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Readers often ask how I became interested in writing about the freelance revolution. Way back in 2013, I was a partner in a boutique consulting firm RBL Group, working on a human capital strategy for McKesson, the big pharma company. McKesson’s CHRO Jorge Figueredo asked me to help him and his team understand the emerging trends that were shaping HR in future.
Much of the data I reviewed focused on tech: AI was beginning to appear as a factor in talent management and Workday was demonstrating the potential of the “cloud” in HRIS. But I was interested in another cloud: the “talent cloud.” Early digital talent marketplaces were forming, and firms like Accenture and Deloitte claimed that more and more companies were depending on freelancers to augment full-time staff, and lend expertise the organization did not own. A bunch of articles followed, then a book Agile Talent written with Norm Smallwood, then an interview and a series of articles in the Harvard Business Review, and I was hooked as a chronicler of the freelance revolution.
Which brings me to the current state of freelancing. One obvious measure of the growth of the freelance revolution is the sheer growth of freelancing. A more interesting indicator is a broadening of how freelancers are asked to support companies in a more strategic way, an area where greater progress should be evident. Hence the topic of this piece: what are more strategically impactful ways that freelancers can contribute to an organization?
There are certainly new platform innovations that promise a more strategic contribution. For example:
· Coaching talent platforms like AceUp, offer company executives, hi potential young managers and senior technical leaders executive coaching services in dealing with critical developmental needs
· Expert access platforms like CleverX provide organizations with access to on demand expertise in a wide range of areas; the experience of these experts helps companies to increase the odds of success in new areas
· Independent management consulting platforms like Business Talent Group in the U.S., Outsized in Asia, Flexing It in India and Expert 360 in Australia, give startups the chance to work with top management consultants on a freelance basis
There is a greater good possible. As organizations become comfortable with a flexible, blended workforce, smart executives see greater potential to work with freelancers in more strategic ways.
Here are 10 ways to get more from your investment in the freelance revolution:
1. Lubricating the executive imagination. At National City Bank, the HR head brought in freelance futurists to broaden executive thinking during the planning process; 3M regularly brings in outside experts to its R&D leaders for the same purpose. Are there freelancers or independent consultants working with your organization that might lubricate the creative juices of your leadership team?
2. Part of the strategy team. What about including freelancers as part of the team exploring a new investment in a market, product or capability. For example, Halliburton brought consultants (I led the project) to identify cultural barriers to the growth of the company, helping corporate leaders make the decision to form a second headquarters in the Mideast where their business was expanding. Have you considered adding a freelancer to your strategy team for another point of view?
3. Contract to map the SWOT. For organizational leaders that want the value of an external perspective, but don’t have an interest in a full-brown consulting engagement, involve freelancers in mapping the SWOT; the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats facing the organization. Rolls Royce used this approach to quickly gauge executive priorities for change, and identified the workforce size and location (insufficient presence in Asia, where the business was growing fast) as a key issue to solve. Where might you benefit from freelance perspectives on your company?
4. On the ground insight. Before you consider that investment to build a new commercial development, have you checked with freelancers on the ground who have the insight on how the market will react? StealthForce, a startup in the real estate business, offered investors exactly that.
5. Taking different positions on an opportunity: Advocacy process. Advocacy is a powerful planning methodology that organizes teams to make the case for their version of an important decision. By having multiple teams take different sides, it’s an efficient and efficient approach to problem solving. Freelancers are an obvious source of insight for each team. NCR applied this approach to a major decision, and saved significant time and cost. How might freelancers contribute more to the breath of options you and your team evaluates?
6. Expert view of “where the tech is headed.” So many companies are invested in making greater use of AI and machine learning. Freelance developers are an obvious and informed source of insight. Does your company, for example, have a quarterly panel review of how the tech is progressing, and how your company can productively use the knowledge?
7. Teaching. In another article for Forbes, Alvaro Oliveira and I wrote about the benefits of inviting freelancers to lead brown bag lunches on their area of expertise, or more full blown workshops. When did you last ask your expert freelancers to help keep your team up to date?
8. Mentoring. Mentoring is similar to the point right above on teaching. Just as talent platforms are expanding into coaching, are you engaging your best freelancers as mentors to your top young professionals?
9. Technical review. Shell is an excellent example of a company that uses technical reviews to both ensure the rigor of tech, and to test the health of their technical teams both periodically and at critical points of decision making. Expert freelancers are an obvious source of support. When was the last time your company brought internal and external experts together to review the state of your tech?
10.Feedback on the freelance experience in your company. Finally, as more companies depend on freelance expertise to augment their internal resources, knowing the health of the freelancer relationship is increasingly important. The best way to do so: interviews or surveys of the top freelancers working with your staff. What do they see as the reputation of your company within the freelance community? What do you need to do to retain the motivate the top external talent working with you?
There it is, ten ways to more strategically engage your freelancers, increasing their contribution and commitment to your company, and growing your company’s benefit from the freelance revolution. I look forward to hearing how your company is making more strategic use of freelancers and independent management consultants.
Viva la revolution.
