A Snapshot of the

Onsite Freelance & Contractor Workforce

16%

14% The Growing Freelancer

12%
Share of the Workforce
10%

8%

6%

1995 2005 2014 2020 (estm)

Who They Are and How They Will Change

Your Talent Strategy
Table of Contents
Introduction: Meet the Fastest Growing Segment of the Workforce 1

A Survey of the Onsite Freelance and Contractor Workforce 2

Meet the Workers 7

Type of Work 9

Tips for Curating & Managing an Onsite Workforce 10

Work Market Success: A Case Study 11

Get Started 12

A Snapshot of the Onsite Freelance & Contractor Workforce 0

Meet the Fastest Growing Segment of the
Workforce: Onsite Freelance and Contractors
With over 17.7 million independent workers in the US workforce (up from 10.3 million in 2005), it
is clear that we are in the midst of a transformational moment in the world of work. The number
of independent workers is expected to grow to over 50 million by 2020 as the freelance econ-
omy becomes a fixture of the US Economy (Micha Kaufman, Five Reasons Half of You Will be
Freelancers in 2020, Forbes, February 28, 2014).

More specifically, onsite local work, where a physical presence is required to complete an
assignment, is the fastest growing segment of the freelance economy. In fact, it is expected to
grow to $15.5 billion by 2020 (Andrew Karpie, Staffing Industry Analysts, Online Staffing
Forecast 2020, January 2014).

Based upon what we see at Work Market, industries such as information technology and tele-
communication, retail merchandising, promotional marketing, digital signage, medical device
service, and facilities management - just to name a few - are turning to freelancers, contractors,
and consultants in droves. In these industries, freelance work is quickly becoming the go-to
extended workforce model. Based on a survey we conducted in late 2013, 65 percent of
enterprises report they plan to hire more contractors in 2014. The ability to scale quickly is the
number one reason reported for this growth. This is good news not just for the companies who
will benefit from the added efficiencies of using freelancers, but also for workers who seek to
build their careers from freelancing.

The growth of onsite local work represents the next evolution of the freelance economy.
Initially, freelance work was primarily focused on one-off virtual projects for small to mid-size
businesses. This is due to the relative ease in which virtual freelance work can be managed.
This is not the case for work thats done in a physical location. Software solutions to accommo-
date the complex processes associated with onsite work have taken longer to develop - but
they are here now.

Building a freelance workforce that specialized in onsite work (especially at scale), has required
the navigation of a complex ecosystem. Companies have been previously limited to a home-
grown solution or keeping all of their workers as W2 employees. Never before has there been
one comprehensive solution that helps efficiently implement every aspect of the independent
worker relationship.

But who is this on-demand workforce? What types of jobs do they do? What kind of skills do
they bring to the table? Where do they live? What types of tools do they use in their everyday
work? How do you find and manage them? Thats what well examine in this paper.

A Snapshot of the Onsite Freelance & Contractor Workforce 1

A Survey of the Onsite Freelance and
Contractor Workforce:
As the go-to experts in the fast growing onsite local category of the freelance economy, we
have surveyed close to 10,000 freelance workers on exactly how theyre working in this new
economy. Prior to now, very little has been known about the growing category of onsite free-
lance workers. What weve found is that by and large, there is a huge opportunity for profes-
sional growth when it comes to onsite local freelancing. This is good news both for the individu-
al who wants to make a living from freelancing, as well as for the enterprise seeking to build an
on-demand workforce from onsite workers. This growth has been fueled by platforms that
enable the management of freelancers at mass scale.

What follows is a detailed listing of our results to help you build your freelance workforce.

Independent Contracting Can Become An Ongoing Career:

Onsite local freelance work has the potential to become either an ongoing career or a
means of short-term employment. For example, 25 percent of respondents surveyed
have been in the contract workforce for over ten years, with another 22 percent working
independently for 6-10 years. Approximately 50 percent of freelance workers have
been in the freelance workforce for up to five years.

How Long Have You Been a Contract Worker?

50.88 % 0-5 Years

22.96% 6-10 Years

17.06% 11-20 Years

9.10% 21+ Years

%

%
%

%
%
0

20

50

60
30

40

70
10

Work Market Tip: Think about the level of experience your assignment requires. You may
need a more skilled freelancer for some work. They will be more expensive, but are usually
worth it by the quality of work and efficiency you may gain.

A Snapshot of the Onsite Freelance & Contractor Workforce 2

 Skill Sets Are Wide-Ranging
Technology and Communications Skills Are The Most Common:

Onsite local work started in technology-based fields, however, given the breadth of
skill sets available, local on-site freelance workers are starting to emerge across
industries. Todays freelance workforce is very proficient in technology and communi-
cations skills, with other notable skill sets including retail and merchandising, adminis-
trative support, sales and marketing, facilities management, consumer services and
enterprise software.

