oDesk: Bringing the World Together One Freelancer at a Time

The workforce is changing, and jobs are moving and shifting around. To survive, workers and employers alike have got to be able to adapt and take advantage of this ever-changing environment. oDesk is one of the most effective ways for employers to match up with employees that possess the exact skill sets they are looking for.

oDesk is an online platform that is home to a global job marketplace. It works simply by providing a place for employers to post help-wanted type ads online, which thus simultaneously offers a way for prospective employees to apply for these jobs. Once a contract has been assigned, oDesk tracks an employee's hours worked and takes screen shots of the work being done, giving the employer an effective means to monitor the work as it is being done. oDesk also handles the payment process, and it guarantees that hourly workers get paid. For this, oDesk receives 10% of the payment. There are no other fees.

Created in 2003 by Greek entrepreneurs Odysseas Tsatalos and Stratis Karamanlakis, the Redwood City, CA company – according to CEO Gary Swart in this article – has at least 1.5 million freelancers working for 250,000 employers. Most of oDesk's employers are small companies and its employees come from all around the world. Employers can find work writing, translating, developing software, statistical analysis and virtual personal assisting.  

People can decry the shifting landscape of employment, of the moving of jobs around the world. People can also celebrate it and take advantage of it. However, what people must not do, is deny it.

To learn more about Odesk, visit:
Interview with Odesk CEO Gary Swart
CNN Odesk Article