“A lot of companies are starting to post work internally, with the thought that if somebody can do it within 12 hours that’s the first choice,” Leffler explained. “If not, they go to a trusted group of freelancers.”

The gig economy has become controversial as companies such as Uber and Airbnb have disrupted the traditional taxi and hotel industries. California officials, for example, are trying to make Uber treat its drivers as employees instead of contractors.

Leffler says her firm’s clients usually aren’t trying to replace their full-timers with contract workers.

“In my eyes, the two are complementary,” she says. “The gig economy is here to stay for work that is variable and has big peaks and valleys, but there are many other jobs where that is not the case and having internal experts makes sense.”