How the gig economy and business culture are interconnected

Casual or gig economy workers’ top criteria for choosing an employer:

• Predictable pay – this is the most important criterion and is most referred to as ‘guaranteed number of hours’ which casual workers accept having shown as a week-to-week breakdown of hours.

• Flexibility – casual workers need flexibility but also value a schedule that meets their needs and does not cause friction. do not want to be held to the same week-to-week schedule.

• Premium wages – placing third, the amount of pay is important to casual workers, but not as big an impact on their overall life goals as predictability and flexibility.

It is important to note that casual workers and gig economy workers are happy to ‘flex’ in terms of time and location of work – as long as they can have assurances that there will be enough work to meet their needs and that their other demands are respected.

Organisations benefit greatly by meeting casual workers’ needs: a full-time, permanent workforce; worker loyalty; minimal onboarding and training; and brand ambassadors.

The Importance of a Positive Culture for Casual Workers

Given low unemployment rates, a wealth of gig economy job opportunities, and the increase in freestyle attitudes, employers are compelled to deliver a more positive culture for casual workers as part of their EX. Culture greatly impacts engagement and motivation, and among casual workers, can be valued more than higher pay or bonuses.

The importance of culture has been clearly articulated and proven in business globally. This has resulted in the massive shift in focus and investment in culture creation. Technology can rapidly scale and accelerate the positive effects of culture for the permanent workforce. Technology can also be a key investment to ensure that culture creation initiatives are driven for the contingent workforce too. First, thoughtfully investing in culture can yield both short-term and long-term benefits.

To learn more about how the gig economy and employer culture are interconnected download the How Employee Engagement is Shaping Modern HR Management whitepaper.