Is the traditional 9-5 job still the norm for today’s workforce? It seems like more than ever now, people are increasingly seeking and open to opportunities where they can continuously learn, have a direct impact, and overall, just create a better work-life balance for themselves.
What is the 'Gig Economy'?
According to the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), the gig economy refers to a labor market where short-term, flexible jobs are prevalent, often facilitated by digital platforms. This economy allows workers to take on various tasks or projects, typically on a freelance or contract basis, rather than engaging in traditional, long-term employment.
Key aspects highlighted by SHRM include the benefits of flexibility and autonomy and variety of work, but also present challenges such as lack of benefits, job security, or even potential legal issues regarding worker classification.
With the need for organizations to adapt to the evolving needs of the workforce today, are they prepared to adapt to this change? What strategies can they implement to take advantage of the strengths a gig economy brings? Are the skills needed to hire these folks beyond what traditional recruitment methods currently offer today? With these rising trends, it is crucial for HR and hiring professionals to know how to effectively implement and manage these diverse and dynamic workforces that include more gig workers and freelancers, in addition to the traditional full-time employee.

A Surge of Gig Employment Opportunities (with flexibility and new ideas!)
The labor market is evolving, and the ‘gig economy’ is one of the biggest drivers. But this isn’t just individuals who are changing their mindset and how they approach work; businesses are also embracing these flexible arrangements and welcoming new ideas to the table.
With this type of employment opportunity, it means that significant transformation is happening to the traditional 9-5 employment model. Which isn’t a bad thing! Some sectors are seeing this shift faster than others including IT, e-commerce, and even healthcare, due to the increasing fast or seasonal nature of the industry and market demands. For instance, IT often hires freelance developers for a special project, or e-commerce may need additional support during the holiday season.
Why should businesses lean on ‘Gig Talent’?
It’s a common misconception that the gig economy is depleting the talent pool, but it’s quite the opposite. With increased flexibility in hiring top talent for very specific needs and impacts to the business to cost savings, there are so many benefits to working with this diverse pool of professionals that you may not see in a traditional role. Given the nature of these types of opportunities and specific engagements, businesses commonly see a reduced time in hiring, a decrease in recruitment costs, and access to a wider more skilled talent pool.
Managing both ‘Gig Work’ and the Traditional Employment Model
Start the week with a kickoff event that brings the whole organization together to acknowledge and celebrate these workers.
“Contractors don’t care as much as full-time employees and they don’t integrate into the team as well.”
This can be a common concern most businesses have when trying to incorporate or transition to this model. But with today’s job market, short-term contracts and adaptability are both advantageous for employers and employees alike; addressing rapid workforce challenges and talent demands more than we have ever seen before.
Here are some practical strategies that can help businesses take the first step and start adopting this type of hiring today.
Tailored job descriptions and hiring process
Given the nature of these types of “gigs”, writing these types of job descriptions don’t have to be daunting. Hiring managers are busy and it’s common to want to just create similar requirements to those of their full-time counterparts, but the question is always, should it be? These types of opportunities are commonly project-based or require very specific skills, so bringing in experts to help write these job descriptions and quickly hire can help you with these necessary steps.
Prioritize the onboarding process
While these employees may have an outlined end date in their letter of engagement, it doesn’t mean that onboarding and integrating them into the team should be any different. Taking the time to create an onboarding process that is tailored to what they need to not only do their job successfully but feel as if they are part of the team is key for successful gig workers.
A collaborative and aligned approach
If you start to bring in these types of employees into your business, ensuring alignment and clear objectives that these workers bring to the team and business objectives are crucial so it doesn’t lead to side chatter. Commonly, a contractor's scope of work will be different than others, and it’s only to be expected given what they are being brought on to do. Being very clear with your team on how and what these individuals will own and contribute to only help create a more collaborative and aligned team.
Check in’s
Just as they are important for full-time employees, check-ins are just as important with these workers. Usually, their scope of work is very prescriptive and has exact outcomes, so checking in with them to ensure they have what they need to hit deliverables and get support where needed will only create a happier, more successful individual and team all around.
Hiring Gig workers doesn't have to be seen as hiring “outsiders” anymore. These types of employees and this type of model are continuing to increase and businesses are capitalizing on this more than they ever have before.
Do you need help finding gig workers or even deciding if your team needs temporary or contract work? Here at Nimble Technology Partners, we take pride in our ability to quickly fill any contract needs. With hands-on experience in the roles you’re looking to fill, let us help find the exact talent you need by partnering with us today!
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