Free agent (business)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
In business, free agents are people who work independently for themselves, rather than for a single employer.[1] The term "free agent" is believed to have been coined by American writer Daniel H. Pink, author of a 1997 cover story in Fast Company titled “Free Agent Nation.”[2] In 2001 Pink published a book with the same name.
The combination of several workplace trends – including shortened job cycles, the increase of project work, the acceptance of a new lifestyle and the emergence of the Internet and other technologies – points to free agent workers becoming more of an employment norm in the coming years.
In a 2011 survey sponsored by Kelly Services, free agency is on the rise across all generations, with mature workers making up two-thirds of the free agent population. The survey also revealed that 73% of free agents voluntarily choose this workstyle because they seek the freedom, flexibility and entrepreneurial benefits associated with an independent workstyle.[3]