The gig economy is on a continuous upward trajectory around the world, but that should come as no surprise. Driven by technological advancement and higher accessibility to a global workforce and put into high gear by the COVID-19 pandemic, the gig economy is currently booming and will continue to reshape the business world as we know it. Now, there is no denying that the gig economy, should you choose to tap into it, can significantly boost the efficiency of your business.
While contingent workers and outsourced talent can push your company forward in many ways, though, it’s also important to note that the gig economy can bring some managerial problems to light. Mainly, it can be difficult for business leaders to effectively engage and motivate their gig workers. And as we all know, employee engagement is one of the keys to higher productivity in your team, but also for long-term success and growth.
So, let’s tackle this problem head-on and give you the top strategies to engage your employees more effectively in the current gig economy.
In a nutshell, businesses can leverage the booming gig economy to achieve their goals by effectively engaging and motivating both full-time and gig workers.
Firstly, it’s important to note that business leaders tend to make one very important mistake that’s not as obvious at first – they don’t include gig workers in their HR lifecycle. At first glance, you might think to yourself that this is an unnecessary process, because after all, contingent workers are not here to stay, and they are not a part of your full-time employee collective. And you would be partially right.
You see, your HR lifecycle has three important pillars that help push the company forward:
These are not just random processes some HR guru made up, they are processes crucial to productivity, culture, employee satisfaction and motivation, retention and acquisition, and much more. If you want to engage with and motivate your gig workers to do better work, then you need to properly onboard them, monitor and improve their performance, and properly offboard them when the time comes to say goodbye. Performance management is a key aspect of this lifecycle, and it's crucial to have a clear understanding of the type of performance report that can effectively track and measure your gig workers' productivity and engagement. Performance management is a key aspect of this lifecycle, and it's crucial to have a clear understanding of the type of performance report that can effectively track and measure your gig workers' productivity and engagement.
People all over the world are struggling nowadays emotionally, psychologically, financially, and in many other ways. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought many insecurities to our everyday lives, and now more than ever before we need the support and understanding of our peers and leaders during these difficult times. Engaging with your contingent workers and full-time staff is no longer just about team building or several words of praise, it’s about truly caring for the individual and their well-being.
Connect with your employees to see how they are doing and how their needs are evolving in these trying times. Give them the tools and the support they need to stay fit and well whilst working from home, and use a personalised approach in your communication with each worker. This will show them that they are not alone and will motivate them to give back to your company and achieve better results.
The gig economy has opened numerous lucrative opportunities for companies looking to access the global talent pool. Now more than ever before, contingent workers are easier to reach and hire from abroad, but that doesn’t mean that sourcing talent is easy or that ensuring legal compliance is always a straightforward process.
International companies looking to source talent in the European Union, for example, need to come up with compliant contractor workforce solutions for Europe and its various local markets where laws and regulations differ from country to country. Ensuring compliance not only minimises legal risk, but it also allows you to source, engage with, and nurture the most talented contingent workers in your organisation.
Effective communication is a foundational pillar of productivity nowadays, whether you’re running a localised, decentralised, or international team. One of your top priorities should be to minimise communication bottlenecks and allow your full-time employees to communicate and collaborate with your gig workers seamlessly.
To do this, you should:
Finally, make sure to bring your gig workers into the company culture and help them internalise your values. While they are not your employees, that doesn’t mean that they don’t want to feel like they’re a part of your team, and furthermore, becoming a part of your culture will elevate their productivity and happiness.
To that end, be sure to help your contingent workers internalise your values and the culture everyone shares in your organisation. You can do this with traditional workshops and through your onboarding process, but you can also do it through one-on-one meetings, group meetings, collaboration, and of course, by being a leader.
The gig economy is booming around the world, and now’s your chance to capitalise on this lucrative trend. Make sure to do it right by engaging and motivating your full-time and contingent workers, and you should have no problem achieving your short, mid, and long-term goals.
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