Gig workers now make up over 16% of the US workforce, with that number expected to more than double to greater than half the US workforce by 2028.
Many freelancers feel that by working this way, they get more flexibility over their schedule, can work from wherever they choose, and have more control over their financial future.
Businesses, meanwhile, can use gig workers to fill in short-term staffing gaps like maternity leave. They can also help get projects over the line or lend support on tasks that don’t require a full-time employee.
To get the most out of gig workers, businesses need to make them feel like a valued part of the team.
What are gig workers?
Before we go any further, let’s define what gig workers are (and aren’t).
A gig worker is someone who isn’t an employee but works for your business. This could be as a short-term contractor or a long-term freelancer. It may be that person’s only role, or they may do it around other responsibilities. That person is likely to work with other companies alongside yours.
Depending on the role, they might work in-office, be out in the field, or work from home.
As they’re not an official employee, they’re responsible for their own taxes, healthcare, etc. They also don’t get sick pay or vacation pay. It’s worth factoring these things in when budgeting for gig workers. They may look more expensive on the surface, but it’s because their costs are higher. When you factor in the additional costs that come with employees, they may still work out cheaper.
How to make gig workers feel like part of the team
Make it easy for them to connect with colleagues
When starting out at a new business, freelancers need to get to know your product and business. Connecting them with employees who have that expertise can help them get going faster, meaning you get more out of them.
Road blocks happen when they can’t connect with the people who have the information or knowledge they need to do what you hired them to do.
You could stick to email communication, or set them up on Slack. I’ve seen some gig workers added to company Slack communities, or others added to a project-specific channel. Pick the model that works for you.
Give them more than one point of contact
Sometimes, one of the reasons freelance contracts end isn’t because someone isn’t good in their role. It’s because their point of contact leaves and doesn’t pass their details on to their replacement.
This is something I see all too often in freelance groups. Luckily, it has a really simple solution: connect your freelancers with more than one person in your team. Especially if they’re dealing with middle management.
That way, if someone is out sick, the gig worker’s job doesn’t get held up waiting for a response from someone who needs to be wrapped up in a blanket watching bad TV.
Give them access to your tools
If you have a particularly complex SaaS product, giving gig workers access to a dummy account — especially if they work in something like marketing or sales — means they don’t have to message you with questions about how this works or that works when writing your sales copy or how-to guides.
Some people learn better by using tools, and this means anything they produce for you will be stronger, too.
Pay them fairly
One of the benefits of hiring gig workers is that you don’t need to pay taxes, benefits, healthcare, etc. But that isn’t an excuse to not pay fairly.
Freelancers don’t just have bills to pay, they’re also responsible for their own healthcare and don’t get paid when they take sick leave or go on vacation. Paying them fairly shows you know what they’re worth and appreciate them using that knowledge to grow your business.
Pushing back when they raise their rates suggests you don’t see the additional value they’ve brought to your business.
When you pay someone more, you’ll get more out of them.
Respect their expertise
Regardless of why you hire a freelancer, you’ve hired them because they know what they’re doing. So respect that knowledge.
A pattern myself and many of my freelancer friends have noticed is that the companies who pay the least question our skills and knowledge the most. They want more edits on a blog post; they give us the work they don’t want to do; they question when we’ve raised our rates even though they’ve given their employees a pay raise.
They treat us as disposable.
The companies that respect gig workers will trust their knowledge and judgement and pay them what they’re worth.
Otherwise, why not just hire an employee or get AI to do it?
Engage with their LinkedIn content
As many gig workers have other clients or will be looking for work once the contract is over, engaging with their social media content is a small way to show you support them.
It makes them feel like a valued part of the team without you needing to say or do anything else.
Plus, it sends a positive message to anyone considering working for them that you like working with them, and could even lead to their next role.
Remember: they’re not an employee
Sometimes businesses try to treat their gig workers like employees by telling them what to do, when to do it, and how to do it. That’s not okay.
They’re not getting the benefits of being an employee, which means you have far less control over how they conduct their work.
What matters is that they get the job done.
Conclusion
Some of the ways to make your gig workers feel like a part of the team are basic things you should do to support every employee, regardless of how they’re hired. Others require a little more upfront investment but are worth it for building long-term collaborations and a healthy work environment.
Want to make your gig workers feel even more like a part of the team? Why not add them to your employee groups? Even if they’re only there for a little while, the connections they make could be invaluable to their future career growth. Using Workrowd, you can better manage your employee groups and make everyone feel welcome. Get in touch to find out more.
