according to Statista.
With the growing prevalence of freelance work and the benefits that candidates in the market can reap, we find out how organisations can also achieve some of the benefits from freelancers below.
Why is freelancing becoming more popular?
Although there has been a slow uptake on freelancers over the years, the progress is picking up pace and this can be attributed to various reasons.
- The Great Economic Reset Programme
Part of the effort to reshape the emirate’s economy, this programme aims to reset it towards a more agile, sustainable, resilient, and inclusive post-pandemic future. It will feature robust analysis of current and future policies including the promotion of more contract roles, and this is done through rigorous research and extensive stakeholder consultation that has set the direction and tone of future economic policies, regulations, and initiatives.
- Saudi’s new flexible work system
Part of Vision 2030, ‘Saudization’ is a movement that encourages the employment of Saudi workers and the gig economy can be viewed as a career path that lacks the shackles associated with more ‘standard’ forms of employment. There will no longer be probations, contractual obligations, long-term conditions, or a standardised work schedule.
With the strategies taken on by the government that will boost awareness and encourage contractual employment, we will dissect the concerns that everyone might still harbour from using freelancers, together with how you and your organisation can overcome and benefit from the freelance workforce.
“Are freelancers cost-effective?”
As mentioned above, this is the top concern for companies when considering freelancers. If you have never actually outsourced work to freelancers before, it may be difficult to envisage the specific cost-benefit ratio. And in many cases, it can be difficult to gain internal approval. One of the reasons include the presence of traditionally employed career-track workers. With this group, the work often become quite personalised making it difficult to identify the duties and tasks to be outsourced.
However, even if you are not considering the use of freelancers, this can be a risk in managing the organisation and can be difficult to take over if the person-in-charge unexpectedly takes a leave of absence or resigns. For this reason, it is advisable to start identifying the tasks which you currently have insufficient resources so that you can calculate the cost-effectiveness of outsourcing versus hiring a permanent employee.
“We are not sure how we can manage freelancers and the outsourcing process”
In addition to the difficulty of separating out specific tasks, the management system is often based on the assumption that everyone is a full-time employee, which can often be one of the challenges in using freelancers.
To achieve great results in a gig economy where the number of side jobs are increasing and the mobility of employment becomes even higher in the future, the key will be to set up a human resource strategy that puts the right people in the right place. In this way, there will be certain skills and knowledge that will be required of full-time employees, whilst other required expertise can be secured by sourcing from experts outside the company. In this way, you maximise the potential of your current employees whilst offering the option to access freelancers based on your specific needs.
“Can we trust freelancers as they are not an organisation but individuals?”
In regions like the Middle East, there is a predominant culture of placing greater emphasis on the organisation, than the individual. As a result, there is often a reluctance to delegate tasks to external individuals due to concerns about compliance, malfunctions and operational issues.
In this aspect, contracting with an established organisation can eradicate these risks in many aspects. Whether it is the screening of the freelancer’s qualifications or skills, to the actual conclusion of the contract and its subsequent management and follow-ups, you can transfer this responsibility to a recruitment agency that is well-versed in contract and freelance employment. You may contact us using the form at the bottom of this page for more information or read our recent article on the types of options and visa requirements in GCC.
“How and where can we find freelancers with the right skillsets?”
It is a growing trend where many freelancers often get referred to short stints or freelancing gigs via direct referrals from acquaintances and personal networks. And as a result, it is not always easy to find the right person for the job when you have no previous experience with freelancers.
In addition, when it comes to projects for foreign companies, the number of candidates in the market becomes even smaller due to the additional language requirements on top of required skills and experience.
Therefore, our clients partner up with us for contract and freelancing work. We can draw on local knowledge, networks and databases of our consultants who have both global and local access to suitable candidates to find the right person to meet your needs, in the shortest time possible. If you require a team rather than an individual, we are also able to assemble a team of highly qualified Engineering professionals with the skills you require in a short time frame. This is a solution that offers cost savings and speed to hire, which are both difficult to achieve by hiring permanent employees.
To find out more about how we can help you, please visit the following page:
Please use the form below to contact us if you have any additional requirements.
