There are many reasons for companies to work with contract employees. Focused skills and expertise, talent availability, and staffing flexibility are just a few of the benefits provided by freelance professionals. To maximize these benefits, it’s crucial to define roles within the organization clearly.
Before deciding if you’ll be outsourcing jobs, the first critical task is to define which roles in your company are best suitable for freelancers. To do so, it is essential to assign roles as either core or non-core.
Determining What Is and Isn’t a Core Role
Core roles are those that directly drive customer value and have a significant impact on business performance. They contribute to a company’s competitive advantage. For instance, a design team is core to a toy company, while a sales team is essential for a real estate business. Core roles may evolve as a company grows, so it’s important to review them periodically.
Non-core roles support core functions and typically do not require full-time attention. These can include positions in administration, marketing, social media, HR, and training, though this varies by company.
The term “non-core” can be misleading—these roles are just as important as core roles, but they don’t directly influence your customer’s perception of your business. For example, your company might not always need a graphic designer, but when you do, the quality of their work is critical because it represents your brand externally.
“When non-core positions are staffed by full-time employees – such as when a project takes four to six hours to complete, but an employee is being paid for eight – those costs must be recouped. And the most likely candidate to feel the burden of those expenses is the end consumer. So, companies with poorly defined core and non-core roles are placing themselves at a competitive disadvantage because they lack the pricing flexibility of their more agile peers in the marketplace,” said Elizabeth Eiss, Founder and CEO of the talent curation and freelance recruiting platform ResultsResourcing.
Core and non-core roles vary from industry to industry, specialty to specialty, and company to company. That is why intimate knowledge of a company is needed to specifically define those positions. Understanding these concepts around outsourcing jobs can help boost profitability for your business while continuing to drive results.
AI and Automation: Navigating Rapid Change
AI adoption is surging among small businesses. Companies are increasingly automating non-core work to stretch resources and stay competitive. By streamlining non-core tasks with AI, leaders free up valuable time and energy to focus on their core work and strategic priorities. Yet, integrating AI into operations creates real challenges: deciding which processes to automate, selecting and customizing the right tools, and maintaining alignment between technology and people without disrupting culture or service quality.
Freelancers with expertise in AI and automation provide a flexible bridge between what technology can do and what businesses need. These agile pros can not only help configure and optimize automated solutions for non-core tasks but also support SMBs and solopreneurs in identifying the best ways to delegate work. By outsourcing remaining non-core tasks to freelance talent, companies maximize efficiency while keeping in-house teams zeroed in on high-value, core tasks.
Flexible Strategies for Economic Uncertainty
Market signals remain mixed, with persistent inflation, fluctuating consumer demand, and shifting regulatory requirements creating a climate of uncertainty. In this environment, the definition of core and non-core work can change quickly depending on where leadership needs to focus attention and investment. This fluidity makes long-term hiring commitments risky, especially for organizations affected by seasonal cycles or unpredictable project pipelines.
Freelance and contract talent provide the agility needed to rebalance core and non-core tasks as conditions evolve. By engaging flexible talent, companies can scale capabilities up or down, redirecting resources toward core work when priorities shift, while cost-effectively outsourcing non-core tasks. This approach reduces risk, keeps budgets aligned with real revenue, and allows businesses to maintain pricing agility and forward momentum despite economic volatility.
Unlocking Certainty with ResultsResourcing
Freelance talent is a smart way to build resilience, especially when balancing core task and non-core work. ResultsResourcing specializes in connecting small business owners with carefully selected freelance professionals, from virtual assistants to bookkeepers to marketing experts. For over a decade, we’ve helped both solopreneurs and small businesses find trusted fractional talent so they can move quickly, keep focus on core work, and thrive. Our guided process ensures a tailored fit, matching business owners with a freelancer who suits your goals and work style, not just any resume.
If flexible, reliable support would make a difference for your business, book a free strategy call and see how ResultsResourcing can help you weather uncertainty and drive growth.
