Site offers free insight into freelance market
Smith: forum used as a way of connecting with freelancers
Freelancesupermarket.com, the networking and comparison site for freelancers, contractors, recruiters and employers, will be publishing a monthly feedback report from 1 September.
The site offers the facility for those in the freelance chain to anonymously evaluate each other on a number of competency benchmarks and its home page features top 10 league tables of contractors, agents, agencies and umbrella companies.
Martin Smith, site founder and former contractor and recruitment professional, told Recruiter that ‘The Secrets of Top Recruiters’ report will present key findings, frequently made comments and a review of the top recruiters in the month by competency.
“It’ll give the interim recruiters a free and unique insight into what their customers - the contractors- really want,” he said. “The great thing about the report is that we will track and report these expectations on a month-by-month basis.”
The site, which launched just over three months ago, features more than 800 contractors and around 500 agencies. As well as acting as a comparison site, Smith also felt it could improve the way the different parties in the freelance chain interact with each other.
“Our forum is now being used by more and more agents - and agencies - as a way of connecting with the freelancers,” said Smith. “We may consider opening up the website as a freelance marketplace where clients and recruiters can tender jobs to the top performing contractors.”
The site offers free job posting and access to its CV database. Smith reports that recruiters are also referring new contractors to the website as a source of information about payroll providers, which helps to mitigate their managed service company debt transfer risk.
Helena Heath, brand manager at Crone Corkhill, which specialises in executive PA and office and business support staff, said the agency welcomes a site that allows for “honest and independent feedback”.
“In such a competitive marketplace, this is an ideal opportunity for recruiters such as ourselves to be rated by both our clients and candidates. As a Top 10 rated recruiter, we are now instantly visible to our key audiences.”
She said it has also helped to create more of a community feel in the freelance sector: “Contractors, clients and recruiters are able to share knowledge, experiences and expertise which in turn results in being better informed.”
