Can You Gig?

The Gig Workforce  

 

The way we work has changed and continues to change. The 9-5 Monday thru Friday work world that most of us grew up with is a shifting landscape. 

The workforce is this country is moving towards a freelance-based system with more entrepreneurs and independent service provider sources cropping up daily. These virtual ‘specialists’ – sometimes independent contractors and sometime vendors – provide services on an agreed upon basis that could be as much as 40 hours a week or as little as one to four hours a month.

Each project or bit of work is called a gig. And it creates a gig economy. According to surveys, such as Deloitte’s Global Human Capital Trends 2016 the gig economy is booming.

In a nutshell: Four powerful forces—from demographic upheavals and the rise of digital technology to rapid business-model innovation, and socially driven evolution in the employer-employee relationship—are driving change for both HR functions and the organizations they serve, creating talent challenges and potential solutions radically different from those faced by previous generations of leaders.

Deloittes’ findings suggest that about one in three people in the American workforce now are part of the gig economy and that number is expected to grow. This is what allows for the flexibility most businesses and non-profits need. This enables them to grow when the need is there and to reduce the workforce (budget) when not needed.

Gigger Benefits

The other side of this coin is that it generates a more mobile workforce. Giggers can work at hours best suited for them. They can also self-determine how many hours they want to be available. This can be especially appealing to those who are semi-retired

or who want to juggle several gig-related projects at a time.

The competition can be keen, however, for many – but not all - gigs. Talent, skills, and expertise are still coveted and are often what most projects require. But there are also jobs, such as data entry and social media monitoring, that may not require as much sophistication as they do a familiarity with the newest tools and applications.

The gig-train is here. Get ready to jump on board!

Related Information

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