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Hope you’re all having a great week! June is here, and (Summer vacation planning schedules aside), we hope this week has some nice weather in store for you.

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Let’s jump in and talk freelancers!

🚦Coming up

In today’s edition

🌐 The Freelance Revolution: HR's New Frontier | How to navigate the challenges of an increasingly gig-based workforce

🗳️ The Break Room: What's your biggest challenge with managing gig workers? Share your freelance management headaches!

📚 Human Readsources: Resume fabrication trends, how vacation work habits are changing, and crafting job descriptions that actually attract the right talent

💭Opening thoughts

Mo’ freelancers, mo’ problems?

Did you know that 16.4% of Americans now participate in gig work, with that number soaring to 30% among young adults?

This signals a fundamental shift in workforce composition that most HR systems weren't designed to handle.

So what?

Well, this means HR departments must rapidly evolve from existing processes built exclusively for full-time employees to systems that effectively onboard, manage, and engage a blended workforce of both traditional and contingent workers.

Doing what we always do: trying our best to keep everyone happy and making the company a great place to work for everyone!

For easy reading

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🧠Let’s unpick

🌐 The Freelance Revolution: HR's New Frontier

This rise in freelancers isn't just a passing trend—it's a fundamental shift in how work gets done, and it's creating unprecedented visibility, compliance, and integration challenges for HR professionals everywhere.

The stakes are higher than you might think. According to research, there's been a 46% increase in new contractor engagements as companies expand their hiring horizons globally.

While this shift offers access to specialized talent and potential cost savings, it also creates serious compliance headaches, especially around worker classification and tax regulations like IR35.

Plus, when freelancers bypass HR processes, you lose both visibility and control?!

To navigate this new landscape, start by consolidating all freelance engagements through HR and implementing robust reporting systems.

Create a specific Contingent Value Proposition (CVP) for your freelancers that addresses their unique needs. They know they aren’t full time employees (many wouldn’t want that) but keeping them happy is just as important to a happy full time workforce.

Consider restructuring job descriptions to be project-based rather than role-focused, and stay vigilant about evolving legislation.

The gig economy isn't going anywhere—your HR strategy needs to catch up.

You can read more at...

🔗 Navigating HR Challenges in the Growing Gig Economy (Virgil HR)

🔗 Managing Freelancers: HR Challenges in the Gig Economy (HRZone)

🔗 Global Gig Work Rises as Companies Expand Hiring Horizons (HR Brew)

👀Too long didn’t read

TLDR

Time to consolidate freelance management, create a dedicated CVP, and rethink your approach before compliance issues catch you off guard.

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🎬Lights, camera, action!

Takeaway and try

📊 Run a ""freelance audit"" with your finance team to identify the gap between official HR records and actual contractor payments—this visibility issue is likely bigger than you think.

🌍 Create a specific Contingent Value Proposition (CVP) that addresses freelancers' unique needs, from payment terms to work flexibility, making your company more attractive in the competitive global talent market.

⚖️ Schedule quarterly compliance reviews focused specifically on contractor classification rules and tax regulations like IR35, as misclassification penalties can quickly erase any cost savings from your freelance strategy.

📝 Redesign your job architecture to include project-based work descriptions rather than just traditional roles, making it easier to match freelance talent to specific business needs.

🔄 Implement a centralized freelancer management system that routes all contractor engagements through HR, giving you both the visibility and control needed to manage this growing segment of your workforce.

☕The break room

What’s your take?

📚Additional reading

Human Readsources

🤥 Resume Lies Land Jobs, Rarely Discovered (HR Dive) - Most job seekers who lie on resumes succeed without consequences.

📄 Vacation Disconnect Fading as Work Boundaries Blur (HR Dive) - Employees increasingly work during vacations, blurring work-life boundaries.

📝 Job Descriptions: Your Gateway to Perfect-Fit Candidates (HR Morning) - Quality job descriptions attract qualified candidates and reflect company culture.

That’s it for today.

Thanks for reading to the end and we hope today’s edition sparked some new ideas for your workplace! 🧠

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