Demand for freelancers accumulates in Mena region
01 March, 2021
Demand for freelancers is increasing over the Middle East and North Africa place as companies find “multiple benefits” found in outsourcing job, according to a fresh survey by jobs blog Bayt.com.
About 52 % of those surveyed said they hired freelancers due to their capability to deliver within tight deadlines, while 17 per cent cited cost-effectiveness, the 2021 Freelancing in the MENA study found. Also, they are best for businesses’ contingency preparation (16 per cent) and offer extra help for little departments (15 per cent).
For freelancers, the largest motivations include earning more income (55 %), adding new skills (24 %), practicing what they like (11 per cent) and the ability to control their work schedule (7 %).
The survey highlights the main element driving forces that contain resulted in shifts in the Mena’s freelancer workforce, Ola Haddad, director of recruiting at Bayt.com, said.
“Respondents concur that the overall flexibility and opportunity connected with freelancing is increasingly appealing and that's the reason we’ve seen such dramatic expansion in the number of men and women choosing to freelance,” she added.
The survey, which polled 4,296 respondents from countries like the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, Palestine, Syria, Yemen, Egypt, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya and Sudan, was carried out between December 20 and February 15.
The coronavirus pandemic has disrupted various traditional norms around employment and prompted hordes of office employees to work remotely to stem the pandemic's spread. It has additionally led more persons to be digital nomads as they shun traditional physical boundaries of office buildings and choose flexible schedules.
Professionals in the Mena region are actually increasingly deciding on freelancing opportunities due to its flexibility but almost half of those surveyed said they were also looking for new career chances.
Almost 22 % said freelancing afforded considerably more work-life balance and 5 % cited reduced pressure levels.
Six in 10 pros strongly concur that the demand for freelancers has got increased previously year, while 88 per cent of those surveyed plan to do more freelance function in 2021.
The top skills that freelancers will need to have include time management (43 %), communication skills (21 per cent), capability to market themselves (19 %) and leadership (10 per cent), the survey showed.
Companies are also embracing freelancers.
Nearly 47 % of respondents said their companies prefer to outsource work to freelancers to a great extent, while 17 per cent said their companies usually do not outsource work.
Source: www.thenationalnews.com