Advertising and consulting firms have lost thousands of employees this year, leaving them rushing to fill roles as clients start spending again.
The crunch has helped give rise to talent-as-a-service platforms that help companies with staffing while making it easier for employees to go independent.
CEO Stephanie Nadi Olson of We Are Rosie, a freelancer platform that just got backing from PE firm Align Capital Partners, said membership and revenue have each doubled in size since the start of the pandemic.
Freelance network Gather, whose clients include IBM, Citibank, and The Economist and which sees big consulting and advertising names like Deloitte, Havas, and Ogilvy as its main competitors, has also seen significant growth during the pandemic, said Head of Innovation David Gaspar.
Burnout and agency work known for its long hours have fueled the rise of freelancing. We Are Rosie surveyed more than 400 marketers and found that 63% planned to change jobs in 2021.
“You work constantly, and you sacrifice your life and your sanity. But talent doesn’t have to do that anymore,” said Working Not Working CEO and former agency art director Justin Gignac.
Here are 10 recruiting platforms, listed alphabetically, whose rapid growth has attracted millions from investors like Mark Cuban, Salesforce, and Endeavor and made some acquisition targets.