The Independent Workforce

🙈 Why Companies Hire Freelancers The Wrong Way | The Independent Workforce | Gaëtan Vanreusel

“Companies should stop asking, ‘How much time am I buying?’ and start asking, ‘What outcome am I trying to achieve?’ That's when freelancers stop looking like a cost and become a solution.” In this episode, we discussed how companies can work smarter with freelancers, contractors, and independent experts by focusing less on job titles and more on outcomes, in particular: 👉 Move from fixed roles toward project-based, outcome-driven collaboration. 👉 What stops companies from building strong systems for working with freelancers at scale. 👉 Why companies should stop buying time and start buying results. Join Yurii Lazaruk, an Executive Director of Strategic Partnerships at freelancermap, and Gaëtan Vanreusel, the founder and partner of Camario, an executive search firm focused entirely on HR and people leadership, and for over 15 years, he’s been connecting companies like Amazon, Danone, and Zalando with top HR talent—whether full-time, interim, or independent—helping organizations build stronger, more adaptable teams across Europe. Together, we explore the now and the future of work through the lens of temporary employment, and how companies can get the most out of such collaboration! Connect with Gaëtan and Yurii on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gaetanvanreusel/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/yurii-lazaruk-community-consultant/ Whether you’re looking to hire top freelance talent fast or are a freelancer ready to find your next big project, freelancermap connects the right people with the right work 💪 Visit https://www.freelancermap.com/ and start building your next success story today!🚀 Timestamps: (00:00) Meet Gaëtan Vanreusel (02:46) Projects Over Positions (04:19) Blended Workforce Shift (09:24) MSP Contingent Workforce (12:26) Barriers To Hiring (16:39) Intermediaries Add Value (18:22) How Matching Works (20:38) Culture Fit Matters (23:32) Vetting Freelancers Right (25:01) Niche Positioning Wins (29:48) Hiring for Results (33:49) Finding Trusted Partners (36:06) How to Test Independents (37:14) Advice for Both Sides #freelance #hiring #futureofwork

💪 How to Build High-Performing Teams Without Hiring FTE | The Independent Workforce | Úna Herlihy

“Freelancers are not less committed. They’re often more committed, because they’re only as good as their last project. If you want great work, treat them like partners, not placeholders.” In this episode, we discussed how the freelance market evolved from crisis-driven necessity to a strategic talent model, and what both companies and freelancers must do to truly make it work, in particular: 👉 The shift from “freelancers as backup” to “freelancers as strategic advantage”. 👉 Why experienced freelancers “hit the ground running” faster than full-time hires. 👉 What both sides must do to create long-term, win-win collaboration. Join Yurii Lazaruk, an Executive Director of Strategic Partnerships at freelancermap, and Úna Herlihy, the Founder and Chief Matchmaker at The Indie List, Ireland's No.1 Place for Marketing Freelancers, where she connects companies with top freelance creative and marketing talent, who, with over 30 years of experience across leading agencies and as a marketing consultant, has built her career around main thing—creating the conditions for high-performing teams to deliver real business outcomes. Together, we explore the now and the future of work through the lens of temporary employment, and how companies can get the most out of such collaboration! Connect with Úna and Yurii on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/%C3%BAna-herlihy-698b606/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/yurii-lazaruk-community-consultant/ Whether you’re looking to hire top freelance talent fast or are a freelancer ready to find your next big project, freelancermap connects the right people with the right work 💪 Visit https://www.freelancermap.com/ and start building your next success story today!🚀 Timestamps: (00:00) Meet Una Herlihy (01:12) Accidental Startup Story (04:24) From LinkedIn List to Launch (09:22) What the Indie List Is (11:10) How Precision Matchmaking Works (16:45) Client Briefing and Curation (22:01) Client Types and Strategic Shift (28:17) Overcoming Hiring Barriers (31:31) Compliance Invoicing and Payments (35:09) Onboarding Freelancers Like Team (37:07) Advice for Both Sides (40:58) Skills Development for Freelancers #freelance #hiring #futureofwork

🤑 How To Reward Freelancers The Right Way | The Independent Workforce | Anna Orzechowska

