Many industries make use of gig workers: temporary, independent contractors who are paid to complete a specified task and usually work for several companies in any given year. These seasonal heroes alleviate peaks in demand, such as for hotel and airport workers during school breaks, amusement-park staff in the summertime, or security teams for festivals. It’s a short-term benefit, for the company and the gig economy. But it doesn’t have to be.
In this first of a three-article series, Deloitte suggests adopting a new perspective and a progressive strategy: Pro-actively manage seasonal peaks, and plan for them in a more structured way, to reap the benefits of gig workers all year round.
In this current labour market, where workers are never available in sufficient supply, DHL and PostNL are still able to scale up resources before a busy period. Ewout Blaauw, of DHL Netherlands, says, “The profession of delivery man turns out to be very attractive for young people, who often do this for a period, for example in addition to a study.” PostNL asks staff who normally sit behind a desk to pitch in to help package delivery, and a gig workforce supports the PostNL delivery people, who are also asked to work more.
After a seasonal peak subsides, many companies routinely scale the workforce back down. But departing gig workers take with them valuable skills and knowledge. We can be making more of our investment in the gig workforce. It starts with treating them as valuable contributors to the business. If a company can demonstrate a sentiment of value – make a gig worker feel that they are ‘one of them’ – recruiters stand a much better chance of attracting the people they want, and not losing sight of them after the peak is over.
The nature of gig work may signify autonomy and noncommitment, but that doesn’t mean the worker isn’t incentivised by some degree of stability and appreciation for their valued work. Here are five tips to breed loyalty in your gig workforce:
The gig economy is here to stay; many workers actually prefer temporary employment to permanent work. If you see the value in finding and training this talent pool to cover seasonal peaks, meet them on their own terms: Cater to their aptitude for temporary but recurring work for clients who value them. With a loyal, returning gig workforce, seasonal peaks are no longer a hurdle to overcome. They become part of your normal way of working, and they bring year-round benefits.
Interested in learning more about maximising a seasonal workforce? Look for the next two articles of this series early in 2024, about organisation transformation and HR transformation.