If you’re having a hard time trying to fill a vacant position at your company, have you considered hiring a contingent worker? Contingent, freelance, and gig workers are taking on more roles as the trend to find top talent remains a constant struggle.
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According to a new Clutch survey, more than one in three workers (36%) have turned to the gig economy to find additional work to help supplement their income. Additionally, one in five workers (17%) are currently looking to get into the gig economy, which can also provide a safeguard against unemployment.
While some employers may frown upon having workers who have multiple jobs, 35% of respondents say their employers don’t mind if their workers have a “side hustle.” In fact, in some industries it’s common for workers to have multiple jobs, in order to make ends meet—according to 37% of respondents.
According to Alison Green, a management consultant and author of a blog on work advice, “There are really only two situations where a manager should interfere with an employee’s side job: if the work or the client poses a conflict of interest or if it’s interfering with the employee’s primary job.” Green adds, “But if it’s not a conflict of interest and it’s not getting in the way of the person’s work, the manager should stay out of it.”
Gig Worker Benefits and Benefits to Offer Gig Workers
According to the Clutch findings, employers can benefit from hiring gig workers, so long as they have appropriate policies in place. Clutch says, “Companies might find that a liberal policy around side jobs can lead to an enhanced workforce.”
Clutch survey respondent, Wayne Strickland, Vice President of Greetings Global Distribution Strategy at Hallmark, explains how Hallmark’s gig workers have benefited the company, and how Hallmark has helped benefit its gig workers:
“Hallmark offers a ‘renewal period’ to employees: a week of paid time off, on top of paid vacation and sick time.” Strickland explains that “[m]ost of the creative folks are creative in many areas. Hallmark gets a piece of that, but they don’t get all of it.” Strickland says employees use their renewal period to refine skills or pursue a craft that can, in turn, support better performance at their full-time jobs.
By offering such benefits to all employees, not just gig workers to get them in the door, your company can reap the benefits of newly honed skills. Strickland believes that encouraging employees to pursue creative work outside the office makes Hallmark stronger, and if you follow Hallmark’s lead, your company can benefit too.
Recruiting Gig Workers for Technical Positions
According to Clutch, companies are most likely to hire contract or freelance workers for short-term projects that require technical or specialized knowledge. The Clutch survey says 29% of respondents hire temporary workers who offer technical skills, including experience with analytics, IT, and data science, as well as web, mobile, or software development.
Companies also hire temporary workers for marketing and creative projects (14%), administrative tasks (12%), customer service (10%), and accounting (10%). If you’ve got an open position that you can’t seem to find the right fit for, try recruiting a gig worker, especially when it comes to short-term projects.
A gig worker can offer a unique set of skills, based on his or her experience working for multiple companies at one time. Gig workers also help fill your company’s immediate needs, and if he or she ends up being the perfect fit for the role, you can hire the worker for a full-time position.
Remember, gig workers have mostly chosen to go the freelance-route for supplemental income but could be willing to work full-time. As the Clutch findings indicate, a workers’ primary goal is to earn more money, with 69% of respondents identifying increased income as the reason they hold a side job.
To learn more about the Clutch survey findings, How the Gig Economy Affects the Workplace in 2018, click here.