The definitive guide to meeting your 2024 goals without overextending your team or your budget
2023 was a difficult year, especially for the tech industry. For public tech
companies, 2024 looks more promising, but startups face a daunting challenge:
the hurdle to secure funding has significantly increased, according to NASDAQ.
Across industries, a shortage of critical skills is threatening companies’ ability to innovate and scale. According to a recent Gartner study, 46% of companies see their skills gaps widening.
Whether you’re grappling with a skills gap, aggressive goals, or the need to maintain a small team, now is the time to develop a strategy for steady, predictable growth so you can come out ahead.
How today’s labor market is reshaping workforce strategies
Matching project needs with the flexible talent market
If you're looking to strike a balance between growth and efficiency, you're not alone: 90% of leaders today are wrestling with aligning project demands and staffing capabilities. These competing pressures are even more pronounced in the tech industry, which is still grappling with the fallout of nearly 262,000 tech employee layoffs in 2023.
Regardless of the economic climate, keeping the team small isn’t always the answer. More than half of US workers are experiencing burnout, and overwork is a known cause. If you’re looking to grow, take on a new project, or extend the impact of your team, you’re likely asking yourself the age-old question: Do I bring in new expertise or avoid overextending my talent spend?
The answer is both. Enter flexible talent.
Often referred to as contractors or freelancers, flexible talent is closing the gap for teams that need support in key areas. In 2023, projects with flexible hires on Contra grew by 4X, filling gaps left by industry shifts and on teams that were most impacted by those shifts.
As you evaluate the role flexible talent can play in supporting your goals, ensuring you’re bringing in the right skills is key. Skills-based hiring has taken off in recent years, and for good reason. A recent study found that 92.5% of companies hiring based on skills have seen a reduction in their mis-hire rate.
Combining a flexible talent strategy with a skills-based hiring approach means companies can access deep functional expertise without committing to a full-time role when one isn’t needed.
For example, maybe you’re launching a new website, but you won’t need a team of designers, copywriters, and developers after the site goes live. Or maybe you’re executing a major marketing campaign and need a diverse team of marketing experts, but only for the next three months. Or, maybe your customer base has grown rapidly, and you need help managing customer success requirements on an ongoing basis, but not full time.
The opportunities for fractional experts to plug in and help are endless.
But what’s the right way to find, onboard, and manage them?
Bring on the right talent when you need it
Find top flexible experts and manage them with ease
Contra simplifies this sourcing process. With over 340 skill sets represented across a global talent pool of 650,000 flexible specialists (and growing), you can find the perfect match for your projects. Whether you need a developer proficient in Webflow or a writer adept in AI, Contra makes discovering and connecting with experts as straightforward as it should be.
Let's face it, nobody loves paperwork. But efficiently moving from hiring to onboarding is essential in maintaining project momentum. Contra for Companies, Contra’s all-in-one platform for flexible talent, takes the hassle out of the onboarding process, ensuring compliance while keeping you focused on project delivery.
From handling tax forms to drafting project contracts, Contra’s platform covers the essentials, leaving you to onboard flexible team members quickly and confidently. This approach ensures that all HR, legal, and financial requirements are seamlessly managed, allowing you to engage with your new team members without worry or delay.
4. Manage your flexible workforce at scale
HOW CONTRA CAN HELP
As traditional hiring models falter under the pressure of rapid industry shifts, Contra for Companies provides a robust talent marketplace complemented by a suite of collaboration tools. Whether you’re a growth-stage tech company, a digital-first SMB, or an agency seeking to enhance agility and efficiency, manage your project experts in one place.
The world’s most innovative teams
flex with Contra
Aroa Gil Bo
Head of Customer Success, Framer
Alice Pang
Principal, Purpose Built Ventures
Max Lind
Senior Marketing Manager, Webflow
