Outsized expands talent-on-demand platform to MENA
Outsized, an on-demand talent marketplace, has launched its services in the MENA region to bridge the gap between the clients with flexible talent needs and consultants to help them land their dream projects and charge fair rates. The marketplace has 10,000 vetted independent consultants and expert freelancers including digital transformation specialists, project & programme managers, strategy consultants, data scientists, actuaries, innovation consultants, agile coaches, and business analysts, curated for management consulting and financial services clients in Asia, MENA and South Africa.
Vikram Malhotra, Managing Director for MENA at Outsized, said, “This is only the subset of consultants that have skillsets relevant to financial services and large consulting firms, the true number will be much larger. This represents a potential independent consulting income of over $50 billion. We have seen double-digit growth in the number of independent consultants over the last few years.”
In a recent survey of CEO’s by a prominent consulting firm, it was noted that expertise was a key choke point for 70 percent of the companies these executives led, pointed out Malhotra. “Finding the right talent is becoming more challenging as new specialties and niche skillsets arise. Having the right talent on board can help companies improve their performance and grow faster by closing gaps in skills and knowledge. Marketplaces such as Outsized is allowing companies to reinvent the relationship between an employee and the workplace, enabling them to tap into the global talent pool.”
Outsized also assists clients in scoping out a project and listing the deliverables from all the parties involved for a smooth and seamless experience. It then uses shortlisting algorithm as well as human curation to narrow down potential individuals that meet the requirements of the client. The marketplace aims to provide value not only to enterprises but also to the independents by offering them fully scoped projects to earn consistent long-term (3 to 12 months) income at market validated rates, paid on time.
The use of independent consultants, professionals and enterprise-grade freelancers was first witnessed in the US and Europe. At the onset of the pandemic, businesses across the globe had to pivot and dive head-first into remote working. It was during this phase, companies in the MENA region especially in countries such as UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Omar, Qatar, and Bahrain have witnessed high surges of expert freelance talent.
The trend of remote working and the availability of jobs not restricted to a geographic location are speeding up the growth of many sectors, especially financial services, in the Middle East region.
Malhotra concluded, “We believe the MENA region can be our fastest-growing market by 2025. With the investment that governments and businesses are making to affect the digital road map, while diversifying their revenue streams away from oil, there is a paradigm shift taking place.”
