Tech startup shies away from the 'gig economy'

Seattle

WHEN Glenn Kelman became the chief executive of his online real estate startup, he defied the tech industry's conventional wisdom about how to grow.

Instead of hiring independent contractors, he brought in full-time employees and put them on the payroll - with benefits. That decision over a decade ago made Mr Kelman and his company, Redfin, iconoclasts in the technology world.