SYDNEY, March 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Companies across Australia are increasingly integrating independent professionals to build teams and capabilities at various functions and levels. According to Outsized's 2025 Talent-on-Demand Report, skills such as product development, business analytics, transformation, product, and risk management are now in high demand.
This report highlights how organizations integrate independent talent for multiple reasons ranging from execution roles to strategic project delivery. Professionals across the region earn between AUD 700 and AUD 1500 per day, reflecting their skill type and experience level. Notably, freelancer registrations surged by 122%, indicating businesses are increasingly leveraging independent professionals to bridge skill gaps and drive innovation.
With rapid advancements in digital technology, companies are focusing on investing in infrastructure and new initiatives, leading to increased reliance on independent talent for leading pivotal projects. For the first time, the 2025 edition of Outsized's report incorporates insights from Australia and New Zealand (ANZ), marking a significant expansion of its global workforce intelligence beyond Southeast Asia, India, the Middle East, and Africa.
Key findings from the report reveal the most sought-after skills include change management, risk management, product & proposition, technology, and strategy. Major sectors leading this significant shift are technology, financial services, and consulting, all capitalizing on independent talent to achieve rapid digital and organizational transformation.
Outsized, which boasts over 45,000 independent consultants and freelancers globally, emphasizes the importance of this trend. The report suggests the average day rates for experienced professionals (11-15 years) hover around AUD 1,000, with top skills exceeding AUD 1,500 per day, showcasing the lucrative opportunities available to independent professionals.
"The 2025 Talent-on-Demand Report serves as a blueprint for workforce transformation," said the report's authors. It provides business leaders the insights necessary to engage effectively with these shifts. With the demand for human-centric skills rising as AI and automation continue to evolve, Outsized points out new challenges posed by limited talent pools and geographic dispersion within ANZ.
Overall, the findings serve as strategic guidance for business and HR leaders aiming to stay competitive. By leveraging the data provided within the report, leaders can benchmark talent costs, optimize their external hiring budgets, and identify workforce trends across APAC, MENA, and Africa.
Diving deep, the report also highlights how organizations can access exclusive day rate intelligence and understand how leading firms use independent talent to facilitate acceleration through digital transformation and maintain competitive advantages.
The rising trend of engaging independent professionals is evident across various regions, with businesses across the Middle East similarly engaging independent talent at rates ranging from USD 300 to 1000 per day, with freelancer registrations increasing by 78% over the past year. The demand for skills such as payments, business development, project management, risk management, and data analytics is also notable.
For organizations, leveraging independent talent is proving to be more than just a fleeting trend, rather it is seen as part of a fundamental shift to access specialized expertise and maintain operational efficiencies. Outsized's report brings clarity to the strategic shifts at play, enabling leaders to make informed decisions about integrating independent professionals as core components of their workforce strategies.
To stay informed and gain competitive insights, accessing the full report becomes imperative. The 2025 Talent-on-Demand Report arms businesses with the knowledge required to tackle the rapidly changing labor market, equipping them to understand how to build agile workforce strategies expertly.
Armed with this intelligence, organizations can navigate the workforce transformation adeptly, ensuring they remain competitive and relevant amid shifting employment paradigms.