How Freelance Engineers Integrate into Teams

In the years since technology has evolved, remote working has become a hot topic. People find working remotely to be more comfortable than the traditional 9-5, since there is less rigidity in the working day. Companies are also recognizing the benefits of their staff working remotely, and that’s why they are embracing technology that makes different staffing models possible.
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By thinking creatively, a business can figure out a new way to leverage talent that may not be in their initial grasp by casting a wider net. When companies relax the rules of working ‘in-house’, talent can be sourced globally for ongoing projects and thus, they can provide a much better service to their clients. Companies have always hired freelancers or subcontractors in some capacity, but it’s usually done for projects that are short-term, or to assist an existing team that needs temporary help.
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It’s a good thing, then, that the workforce is changing. We cannot expect technology and communication to evolve if businesses are not willing to do the same, which is why contingent workers are a growing segment of the working world. Businesses that can see that there is a future in hiring flexible workers that are powered by connectivity. The on-demand workforce will completely redefine the way the labor pool is put together.
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A contingent worker is someone who doesn't have a contract for ongoing employment, and by bringing in these workers on a project by project basis, companies are embracing the fact that they have a global pool of talent, with leaner project teams that can provide affordable solutions. The biggest bonus? A huge drop in what you pay in overheads, travel costs and training for these employees.
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Contingent Worker Pros & Cons

As with anything, there are pros and cons to hiring contingent workers, but the pros far outweigh the cons! Your business needs change all the time, and using a contingent workforce allows you as the employer to maintain your core workforce while having supplementary workers for special projects that require additional expertise. There are some logistics that are involved with hiring workers that you are not directly supervising, so it’s important to understand the advantages to your organization before you go ahead.
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Pros

• Nearly every instance of contingent workforce engagements come from using another company to manage the elements of it - such as payroll and other administrative responsibility. This takes a lot of the pressure off of you, because you can be assured that you are getting the best talent possible without the stress of sourcing it yourself.
• Huge savings, as you don’t have to put a budget together to hire and interview new staff to work for you
• Contingent workers - especially those in telecom - work in the field and therefore there are no office overheads to factor in
• With the right company to manage the talent for you, you can feel secure that your freelance management is taken care of at all times
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Cons

• If you have a project that is critical and needs to be completed quickly, you need to be able to find the right employees for the job and a lack of talent at this time can be a problem for you
• Keeping your workers engaged is a challenge, but this comes from not having appropriate onboarding protocol

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The good news is that you don’t have to handle contingent workers yourself, and lack of talent at a critical time doesn't need to be a problem for your business. FE is a platform that takes the difficult task of sourcing new global field engineers out of your hands. We have a pool of over 40,000 engineers in our network, which means that finding the specific talent you need for your job isn't an issue. Our platform connects your business to expert field engineers all over the world, offering you seamless communication between you and the engineers that you hire to get the job done efficiently and quickly. Get started with Field Engineer today!
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In the telecom field, teams need to work together to accomplish major goals, which means that you may need to hire more than one field engineer at a time to get a project completed on time. There’s a possibility that a job won’t be completed on time or on budget if only one person is hired and operates as a silo of information. It’s important to have a point of contact and an open stream of communication with your contingent workers, otherwise a project cannot run smoothly. Businesses are finding that freelancers fit quite nicely into their team structures, which results in a high demand for freelance field engineers. A prime example is BT Openreach, a UK company, which had a recent push for more than 250 engineers because of the demand for superfast broadband. Without field engineers it wouldn’t be possible to complete such a huge job in their time frame.
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When you use a platform like FE, you are getting communication built into the app – along with other communication methods that are available for you to connect with field engineers and keep the lines of communication open with your staff. It can be tricky for a big business to rely on freelance staff to complete a project, but with the right tools, communication can be seamless. When you need a team of engineers working together, you also need a space to check in with your team and see that they are on track, which is what the app offers. You can see exactly what the team of engineers is working on through the FE app and have frequent check-ins to ensure the project is going to be completed to the high standard that you expect.
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With Field Engineer’s app integration, communicating with your contingent workforce has never been easier. Sign up for free and hire experienced, local engineers for your project today!
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