Hiring On-Demand Consultants And Advisors As The Gig Economy Matures

When you think of the gig economy, you most likely think of people shuttling around passengers or delivering food and of companies like Uber, Lyft and Taskrabbit — companies whose workers are, generally, not thought of as highly skilled. You may also think of companies like Upwork, whose success is proof the business model for freelancer workers is here to stay. McKinsey reports that up to 162 million people in Europe and the United States are engaged in some form of independent work. That’s 20% to 30% of the working-age population!

From Low-Skill Freelancers To Specialized Knowledge Workers

But the gig economy is more than low-skill freelancers and side hustlers, more than drivers shuttling passengers, people hosting overnight guests and workers delivering meals and groceries. Today, highly experienced — and highly educated — knowledge workers and creative professionals are the fastest-growing segments of the gig economy.

Companies are realizing that the quickest and most efficient way to get specialized talent is to hire them as project-based gig workers. Corporate boards and executive teams are hiring experts who can provide high-level advice on how to take advantage of business and technology trends while also delivering tactical insights on implementation. These knowledge workers are changing the face of the gig economy.

The Role Of On-Demand Consultants And Advisors In Changing Times

With the rapid rate of change in today’s world, it can be difficult, time-intensive and expensive to assess and react to each new technology trend and challenge on your own. How should your company incorporate artificial intelligence and machine learning into its strategic plan? What are the latest cybersecurity threats, and is your company prepared for them? What is the internet of things, and how does it affect your market? Why should your company care about blockchain or 5G? How can your data be analyzed to provide deep insights into new product and market opportunities?

These kinds of questions and problems are perfect for executive-level consultants who have deep industry experience and can be contracted at an hourly or project rate.

How can on-demand consultants and advisors help?

On-demand advisors can help with a variety of needs — whether it’s providing an in-depth report on competitors, spending an hour giving advice on a potential new product, writing a memo on entering a potential new market, creating financial models and investment memos, or providing expertise on switching software systems. Executives can use on-demand knowledge advisors as sounding boards, to brainstorm ideas, get vital introductions, and ask for advice and insight at critical times.

How are corporate boards engaging on-demand advisors and consultants?

Corporate boards are also relying on independent subject-matter experts to help with high-level, long-term planning and strategy that management teams may not be focused on. Moreover, on-demand consultants can bring unique outside perspectives, which are particularly helpful at companies that lack diversity. I’ve seen it firsthand: Our consultants have helped corporate boards assess expansion plans, acquisition plans, capital raises and exit strategies. These kinds of projects are critical to strategic planning and management in today’s fast-paced economy.

So, how do you find these advisors and consultants?

Start by asking your network for referrals; someone you trust is likely to be able to make an introduction. And, after all, you’re most likely to have a successful engagement with someone who has a track record of delivering strategic insights. If your network fails to uncover the right professionals, there are marketplaces and providers of on-demand executive-level advisors like Business Talent Group, Catalant, and our firm, FlexTeam. Some outsourcing options provide rigorously vetted executive-level consultants; through others, you vet the workers yourself.

Not sure how to vet your on-demand advisors and consultants?

When vetting your on-demand advisors, start by asking whether they have an incorporated entity and an EIN (IRS-issued employer identification number), as those are indicators of commitment to their consulting business. Review their LinkedIn profile and website for red flags. Then, if all seems well, ask for references, and request case studies that illustrate their value proposition. An experienced and reputable advisor may not be able to share work samples due to nondisclosure agreements but should be able to speak confidently about the kinds of work they have done and the outcomes they have achieved.

With more and more companies using on-demand knowledge workers, it will soon become commonplace to hire on-demand advisors. Companies that don’t will risk falling behind their competitors.

The future of work is here, and the decision to adapt and change for the better is yours.

This article was originally published in Forbes.


Yolanda Lau is an experienced entrepreneurship consultant, advisor, and Forbes Contributor. She is also an educator, speaker, writer, and non-profit fundraiser.

Since 2010, she has been focused on preparing knowledge workers, educators, and students for the future of work.

Learn more about Yolanda here.


FlexTeam  is  a mission-based micro-consulting firm, co-founded by Yolanda Lau in 2015, that matches talented mid-career women with meaningful, challenging, temporally flexible, remote project-based work opportunities. FlexTeam’s clients are businesses of all sizes across all industries and sectors. FlexTeam’s most requested projects are competitor / market research, financial models, and investor decks. FlexTeam is also the team behind Liquid.

How (And Why) Companies Should Engage The Liquid Workforce

The rise of the liquid workforce is transforming how companies and people work together. Companies are learning that temporary, specialized workers — or what is increasingly known as “the liquid workforce” — can help them stay relevant in the rapidly evolving, project-based, digital landscape.

The Growing Liquid Workforce

You may have learned the term “liquid workforce” from Accenture in a 2016 report describing the growing trend of freelance workers in the marketplace. Since that report was published, the number of freelancers has continued to grow. A report from Upwork and Freelancers Union estimates that 57 million people worked freelance this year (an increase of 4 million since 2014) and contributed $1 trillion to America’s gross domestic product.

