Employee experience (EX) is a priority for 92 percent of organizations this year, and there’s good reason. Research shows that businesses that invest in EX have more than four times the profit and two times the revenue than companies that don’t.

When prioritizing EX, many business leaders will focus on their traditional full-time and part-time employees. However, gig workers shouldn’t be overlooked.

 

What is a gig worker?

A gig worker is defined as a person who works temporary jobs typically in the service sector as an independent contractor or freelancer. According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, jobs for these types of workers may be project-based, hourly or part-time, and may be part of an ongoing contract or temporary position.

Although gig workers oftentimes don’t work for an employer long term, it is still important that they have a good experience while they are making contributions. Here are some tips to making sure the experience you are providing gig workers is on par with the rest of your organization:

 

1. Keep Connected

The pandemic forced business leaders to create agile working environments that kept employees connected regardless of where they were located. Although some team members may be heading back to the office, it is essential that the technology investments and processes that kept employees connected over the last year remain. Not only do permanent employees need the ability to collaborate from anywhere, but gig workers like freelancers and contractors also need to be equipped with tools to stay connected to their teams. A human capital management (HCM) platform that provides social media-style communication tools can increase collaboration and provide a better working experience. This type of intuitive technology helps to keep both permanent and temporary employees communicating with little to no training needed.

 

2. Set Expectations

Although many gig workers are skilled at working independently, it is still important to set expectations and create structure just like you would for the rest of your workforce. This may include providing a list of best practices, scheduling recurring team meetings or having regular supervisor check-ins to assess progress and address questions. By being clear about expectations and creating structure around those expectations, freelancers and contractors are more likely to feel integrated with the team, which can improve their overall experience and quality of work.

 

3. Ask for Feedback

One of the best ways to improve employee experience is to collect feedback via questionnaires and surveys. While your organization may already do this for traditional full- and part-time employees, why not learn about the experience of your gig workers as well? Consider asking for feedback during onboarding and offboarding as well as via quick pulse surveys, which can be sent on a regular cadence – such as a monthly or quarterly basis. Not only will gig workers feel like engaged members of the team, but their feedback can also help you improve the experience of future contractors and freelancers.

 

Building a Positive EX for Every Employee

Focusing on employee experience after a year like 2020 makes a lot of sense, but it is fundamental to consider every employee and every stage of employment. An end-to-end HCM platform can help business leaders better engage both permanent and temporary employees, from onboarding through retirement.

 

Learn more about transforming employee experience for a better today and a better tomorrow by downloading this SWOT analysis of 500 HR departments.

 

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