The Future of Flexible Work Report

The gig economy narrative has long overshadowed a more significant shift in the workforce. Highly skilled independent contractors aren't filling gaps — they're driving revenue.

This is no longer gig work. Independent contractors — particularly in healthcare, professional services, and insurance — are core contributors delivering billable work and specialized expertise that companies can't hire fast enough. With 56% of companies planning to scale their contractor workforce in the next three years, the infrastructure decisions made today will determine whether that growth is smooth or a bottleneck.

When contractor management breaks down, it rarely surfaces at the top of the org chart — it gets absorbed by the Directors and Managers closest to the work. That gap between executive confidence and ground-level reality is one of the most striking findings in our data.

Operations teams are twice as likely as any other department to exceed 81 hours per month on contractor-related work. And because this burden is spread across Finance, HR, and Operations simultaneously, most leadership teams are underestimating the true cost to the business.

For high-demand contractors who can choose who they work with, payment delays and onboarding confusion aren't just inconveniences — they're dealbreakers. And because 84% of contractors are doing billable work, churn is a direct threat to the bottom line.

This is no longer gig work. Independent contractors — particularly in healthcare, professional services, and software development — are core contributors delivering billable work and specialized expertise that companies can't hire fast enough. With 56% of companies planning to scale their contractor workforce in the next three years, the infrastructure decisions made today will determine whether that growth is smooth or a bottleneck.