Paolo, why do you advise companies to stop using freelancers as a solution to employee shortages?

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: companies need to stop hiring freelancers as a band-aid for their lack of available employees. It’s not because I’m against freelancing—in fact, I’m all for it when it’s done right—but because this approach is fundamentally flawed and short-sighted. Let’s get into why.

First, when companies hire freelancers as a quick fix for an employee shortage, they’re missing the point of what freelancing is about. Freelancers aren’t just temporary workers who can step in to fill a gap—they’re independent, creative, and highly skilled professionals who thrive on project-based work, autonomy, and flexibility. If a company is just throwing freelancers into roles meant for full-time employees, they’re using freelancers as a stopgap, not as the powerful, agile forces they really are. It’s like trying to put a square peg in a round hole—it doesn’t fit, and it’s going to create friction on both sides.

Freelancers are not employees, and treating them as such is a mistake. Companies think they’re being clever by "hiring" freelancers to avoid the cost and commitment of full-time employees—no benefits, no long-term contracts, less administrative burden. But what they’re actually doing is undermining both their own company culture and the freelance community. They’re creating an environment where freelancers are expected to act like employees, but without the support, loyalty, or benefits that come with a traditional role. It’s unsustainable and breeds resentment.

Freelancers, when used correctly, are meant to bring outside expertise, innovation, and fresh perspectives into a company for specific, project-based work. They thrive on short-term, high-impact engagements where they can add value quickly and then move on to the next challenge. When companies try to solve employee shortages by hiring freelancers, they end up misusing that talent. They stretch freelancers beyond their natural roles, asking them to take on the day-to-day tasks of employees, leading to burnout and disengagement. It’s a lose-lose situation: the company doesn’t get the long-term commitment it needs, and the freelancer loses the freedom and creativity they signed up for.

Second, this strategy is just a temporary patch. Companies that think they can solve their workforce issues by leaning on freelancers are missing the bigger picture: the real problem isn’t the lack of employees—it’s the broken systems within the company. If you can’t attract or retain enough full-time staff, freelancing isn’t the answer. The answer lies in asking, "Why aren’t people wanting to work here? What about our culture, compensation, or leadership is pushing talent away?" Using freelancers to cover the cracks is like ignoring the leak in your roof—it’s going to get worse if you don’t address the underlying issue.

I also see companies exploiting the gig economy under the guise of "freelancer hiring." They’re treating it as a cheaper, quicker way to get bodies in seats without truly considering how this impacts both the long-term success of their business and the freelancers themselves. This kind of thinking reduces freelancers to disposable assets. But freelancers are creators, they’re problem solvers, and they shouldn’t be treated like a stopgap for poorly managed workforce planning.

Let’s be real: if your company needs employees, hire employees. Invest in building a work culture that attracts and retains talent. Pay people what they’re worth, create environments where they want to grow, and give them the security and purpose that full-time roles provide. Freelancers are not here to prop up a failing system. They’re here to bring their expertise to specific, high-impact projects where they can make a difference. Respect that difference.

So, when I say companies need to stop hiring freelancers as a solution to their employee shortages, what I mean is this: freelancers aren’t a substitute for employees. They’re a different breed of worker, with a different set of expectations, skills, and goals. Companies that try to treat them as interchangeable with full-time staff are setting themselves up for failure. If you have a staffing problem, address it at the root. Don’t try to patch it over with freelancers who aren’t designed to fix that kind of problem in the first place.