Παρασκευή 22 Νοεμβρίου 2019

When is hiring freelancers a good idea?

The economy of the film industry is here to stay and it is not surprising that more and more people are considering freelancing as an additional source of income or a small business apart. According to some statistics, it is estimated that in the United States alone, in 2027, there will be 86.5 million freelancers representing 50.9% of the total workforce. The situation in India and other parts of the world is similar, although in some EU countries, people still prefer full-time jobs.

A large number of people working on their own behalf, for various reasons, the repayment of student loans for new housing. it is inevitable to look to the other side and explore when and why companies choose to recruit freelancers.

Some time ago, Transformify HR Software & Freelance Platform launched the '' Gig Economy ''. The series questions human resources managers, executives and founders of startups when and why they hire freelancers, are they more or less faithful workers than full-time employees and if the productivity of their team suffers when freelancers are involved in the process.

Unstable workload

Usually, when the society is growing, there are times when there is a lot of work and almost. This is typical of companies working on projects such as marketing and public relations agencies or software outsourcing companies. Hiring freelancers and relying on a pool of freelancers with whom they work over and over again allows these companies to reduce their costs and increase their profit margins.

Casey Hill, Director of Human Resources at Bonjoro, said:

at Bonjoro [ we operate a global workforce spread over three continents (Europe, North America, Australia). We are hiring freelancers because we find that this gives us versatility and a high quality workforce at a good price, as a fast growing startup. Often, with full-time employees, the learning curve is longer and you grow them or develop them in your niche / sector over time. With freelancers, we believe we can quickly get high value and be able to use it flexibly (ie, more hours when we need it the most and less time on slower times).

Source: Transformify HR Blog

bootstrapping

Some companies choose not to raise any advance financing to avoid dilution or to put in place a more flexible and faster decision-making process. However, not having an external source of financing requires rigorous cost control and full utilization. Hiring underutilized people, because the company is not progressing fast enough or trying to wear a lot of hats without having the required skills, is a recipe for disaster. The best option is to hire freelancers for all unique or irregular tasks.

When we founded Transformify HR Software & Freelance Platform it was clear that bootstrapping was the best way to go. We had a certain budget and had to publish our product within the limits of this budget because there was no other source of funding. Using freelancers was the best decision possible by hiring a full-time project manager, graphic designer, and quality assurance manager, but using only thirty percent of their time was not feasible at all.

If the company is self-financing, it is rarely possible to hire full-time employees and fill all roles. Hiring freelancers allows you to have all the skills and at the same time an optimal use.

Rare Skill Sets

Imagine that your company is implementing an ERP system and that you need somebody's experience in the same sector a very similar project. The project should be completed in six months, so that the person you hire will no longer be needed. What options do you have? Hire a full-time employee and try to find a different role after the project is finished? Or maybe subcontract the project to a consulting company?

Often, the best that can be done is to hire a highly skilled freelancer project by project.

Kasper Dam, CEO and co-founder of Kandio said:

"When I started out as an entrepreneur, most of my businesses were based in Denmark. Then I had a start-up idea that I wanted to build and I had played with the idea of ​​going to Southeast Asia just because of their talent and the fact that it was becoming the next crucible for startups. Freelance work is an emerging trend in this part of the world and it's obvious to entrepreneurs like me. You get quality work at an affordable price and, in addition, the talent pool is endless. "

Source: Transformify HR blog

No training needed

If minimal or no training is required, it is easy to hire freelancers and rely on a group of people who can add creativity and see the same problem from a different perspective. This is especially valuable for skilled designers, editors or digital marketing experts. Data entry jobs are another good example.

Diversity of thought

Hiring people with different backgrounds, skills and life experiences adds value to the team. It seems that freelancers with more than one client bring a new look and can solve a problem faster because they have faced a similar challenge before when they were working for another client.

Asked Freelancers with Multiple Ideas and Innovation Clients, Josh Ladik, President of GSA Focus said:

'' A little yes. If they worked with various companies, they probably learned "tricks" at each concert. Over the years, their abilities and speed are improving. They become a "jack of all trades". I had a freelancer who gave me a full task with a fast turnaround because they knew how to use Excel to automate data entry. "'Source:Transformify HR Blog [19659029] Hiring a freelancer who knows the culture and traditions of the market in which the company has just entered is priceless. In addition, this can save a lot of costs while the market has not been validated yet and it makes no sense to form a legal entity in a foreign country just to hire a handful of marketing and development employees which may need to be terminated. less than a year. Entering new markets can sometimes be more effective and less expensive if the initial team were freelancers who spoke the local language and had a large network.

Of course, in some cases, recruiting freelancers is not the answer. go. These include complex processes, tedious training and integration, and in some cases, risks associated with the violation of data privacy and intellectual property rights.

Πέμπτη 3 Οκτωβρίου 2019

Optical fiber is the dominant fixed broadband technology in Europe in 2023

Today, xDSL technology accounts for almost half of all fixed broadband (49.9%)

Today xDSL may be the dominant fixed broadband technology in Europe, but the picture is changing in the years to come, with connectivity shifting to fiber. In fact, by 2023, Fiber to the Home / to the Building-FTTH / B will be Europe's dominant fixed broadband technology.

Today, xDSL technology accounts for almost half of all fixed broadband (49.9%), while fiber optic connections account for 30% and cable connections for 17%. By 2023, fiber optic connections will represent 41% of total, while xDSL technology will be limited to 39%, with cable connections remaining almost flat at 16%.

According to a new analysis by GlobalData Technology, FTTH / B technology will continue to grow at an average annual rate of 12.4% by 2024. Currently, Russia has the largest share of the lines. fiber optic in Europe as a percentage of total broadband (75%). However, analysts estimate that Spain will take the lead in the FTTH / B market in 2023, with an 86.5% share.

Network sharing

Research also finds that European fixed-line telecommunications providers are increasingly investing in network sharing to accelerate coverage and reduce the cost of fiber optic installation. "To meet ever-increasing consumer demands and to offer new digital products and services, European telecommunications are investing heavily in high-speed broadband,"  said GlobalData Technology analysts.

Indeed, as analysts at GlobalData Technology note, European telecommunications regulators and governments not only encourage, but are also promoting, the development of fiber optic technology. Company analysts cite the example of Italy, which financially supports the transition to FTTH / B technology. In detail, the Italian government plans to offer subsidies to small and medium-sized businesses up to € 5,176 and to schools up to € 3,882, through a voucher, for the transition of their fixed broadband connection to the fiber optic network.