Women ditching their bosses, boosting their earnings as independent consultants

Over 61% of professional women in South Africa increased their earnings by becoming independent consultants, according to a new survey to get a better work-life balance (64.7%), followed by an equal number seeking career growth and variety of experience (17.64% each).

According to a survey conducted by global talent-on-demand platform, Outsized, to gauge the experience of female independent consultants working as on-demand talent, most of them said they had grown their earnings and improved their career prospects by leaving the bounds of corporate employment.

“The poll results tell a story of women taking control of their destiny and empowering themselves, with most of them increasing their earnings and career experience,” says Johann van Niekerk, CEO and MD for Africa at Outsized.

The survey revealed that over 61% of the women increased their earnings by making the transition to independent consulting, while over 15% said their earnings stayed the same and 23% said theirs decreased.

In addition, 75% believed consulting accelerated the variety of their career experiences, while 25% said the variety of experiences was unaffected. Not one said they had been stunted.

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Breaking through the glass ceiling

Van Niekerk says this outcome is hugely positive as professional women who go the independent consulting route stepped out and their earnings have increased: they may have felt they had a glass ceiling, so they broke through it and built their own careers.

“We found that becoming an independent consultant was a proactive choice for self-actualisation for most of them. They wanted more autonomy and professional growth than traditional employment offered them and therefore they made the leap and successfully built their personal brands as independents.”

A total of 77% said they became consultants as a proactive choice and only 23% made the move based on necessity. “Taking charge of their own career growth is particularly encouraging since women in some sectors still tend to earn less than men and many women shoulder much of the burden of raising children.”

Van Niekerk adds that there are also glass ceilings and work enjoyment to consider, as many professionals in corporate environments find that the only way to increase their earnings is to climb the corporate ladder into management, where they may find themselves tasked with managerial duties and administration and not the work they love.

“By reinventing their own working conditions as independent consultants, women professionals have been able to craft working conditions that suit their needs and still offer them the opportunity to grow professionally and increase their earnings.”

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Professional women better at juggling tasks

Van Niekerk believes that women in general are often better at juggling many tasks and are really good at delivery, all of which lends itself to independent consulting. “In the world of on-demand talent, it is not about who you network with or who is the biggest talker in the room, it is about delivery and expertise.”

Survey respondents enjoyed more opportunities, development and growth as well as the flexibility they wanted. They felt they were not getting what they wanted in corporate environments and they said the move out had left them feeling both empowered and valued.

Before taking the leap, Van Niekerk says you should remember that being a freelancer is like being an entrepreneur as it requires planning and discipline, expertise and networks, while there are risks to consider, such as poorly negotiated contracts and slow payment from clients.

“As our survey results show women have little to lose and a lot to gain from breaking glass ceilings and taking control of their own professional growth by becoming independent consultants with the right networks and support.”

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More freedom for professional women

Karen Louw of Actuarial & Business Consulting, who has been freelancing for over three years, says she opted to become an independent contractor for more freedom in the kind of work she was doing and in how she structured time.

For her, one of the key benefits was gaining time to focus on delivery with much less non-productive time spent in meetings or traffic. She enjoys the freedom to structure her day as it suits her, with more relaxed mornings thanks to no commuting, her afternoons free and work in the evening when she is more productive. 

Louw says she earns significantly more than she did in the corporate space and also works a great deal harder. While her income is variable, she prefers the freedom to spend and invest as she sees fit, instead of having to align to the corporate benefits provided.

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Paid what I am worth

Tlangelani Dolly Makole, executive director at Denzama Consulting, another experienced independent contractor for over three years, says her move was informed by wanting to be paid what she felt she was worth.

Makole says her path was chosen around self-identity in terms of the capabilities and impact she could bring to different organisations and developing her own strong, personal brand. “The biggest benefits of becoming an independent contractor are being able to define your own terms and conditions and knowing your own worth and getting what you deserve based on what you bring to the table.”

Her move has also given her the opportunity to set an example for young women, showing that it is possible for young women and for women like her, who are in their 40s, to stand their ground and be themselves.

While Louw says she has not experienced gender discrimination, Makole believes it still exists in the sector. However, she opts to use any discrimination as motivation to prove her capabilities.