Upwork has helped pave the way for freelancers to enjoy a more flexible work schedule, and its impact is showing after being named to the second annual TIME100 Most Influential Companies list.
Upwork has rolled out several powerful products to help follow through on its strategy to "innovate evangelize and scale it's work marketplace," according to an Upwork press release. Project Catalog™, Talent Scout™ and Virtual Talent Bench™ are a few recent products launched to assist in executing innovation for professionals and businesses.
“It’s an honor for Upwork and our entire global team to be included in the TIME100 Most Influential Companies list,” Upwork President and CEO Hayden Brown said, according to the release. “Over the last few years, we have experienced a tectonic shift in how work gets done – a Work Awakening that shows no signs of slowing down. From the Great Resignation to the greater need for flexibility in workforces, companies and professionals alike are evolving and seeking new work models. That is why we will continue to innovate the world’s work marketplace, reimagining work for all.”
Upwork is a platform that connects businesses with an independent workforce. Independent workers can find projects to match their skill sets, and businesses can find talented workers to fill needed roles, according to the Upwork website.
"Our mission to create economic opportunities so people have better lives has taken us so much further," Brown said in a statement on the Upwork website. "As a result, we’ve become the world’s work marketplace where every day businesses of all sizes and independent talent from around the globe meet here to accomplish incredible things."
Some of the top skills listed by Upwork talent include data entry, video editing, data analysis, content writing, logo designing and front-end developing. Upwork users can launch a freelance career, exercise control over scheduling and explore multiple ways to earn money, according to Upwork.
According to Upwork, creating a profile to be a freelancer is free, and freelancers can bid for jobs and pitch for projects.
Per Upwork, freelancers can choose how to get paid with a fixed-price protection that releases the clients payments at agreed upon milestones or hourly protection that bills the client every week.