Freelancing has been a buzz word shaking up the talent acquisition space for many years. A recent study by Princeton reveals that 94% of the 10 million jobs created in the US between 2005 and 2015 have been either temporary or freelance positions; with Deloitte’s 2016 Human Capital Trends study further asserting that 51% of global executives plan to increase the use of flexible workers. Yet, despite these positive trends the growth in supply for the freelancing community has been lagging behind the increase in demand. The problem: Limited platforms to support freelancing.
This is not to say that there are no freelancing platforms currently present. In fact infrastructure support for this trend in the form of online platforms is a relatively older concept, with websites such as Upwork and Freelance all enabling freelancing. However, there are still certain limitations that dissuade freelancer engagement. The primary factors being heavy service fees and delayed compensation, all of which occur due to a central body regulating the talent-matching space. Adding a third party into the freelancing industry causes delays in what should be an uninterrupted ecosystem that efficiently bridges the gap between freelancers and clients. At ATLAS we believe that the solution to these problems lies in blockchain.
ATLAS is a new global platform that fully utilizes the capabilities of Blockchain and Smart-Contracts in order to create a decentralized freelancing ecosystem. Clients can post jobs that detail the task/ deliverables, budget, timeframe, and skill requirements. Freelancers can discover jobs that best suit their needs through advanced search filter functions that allow freelancers to explore for jobs based on Skill, Experience, Industry and many more fields. At its core ATLAS is a platform that fully capitalizes on current technological advances in machine learning to create a refined data analytics system that matches clients and freelancers with pin-point accuracy. Employers will also have additional tools to find the ideal candidate through skill tests and team building features (for larger projects requiring a team) that allow for the best match. In order to encourage a larger volume of jobs within the platform, freelancers utilizing ATLAS will be able to attain rankings in a levelling format based on their completion and remuneration of particular tasks. ATLAS further bolsters engagement through its in-built secure peer-to-peer communication system and file sharing capabilities all of which allow for the smooth completion of projects.
ATLAS aims to provide an accessible platform for all its users. One that allows immediate withdrawals of compensation and charges a flat USD 2 from the freelancer, compared to the traditional platforms that charge up to 20% for each withdrawal. Additionally, through the introduction of our own token named WORK, ATLAS is able to eliminate current freelancer pain points. WORK drives the platform through a 0% fees system for both the client and freelancer for any transaction conducted in WORK tokens. More than competitive pricing, WORK enables ATLAS to conduct near instantaneous transactions further eliminating the need to wait for funds to be transferred from a central regulatory firm. In order to increase accessibility to a broader audience that may be limited in experience with cryptocurrencies, the ATLAS platform has an integrated wallet that allows for liquid income in cryptocurrencies without the need for an exchange or an initial investment. Beyond the wallet, ATLAS also provides introductory courses in managing cryptocurrency assets and eventually trading cryptocurrencies which provide freelancers utilizing the platform additional means of income. By utilizing blockchain and cryptocurrencies, ATLAS removes the need for an intermediary to regulate the hiring process between a client and freelancer without compromising on security or quality. The lack of a central body speeds up the rate at which tasks and transactions are completed. As the world moves towards agility and utilizing an agile workforce, traditional freelancing platforms slow down a trend that is characterized by speed. The emergence of cryptocurrencies and blockchain, has allowed ATLAS to create a fast and favourable platform.
Over the next few months ATLAS aims to enter into the mass market segments, with the beta going live in Q4 of 2017. The team at ATLAS.Work hopes to engage with the broader community in order to launch a platform that is best suited to relieving the traditional problems faced by freelancers. We hope to interact regularly with contributors, through a variety of platforms, in order to gain real world expertise and co-collectively build a sustainable ecosystem.
Trends in the freelancing market all point towards larger growth in this segment of the talent market with freelancing expected to represent 50% of the job market by 2020 in the US alone. Technology has emerged as a critical driver for this growth with 73% of freelancers stating that technology has made it easier to find freelance work. It has become necessary to have a platform that not only speeds up the job-matching process but that eliminates traditional pains that have plagued this talent pool. Through blockchain and cryptocurrencies, ATLAS aims to accelerate the next generation of freelancing.
Atlas Website: https://www.atlas.work/
Atlas Twitter: https://twitter.com/Atlasdotwork
Atlas Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/atlasdotwork/
Atlas Discord: https://discordapp.com/invite/2yxHGVY
