Is your recruitment strategy set for the gig economy?

The gig economy is starting to get a little crowded...

The number of folks working in the gig economy has skyrocketed by 72% since 2010, and that's just in London. But, what is this mythical beast? And, how can recruiters tame it?

Let's take a look...

What's all this gig economy hoo-ha?

Everyone loves a buzzword and 'gig economy' is pretty hot in the recruitment world right now.

A 'gig economy' is a job market based on short-term contracts. Companies hire workers to complete individual projects (or, 'gigs'), which can be a one-off or repeat arrangement.

This option isn't perfect, but it gives businesses and workers something they've been craving; flexibility.

Businesses (often SMEs with tight recruitment budgets) can hire staff easily for a set amount of time. Meanwhile, worker bees can get that all-important work/life balance, or add a bit of extra pocket money to their salary.

How can recruiters get prepped?

Here's a li'l look at how you can get your recruitment strategy set for the gig economy:

Get smart

You're gonna need to double-up on data (and, even that's an understatement!).

Setting metrics

First, you need to find that magic recipe.

Look at the data you've got on your champagne-grade staff (either full-time or freelance) and attach a number to the skills and competencies that have made them successful.

This'll give you a benchmark to aim for, and help you keep tabs on the skills in your company. When an employee leaves, you'll know exactly what you need to replace.

Exit testing

Exit testing takes time and effort, and will probably dent your professional ego. But, it's all for the greater good!

You want honest, candid feedback from freelancers that helps you to get to grips with the bona fide gig worker experience.

First, ask your temporary team to give you a summary of their time with you. Then, get them to answer questions on things like training/onboarding relevance, and whether the job helped them move closer to their professional goals.

Data review

Once you've landed a couple of gig workers, try a bit of 'quality of hire' analysis.

Look at things like goal achievement and overall performance, and work out what this means for your ROI.

If your gig peeps aren't living up to expectations, you can quickly figure out whether it's your hiring that's letting you down.

Keep it moving!

Your hiring strategy's gonna need to be all loosey-goosey if you're going to win big with the gig economy.

Talent pipeline

Get that talent pipeline flowing freely!

If a gig worker does some great stuff, jot down their details for next time.

Top up your talent pipeline with workers from far-and-wide. If a task can be done online, think about advertising globally (with social media, that's a cinch).

But, only settle for the best and make sure they all match up to those skills/competencies we chatted about earlier.

Onboarding

Last, but definitely not least, we need to talk about onboarding.

You'll be doing this much more often, after all. And, it will make or break your project workers.

A little standardisation goes a long way in terms of time saving. Making sure these transient folk get to grips with the job’s goals and your company culture at the start will be worth it as they’ll be well prepared to jump in right from the beginning.

Test out these simple steps and rock the gig economy!