In the current landscape of companies, where flexibility and adaptability are often the key to success, more and more leaders juggle with teams made up of both employees and freelancers. This trend is particularly strengthened with the development of telework and the rise of freelance platforms. If this configuration makes it possible to take advantage of the advantages of flexibility, it also raises an important question: should we adopt a different approach to manage freelancers and employees, or do the same rules apply everyone?
The question deserves to be examined closely. Should managers adjust their management style according to the status of their employees? Or are the fundamental principles of management, such as motivation, communication and commitment, the same for both types of workers?
A different legal and contractual framework
First of all, it should be recalled that the fundamental difference between an employee and a freelancer lies in their contractual relationship with the company. The employee benefits from an employment contract, often for indefinite duration, with obligations and rights defined by the Labor Code. He works under the direction of his employer, who imposes a specific framework for him concerning his schedule, his missions and his objectives. On the other hand, freelance is an self -employed worker, who works for a company as part of a very specific mission, generally via a service provision contract. He therefore has more freedom, both in terms of managing his time and choosing missions.
This involves, in all, a first difference in management. The employee is integrated into a hierarchical structure where the relationship is often more direct and involving. Freelance, for its part, retains its autonomy. It is here that the role of the manager takes on its importance: he must manage this diversity while respecting the particularities of each.
The question of communication: between supervision and autonomy
When you manage freelancers, communication takes a very special form. Unlike an employee, who generally evolves in a working environment where communication is daily and informal, freelancer must often be guided by more structured and formalized exchanges. Indeed, freelance, because of its independence, has a more distant relationship with the company and sometimes requires more regular and explicit returns on the progress of its missions.
A study of the Malt platform, carried out in 2023, reveals that 68% of freelancers consider good communication with their customers essential to the success of their mission. This study also stresses that the frequency of exchanges, and in particular the clarity of expectations and objectives, is a central element to guarantee the effectiveness of freelance.
Thus, for a manager, this means that he must establish a very specific mode of communication with his freelancers, by ensuring to define expectations from the start of the mission. On the other hand, for employees, communication can be more informal, due to physical proximity and daily interactions in the company. Of course, communication remains important for the two types of collaborators, but it takes different forms and rhythms.
The management of objectives: a common or specific approach?
Objectives management is another area where differences between freelancers and employees are felt. For an employee, the objectives are often defined in the context of an annual performance assessment and are generally aligned with the company’s strategy. The revaluation of the objectives is done over a longer period and, often, on a collective approach, within a team or a department.
For a freelance, the management of objectives is more punctual. The missions are often in the short or medium term, and the objectives must be precise and measurable, because freelancers are remunerated by mission. A study by BPI France in 2023 shows that 53% of freelancers prefer to work on short -term missions, because this allows them to better control their timetable and adapt to various projects. This shorter temporality requires managers a more agile and dynamic approach, to ensure that the objectives are clear and achievable in a defined period of time.
For managers, this implies adopting different methods. For employees, regular assessments and team meetings are often sufficient to follow the evolution of projects. But for freelancers, frequent control points and a clarification of expectations from the start of the mission are necessary. The manager must know how to adapt his approach, with increased flexibility in the monitoring of freelancers.
Motivation and commitment: levers to adjust
One of the major difficulties in freelancers is the question of motivation and commitment. Freelancers, although having the freedom to work for several customers at the same time, can sometimes lack the emotional involvement found in employees. Indeed, an employee is often more integrated into the culture of the company and benefits from a long -term relationship with his employer, which creates a deeper commitment to the company’s objectives.
For a freelance, the motivation is mainly extrinsic: it lies in remuneration, the type of mission and the professional reputation. The manager must therefore pay particular attention to these elements to maintain the involvement of the freelance, by offering him stimulating missions and by valuing his expertise. The establishment of a flexible working environment, where freelancers can evolve at their own pace while respecting the objectives, is also an important motivation factor.
For employees, commitment can be reinforced by corporate culture, social benefits, career development opportunities, and a stimulating work environment. The manager will have an important role here in terms of team management, recognition of work and implementation of a collaborative environment.
Loyalty: a very different approach
The loyalty of employees is often based on traditional levers: salary increase, career development, benefits, etc. For a freelance, loyalty is a different issue. As freelancer works with many customers, loyalty is more based on the quality of missions, relationships of trust and the recurrence of missions.
A study of the Freelance Observatory carried out in 2023 shows that 42% of freelancers estimate that their relationship with their long -term customers is above all on the clarity of the missions and the recognition of their skills. The manager must therefore, to retain a freelance, make sure to maintain a relationship of trust, to offer interesting missions and to recognize the value of his work.
