In the DX Era, Utilizing High-Skilled Freelancers Leads to Solving Corporate Challenges (Part 2)

• In the DX Era, Leveraging High-Skilled Freelancers Leads to Solving Corporate Challenges (Part 1)

Recently, employment structures have diversified, and companies involving various types of people have become more common in Japan. However, it is said that many companies still fail to fully utilize highly skilled freelance talent capable of handling advanced tasks beyond their own resources. Yet, in the DX era, leveraging highly skilled freelance talent may become indispensable for a company's growth.

This interview features Kunihiko Monbun of GNUS Inc., a company that possesses a network of freelance talent with advanced expertise in the DX field. GNUS supports solving client companies' challenges by assigning the optimal talent based on their specific needs. In this second part, we discuss key considerations when utilizing freelance talent and the importance of identifying each freelancer's unique strengths for effective assignment. This is essential reading for business professionals facing challenges like "wanting to advance DX but lacking internal resources" or "struggling to attract DX talent."

Cases Where Freelance Talent Utilization Fails

Q. From your perspective, Kunihiko, when trying to utilize freelance talent, there must be "successful cases" and "unsuccessful cases." Where do you think the difference lies?

Bunbun: Well, it might be better to look at the "cases that don't work" rather than the "cases that do."

As mentioned in the first part, many freelancers choose this path because they dislike the constraints of large corporations or want to avoid the hassle that comes with corporate politics. Therefore, tasks with a strong "internal coordination" nature often aren't well-suited for this type of freelancer. A straightforward example would be creating materials for internal approvals. Such tasks don't motivate them, leading to unsuccessful cases. For tasks necessitated by internal company rules, it's probably better to have in-house staff handle them. After all, these are people who became freelancers precisely because they want to produce output without being constrained by organizational structures.

Or, while it might sound superficial, conditions like "we'd like you to come into the office a few hours a month" also aren't a great fit. Sometimes we even get requests like "you must come in wearing a suit," which we really want to avoid. These are people who want to work driven by the motivation to "create something great." Imposing conditions that seem unrelated to that can prevent them from performing at their best.

Thoroughly assess freelancers' backgrounds and aptitudes to achieve optimal assignments

Q. What kind of talent is actually introduced as "high-skilled freelancers" on GNUS Inc.?

Bunbun: Since we call them "high-skilled," we've established a robust environment that genuinely guarantees that level of quality. First, joining our network requires a thorough "screening" process; only those we deem suitable for what we seek can register. While freelancers can broadly be divided into two types—"those who meticulously execute tasks as instructed" and "those who proactively propose solutions"—we particularly value the latter type.

During interviews, two representatives from GNUS Inc. participate. To accurately assess suitability, one of these representatives is always a freelance professional currently excelling in a similar role. This ensures we get a perspective from a "peer expert" on the candidate's approach. We look not only at skills but also at their attitude towards work and how they manage projects.

We have a significant number of freelance talent, so we actively approach promising individuals to invite them into the GNUS Inc. network. In terms of our talent management methodology, there are three positions within our organization that work alongside freelance members: "Project Manager," "Freelance Talent Manager," and "Staffing Manager." The Staffing Manager handles staffing for all projects full-time. They review project requirements and submit requests to the Freelance Talent Manager, specifying needed skills like "We need this type of talent for this project." While primarily a staffing role, the Staffing Manager collaborates closely with the Project Manager to deepen their understanding of the project and determine the optimal team composition for the best staffing outcomes. Furthermore, they provide direction for scouting and conduct interviews with freelance talent during project execution. However, job assignments aren't solely based on directives from the staffing manager; we also publicly solicit interest via our "job board" by posting opportunities like, "We have this kind of work available—anyone interested?" Since freelance talent has their own preferences and career advancement goals, we simultaneously pursue both our requests and their individual aspirations.

Currently, the GNUS Inc. network holds over 200 freelance professionals. We have a complete understanding of each individual's skills, past career history, achievements, and work experience. Furthermore, we record every assignment they receive within the GNUS Inc. network and the results they deliver. Furthermore, we receive comprehensive feedback, including whether they were a good fit for the actual work, what aspects of the project they found rewarding, and what points caused dissatisfaction. This allows us to maintain an environment where we can assign the optimal talent to the optimal projects.

Q. Do you think the use of freelance talent will become more established in Japan going forward?

Personally , I don't see establishing the use of freelance talent as the ultimate goal. What's crucial is enabling client companies to advance their DX initiatives alongside freelance talent. However, at least in the DX domain, there's a reality: companies cannot drive progress solely with their own staff, and even if they try to hire new talent, such skilled individuals simply aren't available in the market. That's precisely why I believe a system like ours, providing highly skilled freelance talent, is necessary.

Furthermore, in our case, we provide talent with skills directly addressing the client company's challenges. This means responsibility is clearly defined. It's explicit which talent is responsible for this area and whether it succeeded or failed. As projects grow larger, it becomes harder to see who is responsible for what. But since we're freelancers, if we aren't evaluated based on solid results, it won't lead to future work. I believe this aspect is also being recognized and valued.

As mentioned in the first part, in Japan, freelancers are still often perceived as "cheap labor for routine tasks." From the freelancer's perspective, this creates the concern that "unless you work for a large corporation, you can't get involved in major projects." If freelancers with the right skills could secure the work they desire and execute large-scale projects demanding high expertise, the labor market would become more fluid, and work styles would diversify further. I believe Japan will evolve in this direction going forward, and I want to help drive that change.

In today's world, "solving a company's challenges solely with its own resources" has become difficult. From the corporate perspective, as companies advance problem-solving and business growth by leveraging diverse resources beyond their own, the ability to utilize the optimal freelance talent for each project without hiring them as employees would surely offer significant benefits. And from the worker's perspective, an era is approaching where they can pursue what they want to do in the environment they desire. This could be considered an ideal environment, but it also means they must continuously enhance their market value.

While having highly skilled freelancers doesn't guarantee everything will go smoothly, if the use of such talent becomes established, it could create an ideal working environment for both companies and workers. With an eye on these changing times, why not reconsider "how we work" as an integral part of our lifestyle itself?