Contractors could tap into a broader pool of opportunities thanks to the emergence of an innovative new recruitment platform. Turning the traditional jobs board model on its head, FreelanceDiary allows contractors to source contracts with clients directly, even whilst on the move.
“FreelanceDiary doesn’t have a facility for clients to post jobs or for freelancers to apply,” explains FreelanceDiary founder and CEO Richard Jeffs, who claims “the new platform speeds up the entire recruitment process”.
“It transforms freelancers’ availability into opportunity, enabling employers to find available talent instantly and make bookings immediately. Contractors can now focus on the things they do best, without the worry of missed opportunities.”
Diary app means clients find contractors
FreelanceDiary provides contractors with a smart diary app that they can use to add and manage bookings. It then matches the needs of clients with the suitability and availability of contractors.
Rather than leaving contractors to do the majority of the legwork, the platform shifts the onus onto the client to identify and select the right contractor for the job, as Jeffs points out:
“When a client needs to find a freelancer, they simply use the calendar in the diary app to highlight the days that their booking takes place on. Our platform then scours each freelancer’s diary in order to accurately display those with the relevant skillsets and availability.”
“Clients can then filter the results to display their favourite freelancers, after which they can select up to ten freelancers who will receive an invitation instantly in their diary.”
Having viewed the role and the booking dates, contractors are asked to select their hourly or daily rate, with the option of adding additional costs for equipment, expenses and overtime. The contractor’s final quote is sent to the client once discount and tax have been accounted for, after which point the client chooses their contractor.
“Freelancers will never again miss a golden opportunity due to being too busy,” notes Jeffs, whose work with FreelanceDiary recently received recognition at National Freelancers Day, hosted by the Association of Independent Professionals and the Self Employed (IPSE).
Contractors left to ‘do what they do best’
Aside from ensuring that contractors are seen and considered for roles by potential clients, Jeffs highlights that this new model means contractors can focus on the task at hand and worry less about where their next contract is coming from.
“For a freelancer, it means they don’t have to spend their days off trawling through jobs boards looking for work. Instead, they can focus on doing what they do best, which is the work itself. They know that, if they have their portfolio online, they’re going to be seen by potential clients. They’re going to be promoted without having to do anything themselves.”
As Jeffs highlights, FreelanceDiary means a contractor can receive and respond to bookings without disrupting their current job. Not only is this important to contractors, but it is also key for clients keen to acquire contractors swiftly and efficiently. It also negates the need for clients to pay agency fees and for contractors to engage with third parties, further speeding up the recruitment process.
“Ultimately, it solves a lot of problems in the contract market, which is one that is all about speed and flexibility,” he adds.
Levelling the playing field
Formerly a freelancer in the television industry, Jeffs cites his own experiences as a motivating factor behind his decision to develop the platform that he claims will help to level the playing field amongst contractors.
“There were very few platforms that I could use to promote myself to new employers and source new opportunities. The same goes for employers as I’ve discovered, and the jobs board model didn’t prove to be particularly effective.
“Most people in the TV industry go by word of mouth. They book people they know and trust, or they ask people. This is OK if you have a good network of people or if you’re well established, but for somebody who isn’t, it can be very difficult to get your foot in the door and begin freelancing.”
Despite his background in media, Jeffs notes that the platform is utilised by contingent staff from a broad range of occupations and backgrounds, and aims to expand the user-base across the entire freelance and contracting sector:
“No matter what industry you work in, we’ve found that there is a need for this type of service in all sectors that heavily rely on contingent workers. My initial plan was to create something for my line of work, but as I looked into it I realised that this issue is experienced by contractors and clients working throughout the creative sectors, IT and other industries as well.”
Contractors able to ‘improve the way they work’
Still in its early stages, FreelanceDiary is adopted by multiple large organisations and already has a large user base that Jeffs says has grown “almost organically”. With the smartphone app set to go live in less than a month, the amount of users and subsequent contract opportunities will surely accelerate further, which Jeffs hopes will allow the platform to benefit contingent staff on an ever-increasing scale:
“I have a deep passion to solve problems in an industry that I’m very fond of. The more I’ve researched and understood this sector, it’s given me much more of a desire to help freelancers hopefully on a global scale to receive greater opportunities.”
The requirement for platforms such as this is only going to be intensified by contracting’s rising popularity on a global scale. Recent research conducted by IPSE shows that the number of contractors and freelancers in the EU has risen by 99% since the millennium whilst PeoplePerHour predicts that, by 2020, one in two workers will be operating in a freelance capacity.
“We’re going to continue developing the technology and we have a roadmap and a business plan with a considerable amount of ideas and features that we plan to implement over the next couple of years,” he adds.
“This will enable us to continue creating a hub that enables an increasing amount of freelancers to improve the way they work and manage everything far more efficiently.”