9 out of 10 freelancers wanted to remain independent in 2021

With the health crisis, many French people have questioned their motivation And their role within their professional environment. Thus, many companies are even experiencing an increase in the resignations of their employees. This phenomenon, called “The Big Resignation” in the United States, is also beginning to happen in France while freelancing is increasingly popular with talents. So what are the main motivations of these freelancers?

The search for meaning, the desire to take control of their career, and to organize their working conditions have led many employees towards independence. Indeed, 1 company out of 2 saw at least one of its employees become self-employed in 2021. This movement confirms the trend that has been going on for several years already as well as the interest in statuses that diverge from the traditional CDI.

Becoming a freelancer has thus become a real career choice! For those who were already there before the crisis, there are also numerous reasons to maintain this status. Three of them slipped onto the podium. Let's find out which ones!

The need for autonomy

As the name suggests, being self-employed brings more autonomy to best practice your job. This status sometimes responds to the desire to break away from the hierarchy to stand on one's own wings. On the other hand, the self-employed person has a greater responsibility on a daily basis since he is both at the service of his customers but also the administrator of his activity. Even if he is his own boss, he remains subject to the conditions of the contract that binds him to the client company. Likewise, to ensure a regular income and maintain their activity, freelancers have no choice but to be continuously active in their Search for missions. Being independent is therefore synonymous with autonomy, but this does not mean that it is free of all constraints.

The freedom to choose your customers

Another advantage put forward by these talents is to have a great deal of freedom in choosing missions. Unlike an employee who is linked to a company, has only one internal mode of operation and generally only one field of activity, freelancers have a wider field of action. This includes, in particular, the following:

• be able to juggle several types of missions,
• confront different organizations and internal processes,
• working with companies with a wide variety of types,
• alternating sectors of activity,
• benefit from a remuneration that is more or less generous and variable depending on the period, etc.

The flexibility of the working environment

Of course, the last benefit, and not the least, is the flexibility of the work environment. Indeed, 100% face-to-face is increasingly questioned, whether in terms of employee performance or the autonomy of employees. For a self-employed person, partial teleworking is the most frequent mode of operation. This does not prevent many consultants from working a few days a week on the premises of the client company. In addition to the workplace, schedules are also impacted. The 9-5 p.m. rhythm is no longer always popular. Depending on tastes and possibilities, it is easier to choose more suitable hours, for example during the usual lunch hours or during evening work sessions.

Finally, to be independent, above all, it is consciously choosing the way in which you want add value on the market. Talents make the choice to put their skills at the service of a project that makes sense or with a client who shares a similar vision. This propensity tends towards more human values such as development or enthusiasm at work and towards a reduction in the balance of power between talents and companies.

Today, more and more talents are taking charge of their careers until they create their own jobs. What if this trend became The standard of tomorrow ?

*Source: The Global Survey on Freelancing: Overall Results (2021)