Global study on freelancing carried out by OMS in partnership with Roland Berger

"Companies that want to work with high-calibre freelancers need to learn how to attract, manage and, above all, retain them. The world of work is changing rapidly, and organisations are going to have to manage both their freelance service providers and their employees if they are to remain competitive"."

Roland Berger and One Man Support combine their expertise to assist businesses in leveraging this new dynamic of the job market in this interesting study.

Key takeaway:

The high-level freelancing market emerged in France about a decade ago and ten years earlier in Anglo-Saxon countries. It has been greatly propelled by the health crisis and the development of freelance platforms that have structured it. Its growth is expected to continue to accelerate in the coming years and become widespread across all professions and company levels.

Will the rapid rise of this Talent Economy profoundly challenge the traditional employment model? After "factoryless companies," are we heading towards "employeeless companies"? Fortunately, this prospect seems distant, as the stability brought by talented internal teams is the most valuable asset of any company.

However, freelancing is gaining market share, and full-time employment may no longer be the sole career model for executives. It does not always best meet individuals' wishes nor does it always match company needs.

The rare skills of freelancers, their knowledge of the business, and their immediate availability allow the companies that engage them to gain in the quality of execution of their projects and in flexibility. More fundamentally, they act as catalysts in implementing new strategies by transmitting the missing skills throughout the organization.

As more and more talents, especially in the most in-demand professions, opt for a freelance career, can companies afford to overlook this profound change in mentality? Attracting, managing, and retaining the best freelancers and knowing how to pilot these populations will undoubtedly become as essential tomorrow as recruiting permanent contracts is today.

Is this opportunity within the reach of all companies? Certainly, but not without changes: reflection on the organization and core business, upskilling of HR and procurement, adaptation of management styles, and dedicated steering tools. A true company project to undertake!

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