Good question. Content is fueling the way companies and individuals brand themselves, how audiences engage with these brands, and has helped shape new standards in content delivery. Things have significantly changed from the way businesses used to operate. Expert360 co-founder Bridget Loudon says, “While past years have seen workplace innovation around mobility, working hours and job-sharing, its clear 2015 is going to be the year of the freelancer and free agent.”
Not only have hiring practices changed, but the mindset of today’s worker has shifted from being an employee to being their own boss. With so many fluctuations in the job market, having an income that fluctuates but is primarily controlled by your own productivity is beginning to seem like a worthy tradeoff.
Large corporate entities are starting to see the value in using freelance writing, avoiding the overhead costs associated with having full-time employees. The stigma of freelancers only being used by small companies, or to work remotely has evolved into a system where freelance workers are used for more comprehensive tasks on a more frequent basis.
Vendor Management Systems and Freelance Management Systems will converge, as freelancers are the fastest growing segment of the labor market. For a large majority of the working population, work is no longer a place, but actually a space where individuals work from wherever they are. This is a good indication that businesses are evolving because the work landscape is continuously shifting. As more workers desire to have a flexible work environment and lifestyle, they also want more of their money being funneled in their pockets rather than having it go to an employer.
One of the biggest predictions for the freelance market in 2015 is the continued trend of the data-driven workforce. Data-driven metrics are being used to hire and manage freelance workers, which include marketplace ratings to background checks and performance metrics. For many companies, these metrics will assist in knowing more about the freelancers they hire.
With approximately 34 percent of the total workforce now operating as freelancers and the number expected to balloon to 50 percent by 2020, freelancers will experience a number of changes as big business steps in. With so much protocol being put in place, it will be interesting to see if these trends continue. After all, freelancers actually freelance because they don’t want to deal with the red tape of big business with its reporting and monitoring schedules.
Is this really the future of freelancing? As the landscape of the “standard” worker continues to evolve, big business may have to rethink their protocols to accommodate a freelancer’s mindset.
Writer Bio: Allaire W is a professional writer with a love for the written word and a sweet tooth that turned a hobby into a business. You can find her “cooking” up assignments while covered in cake batter.
