The rise of the gig economy: You ready for it?
Conundrums aside, the gig economy is changing the way we work and hire.
Web developer; social media strategist; brand and content marketer; copywriter and graphic designer — what do these professionals have in common in this digital age?
Freelance, independent and on-demand contract workers. They all work remotely and earn their keep from a hodgepodge of short-term work projects or retainer-based contract jobs from multiple companies.
Hello gig economy! A trend that’s gathering momentum and changing the terms on which most people work and recruit new workers.
A gig, in this case, refers to a job. An opening that could be available as a freelance, temporary or part-time position, where the client hires an independent worker i.e. gig worker or freelancer to work on a project-to-project basis.
For companies looking to limit staffing costs or avoid the risk of full time mis-hires via recruiters, on-demand hiring seems to be the way to go and the gig economy offers exactly that.
Secondly, is it all bad news for anyone choosing to not take the freelance path? On the surface, it does seem like it but fortunately that’s not always the case.
So, what does the gig economy mean for a worker and an employer?
Let’s break it down:
Finding the right candidate for a job role takes considerable effort. In the gig economy, an employer looking to hire, now has the flexibility to “try out” the gig workers, and verify their niche expertise with ad-hoc projects before converting them to full time staff.
This shift in the employment landscape allows a company to skip the traditional recruiters [to avoid a bad hire], and simply pay a finder’s fee in exchange for a peace of mind on hiring candidates with the relevant skills. Also, in a gig economy, the employer has the option to contract gig workers with niche expertise, who may be too expensive to maintain otherwise on a full time payroll.
In a nutshell, you are your own boss. You set your own schedule and can work from wherever you want. Top that off with the flexibility to select the kind of jobs you wish to participate in — dream job, yes?
Ok, there’s no denying that going down the freelancer path isn’t everyone’s cup of tea but what if this path could potentially lead you to your dream job? Yes full time too!
If you’re out of a job and have a niche expertise to offer, do not overlook the benefits of joining the freelance and gigging workforce. Gig workers sourced from online talent platforms such as MomoCentral do get converted to full time employment once the clients see the efficiency and relevance these gig workers contribute over the short term work engagements.*
There is nothing radical about the gig economy except the fact it is part of a shifting cultural and business environment that will, love it or loathe it, change the way we work and hire. So, buckle up and embrace it!
*Clients who have bought out “talents” from MomoCentral include top companies like Xfers (YCombinator W’15).
Are you already part of the gig economy? Or are you about to jump on the gigging bandwagon? Leave your questions, comments and share your thoughts with us. We’d love to hear from you!
