Commentary From Crisis Management Expert Edward Segal, Author of the Award- Winning Book Crisis Ahead: 101 Ways to Prepare for and Bounce Back from Disasters, Scandals, and Other Emergencies (Nicholas Brealey)

The good news for freelance workers is that a recent report from Upwork, a marketplace platform for independent contractors, found that the demand for their services continues to grow.

The bad news is that the expertise and skills of many freelancers may not be what employers need or want. And even if they happen to be a good fit today, that may not be the case tomorrow. This could also be bad news for many business leaders who, as The Great Resignation continues, may find it more challenging to find the best independent contractors to fill vacant positions.

The results of two new research studies provide snapshots of the current freelance marketplace.

Constantly Changing Priorities Of Employers

Upwork released an analysis of their most requested positions and skills. The data is based on gross services volume on their platform from January 1 to October 31, 2021. Each skill had a minimum of 500 projects posted during that period. Compared to 2020, Upwork saw an uptick in demand for skills like web programming (43%), web design (31%) and social media marketing (25%).

Margaret Lilani, vice president of talent solutions at Upwork, said, "We attribute these changes largely to the ever-changing priorities of businesses and the modification/maintenance required for their websites. In an ever-evolving remote working world, these types of professional skills are becoming increasingly important to keep pace with digital transformation."

Strongest Growth Areas

Compare that to the findings of the soon to be released Freelance Income Report. It analyzed the data from 2,000 customers of digital payment service company Payoneer from over 100 countries who work with international clients.

Among other things, the Payoneer report found that:

• The fields of programming, marketing and finance showed the strongest growth in demand.
• Younger freelancers were the main beneficiaries in the surge in demand, while more seasoned freelancers saw a slight slowdown.

Data Is In Line With Expectations

Upwork's Lilani said their data, "… is in line with our expectations that as the labor market changes and digital transformation continues, businesses are shifting their approach to accessing talent and increasingly looking to freelancers to fill critical skills gaps.

"What we are seeing is that the skills that are most in-demand are also skills that can be performed remotely. We're seeing this not only across our top tech skills, but also within the marketing and customer service categories as well," she observed.

Upwork's List Of The 10 Most In Demand Skills

"Every company is vying for the best talent to stay competitive. This often means looking beyond hiring traditional full-time employees to find independent talent that offer advanced skills in areas like technology, marketing, or customer service," according to Lilani.

The company's list of the most requested skills for technology, marketing and customer service freelancers follows below. Upwork said "the lists reveal the essential role that highly-skilled independent talent will play in filling talent gaps and solving businesses' most pressing needs in 2022."

Customer Service Skills

1. Customer service
2. Customer support
3. Email communication
4. Phone support
5. Email support
6. Communication etiquette
7. Online chat support
8. Answering product questions
9. Data entry
10. Administrative support

Marketing Skills

1. Social media marketing
2. Lead generation
3. Facebook
4. Search engine optimization
5. Business to business marketing
6. Instagram
7. Marketing strategy
8. Social media management
9. Email marketing
10. Marketing research

Tech Skills

1. Web design
2. WordPress
3. Web programming
4. JavaScript
5. CSS
6. HTML
7. PHP
8. Shopify
9. API
10. Graphic design

Advice For Business Leaders

Lilani noted that, "While some companies are still growing comfortable with the idea of tapping into freelance talent, it is critical for business leaders to get behind the trend and recognize the benefits it can offer.

"By hiring freelancers, companies can quickly and reliably get work done without spending the weeks to months it can take to hire, onboard and train an employee. Not only does this help increase productivity and flexibility, but it also decreases costs," she concluded.

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