This increase has made it easier for companies to engage the liquid workforce and recognize their numerous benefits — including more flexibility, instant support for specific projects, on-demand access to expertise and reduced overhead and lower costs. Tapping into the liquid workforce allows businesses to be nimble by fluidly shifting their business as new challenges arise.

Who Makes Up The Liquid Workforce?

Freelance work is not a new concept. The vast majority of people in creative fields, such as entertainment and fine arts, have long operated as freelancers. For educated professional workers in fields such as IT, marketing and consulting, however, the normalization of working remotely has allowed more people to unchain themselves from traditional W-2 employment in favor of a more autonomous work life. Moreover, the current availability of online trainings and certifications allow freelancers to learn skills independently — making them appealing to traditional businesses that may only require that specific skill sets for a short period.

Freelancers today view their work as a long-term, intentional option, not simply a way to supplement income or recover after a job loss.

Why Use A Liquid Workforce?

Businesses are evolving faster than their full-time employees can keep up. By utilizing the on-demand liquid workforce, a business can assess a need and onboard a freelancer to address it more quickly than they could train up their own employee.

1. Specialized Skills

With the rise in talent-matching platforms, it’s become simpler to find the right on-demand workers. There are now platforms to hire software developers, business consultants, content writers, marketers, designers, accountants, lawyers and even salespeople. Once you’ve found the right worker and sign a contract agreeing to terms, they can start working ASAP. Moreover, with low unemployment rates, it’s often easier to find a freelancer for a short-term project than it is to fill a full-time role.

To find the right freelancers with the specialized skills you require, you must clearly define the project — including detailed proposed deliverables, qualifications and work experience required and payment. Highly experienced freelancers are busy and in demand, so make sure your project is compelling.

2. Reduced Cost

With companies increasingly shifting to project-based workflow, once a project is complete, the freelancer is released without any burdens on the corporation — no health benefits to pay, no pensions to guarantee. Without benefits or office space, companies can expect to save 30%–40% annually when working with freelancers versus employees. It’s easier to ramp up or pull back on spending on freelancers than it is with salaried employees.

To make it easy to activate your liquid workforce whenever your company needs project-based support, set up a standardized onboarding process for your freelancers. Automating onboarding will save you time and money, plus help avoid compliance risks.

3. Quality

Freelancers thrive on repeat work and repeat customers to stay in business. They aim to deliver top-notch work, every time, in order to maintain relationships. While employees know that a bad week likely won’t affect their pay, freelancers know that client contracts are always subject to renewal.

Every time you are considering hiring a new freelancer, make sure to review the freelancer’s past work and client ratings/testimonials. A quick interview helps you not only verify a match for the project but also align expectations. Consider engaging the freelancer for a smaller test project to thoroughly vet skill set and fit before commencing a critical project.

4. Agility

Freelancers see innovation as a part of their working method rather than just a buzzword. Generally, they’ve developed flexibility, the ability to make sense of uncertainty and complex ideas and an understanding of how to communicate new ideas and roll them out quickly.

To hire freelancers adept in agile methods and thinking, talk to them about their project management style. How do they communicate and collaborate with their clients? How do they self-assess their work?

5. Globalization

Working with the liquid workforce allows companies to find talent outside their geographical limits. Sometimes this means reduced costs. But it can also deliver insights into new markets. Using freelancers may open the door to growth while minimizing risk in case things don’t pan out.

When hiring freelancers internationally, make sure to assess mutual communication fit. This fit is more than language — you and your freelancer must be able to understand each other fully or this will become a hurdle that may cause project delays and rework, and potentially incur an additional cost. Communicate availability windows upfront to avoid causing project interruptions while the freelancer waits to hear back from you.

The Liquid Workforce

Contingent workers have become a critical resource for companies needing deep expertise or additional on-demand brainpower. The liquid workforce is becoming an increasingly valuable component to a talent acquisition strategy. As companies hope to compete in today’s global marketplace, they must learn to engage the liquid workforce or risk getting left behind. And it becomes increasingly important for organizations to use software like Liquid to manage contracts and payments for the liquid workforce. Companies that tap into resources for freelancer acquisition and freelancer management will decrease their costs and increase their revenue — helping companies stay ahead of their competitors.

This article was originally published in Forbes.


Yolanda Lau is an experienced entrepreneurship consultant, advisor, and Forbes Contributor. She is also an educator, speaker, writer, and non-profit fundraiser.

Since 2010, she has been focused on preparing knowledge workers, educators, and students for the future of work.

Learn more about Yolanda here.


FlexTeam  is  a mission-based micro-consulting firm, co-founded by Yolanda Lau in 2015, that matches talented mid-career women with meaningful, challenging, temporally flexible, remote project-based work opportunities. FlexTeam’s clients are businesses of all sizes across all industries and sectors. FlexTeam’s most requested projects are competitor / market research, financial models, and investor decks. FlexTeam is also the team behind Liquid.