Best Talent Acquisition Practices in the Tech Gig Economy
The gig economy is rapidly progressing in the tech industry. As reported by The Economic Times, research by CIEL HR suggests that 6 out of 10 companies are hiring gig workers. Furthermore, full-time jobs in the IT sector have reduced by 5%, whereas the number of gig workers has increased by 40%.
Companies are looking to hire gig workers and transform the complete workforce infrastructure. It is now paramount to understand how to acquire talent and what the best strategy could be. Well, allow us to take you through the top 5 best practices for talent acquisition in the tech gig economy.
5 Best Practices for Talent Acquisition
Creating a Strong Employee-Facing Brand and Work Culture
Brands and companies must build a strong culture for gig workers and full-time employees. This involves setting up tools and processes to involve gig workers in company programs such as interactive sessions, development programs, training, and more.
Organizations must showcase their adaptability to varying sizes of employees, as it will differ from time to time. They must curate and craft sessions that make communications efficient and fruitful between gig workers and companies. Over and above these, the firms must take initiatives such as team-building exercises and mentorship programs that depict and foster inclusivity, diversity, and a thriving work environment for freelancers. This way, contractors can have stronger bonds with the company, thus increasing brand loyalty.
Leveraging Multiple Channels
Gig workers are everywhere. They are not just on professional platforms such as LinkedIn. So all your marketing and acquisition efforts must be strategized with an omnichannel approach. These include Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and even Reddit. Each platform must have a different motive.
- Instagram: Showcase company culture through reels, images, and more. Run paid ads to attract freelancers to your company website, IG page, or job application portal.
- Facebook: Be part of different communities and groups to post freelance opportunities for part-time workers specializing in different skill sets.
- YouTube: Showcase the vibrant culture of the company through vlogs, infotainment videos, podcasts, and more.
- Reddit: Create threads for different teams to interact with each for multivarious purposes.
- Twitter: Share updates about the happenings in the companies, where it’s headed, and more. You can also post job opportunities for freelancers who follow you and your work.
Offering Increased Flexibility
In the post-COVID era, several companies opt for remote or hybrid work models. These give employees and gig workers geographical flexibility. Furthermore, it allows the talent to work in an environment personalized to their needs and conducive to maximum productivity and efficiency.
Besides these, companies must also offer flexible working hours, thus allowing the personnel to work at a time they see fit. Geographic and temporal flexibility will play a significant role in hiring highly-skilled talent as it will allow them to balance their professional, personal, and social life better. Moreover, it will help organizations choose from a bigger talent pool globally.
Adapting Hiring Strategies
Organizations have been following a specific set of procedures for hiring full-time employees. Hiring gig and part-time employees does not require companies to go through all the processes. However, it also changes the way they should approach hiring.
Instead of finding talent based on the number of employees required, the company must focus on the skillsets. Furthermore, it needs to determine which skill sets are required all the time, which are required at regular intervals, and more. Based on such categories, companies can approach gig workers as and when required instead of looking to fill full-time employment spots.
All projects and departments in the firm can be approached in a similar manner, and hiring can happen on a contractual basis. Besides these, gig workers must be assessed on different metrics than full-time employees.
Developing Gig-Specific Policies
Creating policies and culture for gig workers and part-time positions is challenging, but successful organizations have balanced their policies for full-time and part-time workforces. Companies can continue their retainer policies of medical benefits, retirement savings, perks, and more for employees. For gig workers, the benefits can be in the following forms:
- Bonuses written into the contract if certain criteria are met. These include quick delivery, additional value-add, and more.
- Health benefits for contractual workers through a third-party firm.
- Training and certification programs sponsored by organizations to help gig workers upskill or use to build their credibility.
Conclusion
Overall, these are the top 5 best practices for acquiring talent in the tech gig economy. While some organizations can transform their workflows seamlessly, others require help from experts who excel at talent acquisition. It helps companies save time and cost and get the best talent from the pool.
