Employers who require remote workers can use the oDesk platform to hire independent contractors. oDesk collects the payments in behalf of the contractors and charges fees equal to 10% of the amount earned.
The concept of this freelance marketplace is to provide opportunities for anyone to earn at anytime and anywhere. Employers can post their available jobs on the platform for free. Contractors, who create their profiles on oDesk for free, can place their bids on the job. The clients can shortlist the applicants and choose the one that best fits their requirements. All transactions within the oDesk platform are paid in USD.
oDesk has provided earning opportunities for 170,000 independent contractors across the globe, 37,000 of which are from the US. oDesk reported a total of $113 million worth of services passed through the platform in 2009.