Area of Expertise

Education
Business & Financial Services

Retail Merchandising and Installation Technology and Communications

3%
4%
Software Development 8%

4%
Consumer Services 38%
6%

5%
Enterprise Software
3%
Transportation & Logistics
6%
3%
Administrative Support 4%
4% 6%
6% Health and Wellness
Design & Multimedia Production
Facilities and Maintenance
Promotional Marketing
Sales and Marketing

Work Market Tip: No matter what the work requires, there is likely a freelancer with the skills
needed.

A Snapshot of the Onsite Freelance & Contractor Workforce 3

 Mobile Enabled:

The onsite local freelance workforce is mobile enabled, as weve seen from our own
traffic numbers increasing from the use of mobile devices. Freelancers are using
mobile devices primarily to find work and check in at assignments. In addition, freelanc-
ers are also using mobile devices for sending invoices and signing completion orders,
uploading proof of work, and getting signatures.

Page Visits from Mobile Devices

%
40
%
34
%
28
%
22
%
16

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Do You Use a Mobile Device For Any of the Following Functions?

0%
10
%
80
%
60
%
40
%
20
0%

Find work Check in at Send Invoice Sign completion order

assignment

Work Market Tip: The added efficiency from mobile usage includes the decrease in time
needed to complete assignments. This can be factored into the overall cost savings associated
with using a contract workforce.

A Snapshot of the Onsite Freelance & Contractor Workforce 4

 Frequency of Assignments:

Our findings indicate that freelance workers choose varying amounts of work to take
on, which is clearly one of the benefits of a freelance lifestyle. The majority of contrac-
tors work on between one and five assignments per week. There is also a segment
(approximately 9 percent of respondents), that work on a high-frequency basis (greater
than 21 assignments per month)

Average Number of Assignments Per Month

100%

80%

60%

40%

20%

0%
Number of assignments 0-1 2-5 6 - 10 11 - 20 21+

Average Number of Assignments Per Year

100%

80%

60%

40%

20%

0%
Number of assignments 0-5 6 - 20 21 - 75 76+

Work Market Tip: If you find freelancers who do good work, consider using them for repeat
assignments.

A Snapshot of the Onsite Freelance & Contractor Workforce 5

 Willing to Travel:

Freelancers are willing to travel, with close to half of freelance workers typically travel-
ing more than 21 miles to an assignment. Roughly, more than a quarter travel 11-20
miles, with ten percent only traveling 0-5 miles for assignments. This finding is heavily
influenced by the fact that many service organizations are using freelancers to carry out
assignments in remote areas of the country where they typically do not have W2
employee coverage. Its just cheaper and more efficient to leverage a freelance work-
force to handle assignments in rural and remote locations.

How Far Do You Typically Travel For a Work Assignment?

0-5 Miles

10.9%
6-10 Miles

13.58%
More than 21 miles
48.91%

27.47%

11-20 Miles

Work Market Tip: Widen your geographic range for accepting a worker for an assignment.
They are willing to travel and you may get more qualified candidates.

A Snapshot of the Onsite Freelance & Contractor Workforce 6

Meet the Workers
The freelancers, contractors and consultants on Work Market have a diverse set of skills and
backgrounds. What they have in common is they are making a career out of freelance work
and enjoy the freedoms that come along with it. What follows is an overview of the freelanc-
ers you might see in three of our most popular areas-- technology and communications, retail
merchandising, and promotional marketing.

Technology and Communications

Since joining Work Market three years ago, Ted Braverman has
built a robust career freelancing in the technology and communi-
cations industry. His assignments typically focus on information
technology administration, point of sale support, and engineering
management. For Ted, the Work Market platform allows him to
focus more on providing great customer service and less on the
back-end functions associated with freelancing. Because of his
reputation as a great freelancer and his positive reviews on the
platform, Ted continues to receive a stream of work opportunities
from new clients that use Work Market.
Ted Braverman

Retail Merchandising

Kenien Spann
Kenien Spann is a freelancer in the retail merchandising industry. He began working inde-
pendently in 2004, doing installation, construction, and carpentry jobs for a variety of retail
service companies. Kenien signed up for Work Market in 2013, and quickly began receiving
multiple and ongoing assignments from several prominent companies. By making himself
visible on Work Market, he was able to receive a steady amount of contractual assignments,
all within his skill set. In other words, he realized that being part of Work Market was serious
work. Kenien now has brought on a small team to service major department stores like
Bloomingdales and Lord & Taylor. He also does display installation for a variety of smaller
retailers. When hes not doing assignments through Work Market, Kenien works as an audio
producer and manager for the New York Public Theater. Freelancing allows Kenien to
maintain a flexible schedule, be his own boss, and ultimately decide what work he wants to
do. He has a different day on the job - every day.

