Drive Thru: accelerating the freelance marketplace

We use different words to describe them - free agents, consultants, freelancers, independent contractors, e-lancers, gurus - those professionals who have left the safe confines of corporate life to venture out on their own in search of a more professional and personal satisfaction.

The Career Guru, a leading recruitment agency specializing in the creative fields - event management, marketing, advertising, public relations and sales fields, have identified the freelance sector as one of the fastest growing areas of employment. Not only is this a global phenomenon, but South Africa follows suit. Spotting an opportunity, The Career Guru has formed a division specifically aimed at the freelance market, aptly named Drive Thru.

According to Melanie Hayes, MD of The Career Guru this section of the market is often overlooked. "We know that there is a wealth of expertise and creative power in the industry. We want to tap into these resources and grow the market, by offering opportunities for freelancers as well as assisting our clients in their recruiting needs. This is a fast and effective way of bringing two interested parties together."

And whether it is the impact of the Web, rightsizing, a desire for increased flexibility, or a growing sense of wanting to work for one self, there is no denying that freelancing is a hot career path.

The Career Guru Drive Thru is based on the principles of fast and effective recruiting, finding tailor-made candidates and delivering them to the client's door, wherever possible in 24 hours. According to Hayes, the increasing demand for freelancers sparked the idea of a one-stop recruitment register.

"In some cases, companies will hire freelancers to complete a short-term project as an alternative to hiring a new employee. This is often the case where the work in question is spasmodic or ad- hoc and the company cannot justify hiring a full time employee. Companies also hire freelancers to help smooth out the peaks and troughs of the workload. Again, where there is a temporary oversupply of work, the company will hire the freelancer on a short-term basis to help cope with the backlog. In other cases, companies hire freelancers for their special expertise in a certain area," says Hayes.

In South Africa small and medium-sized companies provide the most freelancing opportunities, because large companies prefer to outsource the entire project rather than in pieces. Collectives are beginning to appear; freelancers band together to handle larger assignments or facilitate marketing. However, competition has increased as quickly as opportunity. Drive Thru, capitalizing on experience in the market is perfectly geared to assist freelance gurus with available contracts in the related industries.

Employees are changing in response to shifts taking place in the world and in particular the workplace. The U.S Department of Labour estimates that 8.5 million people identify themselves as consultants or freelancers - and other sources have that number as high as 30 million, and growing.

"Drive Thru is optimistic about this. Companies have embraced this trend because it allows them to hire experts on a temporary basis, avoiding all the costs associated with recruiting and hiring full-time employees. Drive Thru is no-nonsense, one stop register for gurus, so buckle up."