“You’re not paying for hours. You’re paying for 20 years of experience that can change your company in weeks.” In this episode, we discussed how companies can rethink rewards, onboarding, and collaboration to unlock the full value of freelancers without burning out internal teams, in particular: 👉 The biggest misconception companies have about freelance costs. 👉 How to think about rewards beyond hourly or daily rates. 👉 Why mindset matters more than process when working with freelancers. Join Yurii Lazaruk, an Executive Director of Strategic Partnerships at freelancermap, and Anna Orzechowska, a total rewards strategist and freelance transformation consultant with over 20 years of experience helping global organizations rethink how they reward, engage, and support their people, who from leading compensation and benefits strategies across international companies to driving complex transformation and HR projects, brings a unique perspective as both a freelancer and a trusted advisor to organizations navigating change. Together, we explore the now and the future of work through the lens of temporary employment, and how companies can get the most out of such collaboration! Connect with Anna and Yurii on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anna-orzechowska-52b6b548/?locale=en_US https://www.linkedin.com/in/yurii-lazaruk-community-consultant/ Whether you’re looking to hire top freelance talent fast or are a freelancer ready to find your next big project, freelancermap connects the right people with the right work 💪 Visit https://www.freelancermap.com/ and start building your next success story today!🚀 Timestamps: (00:00) Meet Anna Orzechowska (01:20) What Total Rewards Means (04:42) Employees Versus Freelancers (07:48) Retention Beyond Money (10:34) Blended Workforce With AI (15:58) True Cost Of Freelancers (19:06) Agency Markups And Fair Rates (21:27) Working Direct With Corporates (25:21) Better Agency Models (27:10) Hiring Blockers Explained (29:52) Cross Functional Hiring Teams (31:24) Freelancers First Option (35:08) Rethinking Rewards (39:49) Mindset Over Money (41:12) Bonus And Compliance Tips (44:11) Advice For Both Sides (47:20) Biggest Future Fear #freelance #hiring #futureofwork

👑 Why Smart Companies Replace Agencies with Freelancers | The Independent Workforce | Jamie Read

“Big consultancies feel safe, but often you’re just paying for a polished version of the same thinking.” In this episode, we discussed how the flexible workforce is reshaping modern business and how shifting from a “vendor mindset” to a “partner mindset” unlocks speed, expertise, and real competitive advantage, in particular: 👉 The real difference between freelancers, contractors, and fractional leaders. 👉 How freelancers bring “external intelligence” into your business. 👉 The truth about agencies vs. freelance teams. Join Yurii Lazaruk, an Executive Director of Strategic Partnerships at freelancermap, and Jamie Read, a founder of BriteBirch Collective, a global consultancy built on the power of freelance talent, a fractional CMO with 20 years of experience helping brands grow through flexible, high-impact marketing leadership, and a true champion of the future of work helping companies scale with curated freelance talent while empowering independent professionals to build sustainable businesses. Together, we explore the now and the future of work through the lens of temporary employment, and how companies can get the most out of such collaboration! Connect with Jamie and Yurii on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iamjamieread/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/yurii-lazaruk-community-consultant/ Whether you’re looking to hire top freelance talent fast or are a freelancer ready to find your next big project, freelancermap connects the right people with the right work 💪 Visit https://www.freelancermap.com/ and start building your next success story today!🚀 Timestamps: (00:00) Meet Jamie Read (01:09) Fractional vs Freelance (02:25) Flexible Workforce Terms (05:02) Freelancer Skill Ladder (07:50) Where To Find Talent (09:26) Business Sizes And Barriers (14:47) Freelancers As Superpowers (15:46) Procurement Versus HR (19:21) Why Big Firms Feel Safer (24:20) Layoffs To Freelance (26:31) Contracts And Cybersecurity (29:32) Freelancing Risks (32:46) Building Reliable Teams (36:00) Three Step Hiring System (38:18) Advice For Both Sides #freelance #hiring #futureofwork

✅ How to Hire Freelancers Without Legal Risk | The Independent Workforce | Jeff Nugent

“Freelancers aren’t a risk to your business. The real risk is not knowing how to work with them. The companies that figure this out early will win access to the best talent in the world.” In this episode, we discussed how companies and freelancers can successfully collaborate in a rapidly evolving, compliance-driven, outcome-focused future of work, in particular: 👉 Why top talent is choosing independence over full-time roles. 👉 How compliance becomes a strategic advantage, not just a legal necessity. 👉 The hidden risks of misclassifying freelancers (and how to avoid them). Join Yurii Lazaruk, an Executive Director of Strategic Partnerships at freelancermap, and Jeff Nugent, a global contingent workforce strategist, managing editor at Contingent Workforce Strategies, Linkedin's Largest Community of HR, procurement and contingent workforce professionals, one of the leading voices in independent contractor compliance and the founder of Independently.ai, the world’s first Compliance-as-a-Service platform for independent talent, who has spent decades helping enterprises manage billions of dollars in contract, freelance, and temporary workforce spend while turning compliance and risk into strategic advantage. Together, we explore the now and the future of work through the lens of temporary employment, and how companies can get the most out of such collaboration! Connect with Jeff and Yurii on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffnugent/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/yurii-lazaruk-community-consultant/ Whether you’re looking to hire top freelance talent fast or are a freelancer ready to find your next big project, freelancermap connects the right people with the right work 💪 Visit https://www.freelancermap.com/ and start building your next success story today!🚀 Timestamps: (00:00) Meet Jeff Nugent (02:13) Y2K and enterprise scaling (03:20) Internet era and compliance focus (05:13) Future of work and AI (08:50) Shift from hours to outcomes (10:11) Company blockers control and compliance (15:44) Misclassification and contractor tests (21:30) How to work productively together (24:23) Who owns onboarding inside companies (28:49) Three-step freelancer system (31:30) Advice for companies and freelancers #freelance #hiring #futureofwork