Early in March we reported on on a new infographic from Mavenlin.Com, a professional meeting space and specialized referral service, to address the issue of the growing independent workforce. If you remember, the infographic gave us some facts and figures about how many people are part of the independent workforce and also some reasons they decide to join the movement.

I managed to get in touch with Ray Grainger, CEO of Mavenlink, and he shared with us some key insights on what he knows about the rising trend of outsourced labor and what his company does to cater to both, the individual, and the employers involved in these relationships.

The first thing that Ray wanted to clarify is that many workers flourish under an independent solopreneur system. A main reason for that, he believes, is meeting spaces like Mavenlink that can expand on potential client lists to include all four corners of the map. Specialists are no longer limited by their geographic location or ability to travel, they can work with customers all over the world.

Another point Grainger hoped to raise awareness on was the increased demand for collaboration spaces online, and the stringent demands clients put on him for meeting space that delivers privacy, security, and convienience tools. He explained his surprise at how particular both, employer and employees are in regard to handling the sensitive nature of their online meetings. Apparently these folks know exactly what they need and how they want it delivered, so it’s arduous job seeing these need are met.

Speaking specifically to the infographic, Ray pointed out again that almost 40% of the workforce is facing the challenges of becoming an independent worker, but the industry is adapting and trying hard to deliver tools to make the employer-employee relationship a more mutually beneficial one. We spoke specifically about the need for employee benefits that can travel with an individual to optimize the freedom of operating on an independent level.

Providing healthcare and other benefits that are traditionally only made affordable by belonging to a specific organization could make independent work more feasible for many professional and entice many more talented individuals in to the arena. These new insights give me hope for the rising trend of independent and outsourced work. I am happy to hear there are organizations who seek to maximize the value of the relationships rather than merely seeking to decrease liabilities and increase profit margins.

The internet has made the world a much smaller place and we have increased access to a more specialized and cutting-edge workforce. Now we need to figure out how to best employ these folks and make it worth their while. It sounds like Mavenlink is slaving away on that endeavor each day.

by Column Five Media.