A Snapshot of the Onsite Freelance & Contractor Workforce 7

Promotional Marketing

Guisselle Wells-Garcia loves being a freelancer: it allows her the

flexibility needed to also do weekly volunteer work. Through Work
Market, Guisselle has been doing freelance promotional market-
ing work for over 2 years, mainly for events and marketing
companies. As a promotional marketer, she helps companies build
brand awareness with consumers, especially during holiday or
other peak seasons in retail. She particularly likes Work Markets
mobile app, which makes it easy for her to find work, check in and
out of assignments, receive payment, and sign documents.

Guisselle Wells-Garcia

The Work Market platform has

done a great job in connecting my
group with various other compa-
nies, and creating relationships and
partnerships that are helping us all

to grow as small businesses.

Kenien Spann, freelancer

A Snapshot of the Onsite Freelance & Contractor Workforce 8

Type of Work:

In addition to coming to Work Market to find a diverse set of skills, businesses also turn to
Work Market to fill a wide range of jobs. Some of the most popular assignments across
industries are included below.

Industries Popular Assignments

Computer troubleshooting
Technology and Communication Product installation
Hardware configuration

Brand ambassador
Promotional Marketing In-store product demos
Data collection

Digital sign installation

Digital Signage Surveying for installation
Digital sign repair

Repair A/V system

Audio Visual Installation of A/V system
Install surveillance video

Site surveys
Facilities & Maintenance Parts replacement
Installation & repair

FDIC land inspection

Property Preservation Lawn maintenance
Other property maintenance

Pickup
Transportation and Logistics Delivery

Consumer installation
Consumer Services Consumer delivery
Consumer repair

A Snapshot of the Onsite Freelance & Contractor Workforce 9

Tips for Curating & Managing an Onsite Workforce

Now that you know the benefits of an onsite workforce, how do you fully leverage it?
Here are a few tips:

A. Using Marketplaces
In building an on-demand workforce, the first step is identifying a reliable place where you
can routinely tap into top-tier freelancers. Online marketplaces like Work Market are a great
solution because they offer a wide variety of talent to choose from. Moreover, online mar-
ketplaces offer ratings and reviews for transparency into past performance, real time
bidding on work, living and consistently-updated talent profiles, a constantly growing pool
of talent, and innovative search capabilities.

When using a marketplace, its important to communicate effectively about the scope of the
project and the qualifications youre looking for. By taking the time to communicate effec-
tively, youll attract workers who are the best fit for your job and reduce gray areas that may
lead to under performance. Moreover, leveraging ratings and verification tools are another
way to identify great talent and make sure that excellent workers rise to the top.

B. Enabling Compliance
Once you identify the freelancers you want to hire, the next question is how to properly
manage them so they are truly independent according to the IRS Tax Code. In todays
regulatory environment, it is more important than ever to focus on the standard of indepen-
dence for workers.

Some ways to manage compliance include: leveraging integrated technology platforms to

set limits on the amount of hours any single freelancer works, making sure that freelancers
have the common signs of business ownership (website, insurance), seeking out freelanc-
ers who can show they also work with other businesses, and making sure that freelancers
have their own supplies and tools to perform the work.

C. Leveraging Technology
It was not long ago that managing freelancers was a manual process, with several different
point solutions at every step. Most companies used some mix of spreadsheets, emails, and
phone calls to manage their extended workforce. This method of workforce management
was inefficient, leaving the door open for possible project mismanagement and confusion.

Online platforms are now available to help companies optimize every stage of the work-
force management process. This process includes finding freelancers, verifying their
credentials and certifications, managing the job assignment process, engaging with your
workforce, and finally paying and rating them. Using an integrated platform cuts down on
the time required to manage an on-demand workforce. An integrated platform, like Work
Market, offers one streamlined technology in place to address all necessary processes from
end-to-end.

A Snapshot of the Onsite Freelance & Contractor Workforce 10

Work Market Success: A Case Study
So how are businesses leveraging an on-demand, onsite local workforce to drive
success in their company? Read more about a recent success story from Work Market client.

The Client: A retail merchandising services firm that provides installation, remodeling,
assembly, and fixture repair for organizations across the nation. The client has been a leader
in the onsite and extended workforce community for 25 years.

The Problem: As leaders in their industry, our client was experiencing strong growth. As a
byproduct of that growth, they began to struggle more and more with finding the staff for
nationwide projects, and then tracking progress of the workers they acquired. Hiring more
full-time staff was not the solution, as staffing needs and location always fluctuated due to the
project nature of their business. In addition, they needed a way to improve turnaround time for
projects.

