There has been a rise in the use of the word “GIG” over the last couple of years. Gig working is nothing but temporary position/work for a specific period of time. Gig workers are usually independent workers and work in a free market system.
As we rethink or focus more on the gig model we also need to see the cultural shifts that are happening globally and how that influences your gig workforce and their overall organizational experience.
Some of the top macroeconomic cultural shits shape the culture of the Gig Workforce.
Rise of the Creator Economy
One of the biggest cultural shifts you will notice is the rise of the creator economy and one that is continuing to grow. During and post-pandemic, many people started to focus inwardly and that has given many a realization of the hidden skills one possesses and how they could put that to good use as a side hustle.
For some it was the sheer passion of learning a new skill and utilizing it for monetary gain, for others it was hobby driven. Then there are the followers, those looking at the success of their peers and slowly jumping on the bandwagon.
I am sure as you read this you will realize that at some point you would have felt the urge to create something over the last few years, could be a Vlog, a music video, something in art, a new software, or community service, and the list is endless.
We have seen the success of Tictok, Twitch, Insta, and many such open platforms. Over 50 million people around the world now consider themselves creators.
Impact and Growing Influence of the Digital World
One of the other cultural disruptors is the impact and growing influence of the digital world. Everything in the physical world is now influenced by the online world. The pandemic changed the relations with the physical world, people are more online now and the physical world is now competing with the virtual world for resources.
Metaverse is a classic example of this. With this people have the freedom to design whatever narrative or identity they desire and can also use this space to showcase their skills and other expertise. Metaverse kind of technology allows users to not just create a unique identity but gives them space and scale to market and grow their own community.
The above cultural shifts combine with organization cultural shifts of flexibility where employees are now looking to a mode of working that allows them space and time to create, to take care of themselves, their families, and their passion. The increased focus on self-care and wellbeing and increased sense of purpose to be able to contribute to something that creates a larger impact on the world and the quest to be Net Better Off is slowly and steadily changing the job landscape.
With the exponential increase in digital platforms, coupled with the organizational cultural shifts we see the avenues for independent workers are increasing by the day. There are now two types of Gig workers one who take up a contractual job and the others who opt for side hustles on a part-time basis.
We have seen an increase in people doing their day job and then taking up a separate task, or job during their free time. We see people leading businesses during the day and doing standups in the evenings or on weekends. We see people working on multiple assignments and managing their work and personal time the way they want.
Advantages
The advantages of the structured gig are aplenty for the organization, it allows the organization to access diverse talent at competitive fees and is mostly location agnostic. It also helps in increasing innovation and allows the organization to expand at a much larger pace.
It could also help employees explore new skills and avenues that they wanted to try out but could not pursue due to some reason. Structured Gig is where we have set guidelines for Gig workers and they are assigned tasks, and jobs that use their skills but restrict them from having a deeper exposure to organizations key intellectual properties or solutions.
Disadvantages
Every upside has a downside, unstructured Gig on the other hand could lead employees to work with your competitors and we have seen many cases of moonlighting happen because of this. This could lead employees to become overworked and could lead to productivity issues and more critically cause immense damage to the employees’ wellbeing in the end. Such unstructured Gig is very detrimental to the organization and for the employee.
Educating employees and young graduates early on in their careers about the advantages and risks of Gig work will help them immensely to plan their careers and pursue their passion.
This trend has just started and like we say a small matchstick can light the entire forest, we see the Gig trend slowly and steadily spread, and like social media, it’s increasing at a rapid pace. As organizations we need to be cognizant of this and design processes and policies that support what our people love doing, this will create a sense of satisfaction and true belonging.
Moreover, as organizations we need to align employees and orient them toward the larger purpose for this is exactly what each employee wants to contribute in the longer run.
Disclaimer- The opinions/views expressed in this article are those of the authors. They do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of the organization or its employees in any way.
