Tag Archive: Gig Economy

  1. Talent Acquisition: Tips for Tapping the Gig Workforce

    The gig economy currently employs more than 50 million Americans – 34% of the U.S. workforce.

    With an entire marketplace for gig work now easily accessible in apps and online, we’ve seen a boom in the gig economy. The gig workforce is adding $715 billion annually to the economy through freelance work, and researchers project that half of the working U.S. population will move into gig work within the next five years, according to an Elance report.

    What does this mean for traditional employers? How will talent acquisition compete now that job seekers have countless options for work?

    These questions came up in a recent webinar on the gig economy. Talent experts Courtney Gear and Cheryl Oxley shared insight on how talent acquisition teams can lean into, rather than resist the transformation taking place in today’s workforce. They also answered questions on how gig workers are impacting traditional businesses, and how traditional businesses are adapting the growing gig workforce.

    How do gig workers impact a company’s culture?

    Typically, gig workers are temporary and might work sporadically, or will work until a project is done and then move on. They usually aren’t performance appraised, and don’t receive training like a full-time employee would. But, if they’re interacting with your company on a regular basis, even for a short term, they’re going to have an impact on your culture.

    The degree to which gig workers impact your culture will depend on their level of involvement, as well as how many gig workers you hire and how often you hire them.

    If you use gig workers on a project-by-project basis, they will likely pick up on your existing culture, and it’s possible they will add their own outside flavor. Using a culture analytics tool, you can track culture changes over time and measure the impact that gig workers are having on your culture.

    Culture is also important in companies that operate on a gig model. Gig workers may not have as many opportunities for team building and collaboration, but the social systems that guide behavior are still at play. A gig culture will likely reflect values such as Adaptability, and employees will tend to have higher levels of self-reliance and follow through.

    How can you change the mindset of talent acquisition teams who view gig workers as job hoppers?

    Talent acquisition or recruiters might make the assumption that gig workers are job hoppers, unreliable or unable to hold a job for long. Other common myths are that gig workers are lazy, uninterested in career growth, or only gigging because they can’t get a ‘real’ job.

    But in fact, more than half of workers in the gig economy began freelancing by choice, not necessity. That’s because gig work offers flexibility, autonomy, and variety, which is appealing to people who dislike the more rigid corporate environment.

    Talent acquisition teams can benefit from leveraging gig workers as an additional talent pool. In today’s economy, it’s hard to find good talent, so rather than disqualifying gig workers, talent acquisition can use this talent pool to fill positions faster.

    It’s a mindset shift that has to happen if companies want to stay competitive, and it starts by thinking differently about what makes someone a good fit for the job. Keep in mind, too, that gig workers gain experience going from one gig to the next, and they get exposure to many different types of companies. This makes them a more well rounded employee who can bring a lot of value to your organization.

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    To learn more about how to win talent in the gig workforce, watch our on-demand webinar: How to Stay Competitive in the Gig Economy.

    The Gig Economy

  2. The Gig Economy: How to Stay Competitive in Talent Selection

    With the rise of the Gig Economy, it’s more critical than ever to understand the job competencies that lead to success.

    Job competencies are key to putting the right people in the right roles. When you know the traits and behaviors that lead to strong performance in a job, you can create a success profile, or predictive model, to identify your top candidates. That’s why leading companies like American Airlines, 7-Eleven, Panera Bread, and countless others have made job competencies a crucial part of talent selection.

    How do job competencies change when the nature of work changes?

    Job competencies evolve as jobs evolve, and right now, the entire workforce is changing. We’re seeing a momentous shift from traditional employment to ‘gig’ work. Gig workers are a new kind of employee—they’re agile, independent, and their jobs range from ride hailing and service delivery to specialized jobs in IT, engineering, creative fields, and beyond.

    According to a recent webinar, the gig workforce is adding $715 billion annually the economy through freelance work, and researchers project that half of the working U.S. population will move into the gig economy within the next five years.

    The rapid rise of the Gig Economy is a result of low unemployment, an increasing desire for flex work, and technology that makes gig marketplaces easily accessible. But, it takes a certain type of person to thrive in a gig environment. As you can imagine, someone who enjoys structure and stability will struggle with gig work. On the flipside, someone who craves flexibly and autonomy will be drawn to it.

    What makes someone a successful gig worker? Top 5 job competencies

    Whether you’re a traditional employer, a gig employer, or somewhere in between, you need to be sure you’re putting people in positions where they’ll be most successful. That means adjusting your success model for gig-style work (when that’s what your hiring for), or incorporating gig perks into your traditional roles to mimic a gig environment.

    These 5 job competencies will tell you if someone is a strong candidate for gig, freelance, or contract work:

    1. Adaptability. Gig workers live in ambiguity. They’re often thrown into different situations, and to be successful, they have to continuously adapt to different companies, different jobs, and different managers.

    2. Planning & Organizing. Time management is critical for gig workers, who must balance various projects at once, manage competing timelines, and carefully consider their bandwidth before taking on additional work.

    3. Relationship Management. Gig workers aren’t always brought ‘into the fold’ like traditional employees, so their ability to build relationships quickly and efficiently will have a big impact on their success.

    4.  Communicating Effectively. Being able to communicate the expectations of the job, ask the right questions, and check in on a regular basis will boost a gig worker’s productivity, which in turn will help them secure more work.

    5. Learning Agility. In gig work, you need someone who has an agile mindset and a desire for continuous learning. High learning agility will boost a gig worker’s self-reliance and empower them to figure things out on their own.

    Also, keep an eye out for these competencies in your traditional employee population. If you have employees who would thrive in a gig environment, consider offering flex time or greater work autonomy to keep them engaged.

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    To learn more about the changing nature of work, and what to expect from the Gig Economy in the next 10 years, watch our on-demand webinar: How to Stay Competitive in the Gig Economy.

    The Gig Economy