If you have been following INDEX Consultants for a while, you would have heard the term “On-Demand” work a few times. Now, on-demand work is not a new concept. We have all heard of Upwork, Airtasker, Fiverr, and even Uber. People provide services to other people who are willing to pay for these services. You either get paid on completion of the services (example dropping off a passenger at their desired location) or on an on-going basis until the services are completed (example end of lease cleaning that can take 1 or more hours depending on the size of the house).
On-demand work within Professional Services is what uber is to ride-hailing services. As a consultant, you can decide when you want to work and how many hours you want to dedicate. It’s an arrangement between a consultant and an employer on a temporary, as needed basis.
These engagements are most commonly short-term and temporary. They last anywhere between a few weeks to a couple of months. Projects within these engagements usually come with deadlines, before which, the work needs to be done. And as a Consultant, you can decide how you want to engage.
- Time based – At the outset you agree with your employer about the time you can dedicate per week to achieve the outcomes for the project. Naturally, you get paid for the hours that you have worked.
- Milestone based – In this engagement you agree on the milestones for the project and work towards achieving them. You again have the freedom to choose your own hours of work and you get paid when you reach the milestones.
- On-Call – Similar to the first two, you are engaged for a specific project. In this engagement your employer requests for your services when needed. Usually, this arrangement is very common for consultants in the support or BAU functions. Similar to the first, you get paid for the hours that you were engaged.
What are the benefits of being an “on-demand” consultant?
- Flexibility – YOU choose who you work for and how you work for them.
- Variety – You could take up multiple projects with different business. This allows you not only to put your niche skills to use but also learn new things.
- Higher-Earning – As a domain or industry expert you can potentially demand a higher hourly/daily rate.
- Amazing work-life balance.
- Focus on your pet-project???
According to LinkedIn’s recent Global Talent Trends report, while hiring declines, we are seeing a 16% increase in the rate at which candidates are applying for jobs. Which means, there’s a lot of competition. In contrast, the on-demand market is booming. There seems to be a large appetite in the market for ‘on-demand’ talent and freelance consultants are in short supply. So now, is the best time to take advantage of the market, cut the competition and choose the projects you want to work on.
If you would like to stay updated with on-demand engagements, follow us on LinkedIn or Register your interest on our website.
