Abstract
In the light of the growing popularity of the freelance market and numerous challenges posed by this fast-changing market, the current study aims to identify freelancers’ skills required on the market. In so doing, the study builds on the preliminary research conducted in multiple countries: Indonesia, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Spain, and Ukraine. During the study, semi-structured interviews have been conducted with professionals and companies operating on the freelancer market. The data analysis allowed us to identify the most important factors and areas for freelancers that require improvement. The analysis also allowed us to gain insight into the role of culture and socioeconomic development. The main findings illustrate the paramount role of freelancer’s personal attributes such as self-organization and assertiveness, and also suggest the growing importance of soft skills relative to the level of the country’s socioeconomic development.
Paper Type
Poster
DOI
10.62036/ISD.2026.136
Identifying Required Freelancers’ Skills: Insights from a Multi-country Study
In the light of the growing popularity of the freelance market and numerous challenges posed by this fast-changing market, the current study aims to identify freelancers’ skills required on the market. In so doing, the study builds on the preliminary research conducted in multiple countries: Indonesia, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Spain, and Ukraine. During the study, semi-structured interviews have been conducted with professionals and companies operating on the freelancer market. The data analysis allowed us to identify the most important factors and areas for freelancers that require improvement. The analysis also allowed us to gain insight into the role of culture and socioeconomic development. The main findings illustrate the paramount role of freelancer’s personal attributes such as self-organization and assertiveness, and also suggest the growing importance of soft skills relative to the level of the country’s socioeconomic development.
Recommended Citation
Dymek, D., Soja, P. & Paliwoda-Pękosz, G.(2026). Identifying Required Freelancers’ Skills: Insights from a Multi-country Study. In M. Valenta, B. Mannová, R. Pergl, A. Przybylek, M. Lang, H. Linger, C. Schneider, N. Iivari, & E. Insfran (Eds.), Making ISD Sustainable: Reloaded with AI and Automation (ISD2026 Proceedings). Prague, Czech Republic: Czech Technical University in Prague. ISBN: 978-80-01-07585-2. https://doi.org/10.62036/ISD.2026.136