Rates cooling, processes dragging, roles blending and free work requests normalising. Let's talk about the new market reality.
Hey everyone,
Let's be honest, the freelance landscape right now is... tough. Scratch that. Based on conversations and my own recent experiences, it feels like the most prolonged and challenging market I've seen in years 🤬🤬🤬 It's not necessarily the absolute depth of the dip, but the long and ongoing, dragging nature of it that's taking its toll on the awesome talent community the UK Createch space has within it.
Gone are the incredibly lucrative days of the post-Covid boom, where demand skyrocketed, rates soared to 10-year highs and freelancers could cherry-pick roles. After digging about and doing quite a lot of research into this it seems the market gone through a period of "correction," and that correction feels harsh. Here's what stands out to me:
1. The Rate Recalibration: Yes, rates have cooled. Significantly. While a "tough market" was my initial assumption, digging deeper reveals something more structural. This feels like a slight reversal of the boom. Market volatility, client budget cuts and a transition of skill based talent have combined to push rates down. It's not just harder to find work; the value assigned to that work maybe feels slightly diminished in some sectors.
2. Running The Job Gauntlet: Remember quick same day booking confirmations? Those seem rare occurrences now. The hiring process has become long, drawn-out and overly full of caution. Clients are scrutinising every hire like never before. Layers of interviews, excessive tests and ghosting have become frustratingly common. This slowdown seems to stem from uncertainty and government legislation such as the NI employer tax change – widespread redundancies, the looming question of AI taking people’s jobs and heightened administrative burdens within client companies. It's exhausting for everyone involved. I’m bushed just typing this lol.
3. The "Blended Role" Burden: Here's a trend that stings: clients are increasingly asking one person to do the job of two (or three!). They've seen it happen during lean times or via overachieving individuals and now it's becoming an expectation. Job descriptions are morphing into Frankenstein monsters of responsibilities. Could it really be a cost-cutting exercise disguised as efficiency? It can set unrealistic expectations and may burn people out.
4. The Normalisation of "Free": Requests for free work ("just a quick task brief," "a small trial project") nothing new hear and has been going on ever since I started out in the talent space but what has changed is the culture around complaining about it. What was once a whispered taboo topics are now openly discussed, even vented across social platforms. Whether it's intentional content creation or algorithms feeding on our collective frustration, publicly calling out unpaid work requests has become mainstream. We see ourselves reflected in these shared stories, making the issue feel more real and accepted.
So Why Does This Feel Different?
It's the combination and the persistence. It's not just one challenge hitting hard; it's all these pressures ant the same time and lingering. The post-boom correction feels amplified by economic jitters, AI anxiety and a shift in client risk tolerance. The "blended role" expectation and the normalisation of free work requests add layers of exploitation to an already strained environment.
Finding Our Footing: A Note of Resilience
This isn't my first rodeo. Like many of you seasoned Createch pros or long term freelancers, We navigated downturns before. That history is crucial. We've built valuable skills, proven track records and deep resilience. These are our anchors.
This tough phase will evolve. Opportunities will emerge, perhaps in new forms or requiring adapted skills (AI collaboration, anyone?). The key is to:
Protect Your Value: Don't race to the bottom on rates unless strategically necessary. Articulate your worth clearly.
Streamline Your Process: Make applying and interviewing as efficient as possible without sacrificing quality.
Set Boundaries: Politely but firmly push back on unreasonable "blended role" scopes and always say no to doing free work unless it’s essential to land a role. Your time and expertise are valuable.
Sharpen Your Saw: Use slower periods strategically. Learn, network, refine your offerings.
Community is Key: Share experiences and support each other. We're not alone in this.
This market is testing us, no doubt. But the skills and adaptability that got us here are the same tools that will see us through to the next upswing. It might feel like a long haul, but we did it before and can do it again.
What are YOU seeing out there? Does this resonate? What strategies are you using to navigate this prolonged squeeze? Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments – let's learn from each other.
Stay resilient,
Dean
digital dean
