Who’s Afraid of the On-Demand Workforce?

As the on-demand workforce balloons in size, it is changing the way organizations staff their companies and get critical tasks done. While there is much to be excited about — unparalleled flexibility, increased agility, lowered costs — the on-demand workforce can also induce a little anxiety in business leaders and HR pros, as any disruptive force naturally would.

To get to the heart of the concerns surrounding the on-demand workforce, Waggl and Next Concept HR teamed up to survey thousands of HR professionals from organizations of all sizes, including attendees of HR West 2019. The results of the survey highlight both excitement and some serious worries about the upward trend of on-demand workers.

In aggregate, 67 percent of respondents said their organizations currently hire independent contractors or freelancers to perform work on an on-demand basis, and 64 percent claimed their organizations clearly articulate their values and mission to on-demand employees. A full 74 percent of respondents agreed with the following statement: “My organization listens to the voice of its workers, including on-demand employees, and takes action in response to their concerns and requests.”

However, in government and military organizations, only 33 percent of respondents felt their organizations did a good job of clearly articulating values and mission. In mid-size corporations with 5,000-20,000 employees, only 33 percent of participants agreed their organizations listen to the voices of all workers and take action in response to their concerns, compared to 81 percent of participants at startups and small corporations with fewer than 5,000 employees.

“The gig economy is not just about Uber drivers, artists, and bartenders anymore. Many of these workers have highly specialized skills and an impressive breadth and depth of knowledge,” said Greg Morton, CEO of Next Concept HR Association, in a press release. “Rather than marginalizing on-demand workers, perhaps it is time to embrace this trend for what it actually represents: an opportunity to infuse corporate culture with new learning and ideas, higher engagement, and fresh energy.”

Check out the infographic below for a closer look at the survey results:

Waggl is the most human way for organizations to crowdsource feedback.