Hiring on-demand workers in addition to their full-time staff was the key, but they needed a
way to find qualified people and onboard them quickly. In the past, they found freelancers
through friends of friends or via third party staffing agencies, whose notoriously-high fees
(typically ranging from 50%-60%) were not helping their overhead, and used elaborate
spreadsheets to track and manage their on-demand staff. While they were finding people who
had the necessary certifications, they had no way of knowing what kind of quality work they
would provide. They had no suitable way to track their progress or hold them accountable for
the work they performed. Also, they had no way to verify their work history or if they could
pass a drug test or background check. They wanted a way to find and manage their workers
that also enabled them to track their progress. They needed a solution that would help them
manage a fluctuating onsite workforce from end-to-end.

Sourcing a Flexible Workforce:. With Work Market, our client began to successfully take on
more projects than they normally would because of their increased access to an extended
workforce that can be deployed onsite at the right time with the right skills.

They were able to find on-demand workers using recruiting campaigns on Work Market. They
recruited workers based on the verification of certifications, licenses, work history, insurance,
background checks and drug screens, all which are uploaded and visible on Work Market.
Work Markets bundles feature was a great way to help recruit workers for their projects.
Bundles made it easy to tie multiple retail locations in the same geographic area together and
send to one worker. This simplified the engagement process for them, and also helped the
workers see the bigger picture of a project.

Managing a Flexible Workforce. By taking advantage of Work Markets group function, were
able to work with the most qualified independent workers by grouping them

A Snapshot of the Onsite Freelance & Contractor Workforce 11

and managing the work from there. Through their private
groups, they sent invitations to workers based on ratings,
Work Markets Solutions
experience and location. Work Market allows organiz- Recruiting Campaigns
ations to send work in bulk, so project managers were able Bundles
to upload spreadsheets of work onto the platform easily, Groups
and then send along to the appropriate workers, includ- Bulk Upload
ing project details, messages and documents. Communication

The need for better communication with their extended

workforce was a priority . Using Work Market, they were able to communicate with their work-
force before, during, and after the projects progress. If a worker experienced a problem while
on the job, they were able to connect with the client and document the issue right from their
mobile device on to the projects detail page.

Elaborate, confusing spreadsheets for tracking and paying workers were eliminated with Work
Markets end-to-end management system. They agreed on payment with workers prior to the
job acceptance, and were able to approve and rate multiple workers for various assignments
in one click.

The Benefits: Work Market provided the tools to find, verify, engage, manage, pay, and rate an
extended onsite workforce based on location and skills, as well as helping them reach new
levels of communication with their workers. Work Markets database expanded coverage,
giving them the opportunity to bid on grander projects than they had in the past. Today, our
customer continues to bid on large projects and grow their business using Work Market.

Get Started With Your Own Onsite Workforce

Work is evolving as companies leverage an extended workforce that includes onsite, local
freelancers, contractors and consultants. Thus, businesses need better procurement, compli-
ance, and marketplace tools that truly leverage the power of an extended,
on-demand workforce.

Work Market set out to create the worlds first freelancer management solution. Our goal was
to organize the curation, management and payment of a compliant freelance workforce.

Today, Work Market focuses 100% of its attention on building the worlds leading enterprise
class platform and marketplace for managing freelancers and consultants through the entire
lifecycle, from onboarding to payment.

Every day, businesses of all sizes use Work Market to drive quality, compliance, scalability, and
productivity, while reducing unnecessary costs.

A Snapshot of the Onsite Freelance & Contractor Workforce 12

Work Market provides businesses with the opportunity
to do the following:

Find - the talent you are seeking, where and

when you need it through our algorithmic-based
search tool.

Verify - credibility through freelancer profiles, a

learning management system and screening tools.

Engage - freelancers through online contract

management and payment terms, defined by you.

Manage - your workflow effectively with our

comprehensive assignment dashboard and mobile
web app.

Pay - consultants for completed work, generate

customized reports, and export actionable data.

Rate - workers and capture institutional knowl-

edge so you can build out your dependable
network.

Work Market serves businesses of all sizes: startups, staffing firms

and global companies across all industries and around the world. And as
our research shows, onsite freelancers and contractors want to build their
careers by working for companies like yours!

Get started with Work Market today.

A Snapshot of the Onsite Freelance & Contractor Workforce 13

To learn how Work Market can help guide your business to success, call 877 654 WORK,
visit us at www.workmarket.com, or contact info@workmarket.com.

Copyright 2014 Work Market Inc. All rights reserved.

All trademarks or registered trademarks used herein are property of their respective owners.