Highly Skilled Professionals Want Your Work But Not Your Job

At almost every company we talk with, managers are facing the same recruiting challenge. They simply do not have the talent they need in-house, and they’re unable to persuade highly skilled professionals to come on board full-time. As a result, companies are embracing the freelance model more than ever before. “To stay competitive in our manufacturing, digital, and veterinary services,” says Michele Cefola, the global vice president of talent acquisition at Mars, “we must continually attract people with the latest skill sets.” This is particularly true for tech and digital experts, her colleague Jeremy Andrulis, the vice president of talent, told us. “And people with the most sought-after skills are more than likely to be freelancers.” He went on to explain why this works for Mars: “Freelancers tend to jump from one project to another. That’s essentially what we’re paying for—their accumulated experiences and the fresh external perspectives they bring.”