Freelancing By The Numbers
57.3 million Americans make up our independent workforce, also known as the freelance economy. In 2017, their earnings contributed an estimated 1.4 trillion dollars to the United States economy, and the number of freelancers is growing still. Almost 50% of the millennial workforce is made up of independent workers, and the numbers are expected to climb steadily for the foreseeable future.
These figures are reported in Freelancing in America, a research study commissioned by Upwork and Freelancers Union and conducted by Edelman Intelligence. The aims of the study are to examine the role played by freelancers in the economy, both today and in the future, and analyze the growth of the freelance economy.
What they found is that a majority of the United States workforce will be freelancers within the next 10 years.
With these findings comes a rising concern from employers looking to maintain healthy relationships and strong engagement within a company’s workforce. How can we build strong working relationships if our employees are not here?
Easy.
Fostering Engagement With Challenge Coins
Challenge coins are a special means of sharing team values and a company’s vision. Countless small businesses and large-scale corporations like Facebook, Coca-Cola and Amazon use them to build camaraderie among the ranks.
The same coins used for in-house staff can be used for a company’s freelancers. Going back to the freelancing study described above, reports show that the most attractive aspects of a freelancing career are freedom, flexibility and earning extra money. Freelancers want autonomy. And who doesn't?
There is nothing to indicate that freelancers want less interaction with co-workers. On the contrary, a key factor in engagement is a feeling of personal value and acceptance within a group, which is a result of interaction and communication.
The last thing an employer wants is for a contracted freelancer to feel like a second-rate employee. IBM conducted an extensive research study on independent workers and found that freelancers are highly innovative. Employers can only take advantage of a freelancer’s full potential when they take the time to ensure each person knows their value and influence within the business.
Using custom corporate coins is a simple means of conveying trust and value to an employee, especially when they are not in the room. Freelancers could be anywhere in the world; that’s the appeal of choosing a career as an independent worker. But with this comes the inherent struggle to take part in collaborative efforts.
Traditional office settings will sometimes have outings for staff like company picnics or lunches to build engagement, but when freelance employees are a part of your team, this can prove a difficult strategy. It may even have a negative effect on the relationships between staff and contracted freelancers. If freelancers are not a part of team functions, then staff will not view them as part of the team. Freelancers themselves may even feel left out or unimportant.
A section of IBM’s study concluded that “...managers with independent workers on their teams may need to take proactive steps to foster collaboration and ensure effective teamwork.”
Well, it does not mean that freelancers are incapable of teamwork and collaboration. And it does not mean that employers need to go out of their way for freelancers to feel like they belong on the team.
What it means is that freelancers, just like regular employees, want to feel accepted within a team, and valued within a company. And that is where custom coins come into play.
Best Practices For Engaging Freelancers
There are a few simple ideas that can benefit working relationships between employers and freelancers.
- For starters, be open with communication. Give your remote employees the tools they need for success by keeping them informed on company projects. Let them know what the priorities of the company are and what they can do to help reach company goals.
- Second, foster working relationships with staff and freelancers. With the technology available today, it is easy for freelancers to take part in meetings whether it be by video chat or conference call. Opening up email connections gives freelancers avenues for collaboration within the company and encourages staff to communicate with your off-site workforce. The goal is to make sure your permanent staff doesn’t feel threatened by freelancers, and that freelancers feel comfortable working alongside your staff.
- Lastly, offering a freelancer something like a challenge coin as a small token of appreciation can go a long way. Presenting one in person, perhaps with a personal note or message, provides a remote worker with a physical connection to the team and place of business. They extend welcome and ensure a remote worker’s presence is felt within the organization, even without them being in the office every day. For freelancers, a company challenge coin stops them from feeling like an outsider.
At the end of the day, by treating freelancers just like regular employees, a business is going to get the full potential out of their remote staff.
What are some other best practices for promoting engagement? If you’ve ever received a company coin, share it with us!
