What can service industries learn from the gig economy ?
Here are four ways you can adopt gig strategies to better attract and retain talent .
During the pandemic , life and the way we all work truly shifted . We are currently seeing this fundamental shift play out in the service industry labor crisis . Tech companies seem to have a solution figured out - and not just for their office workers .
Before the pandemic , we saw the rise of the gig economy . Companies like Uber and Door Dash capitalized gig labor models that are founded on flexible schedules and a strong technology backbone . Services industries can take inspiration and embrace a gig mentality to make sustainable changes to their labor approach that attracts employees and improves bottom lines in the long run .
There are 4 high-impact ways a gig mindset can offset the labor crisis :
Provide flexible work schedules
1 . Identify benefits that really matter
2 . Automate and optimize tasks
3 . Foster a culture and work environment that inspires raving fans
Provide Flexible Work Schedules
One of the biggest draws that the gig economy offers is that workers control their own schedules . This became a necessity as the pandemic threw childcare and school schedules to the wind . Approaching the labor crisis with a gig mindset can open new labor pools that were previously off limits because of prehistoric approach to shift scheduling . While dependable and easy to manage , industrial-era schedules have turned more than one segment of the labor force away because their rigidity doesn ’ t easily fit into modern family life .
A flexible gig mindset opens a whole new world . Consider working moms . If morning shifts start at 7:00 am , they would be hard-pressed to get out the door , get the kids to school ( s ) on time , and get to work by 7:00 . Or they would have to find reliable childcare for the morning , which is another expense factoring into their choice of where to work . Let ’ s face it - that does not create a great family environment and adds stress that your employees will bring to work .
Typical shifts based on the industrial revolution and daylight-saving time might have run their course . Getting creative with gig shifts holds a lot of promise . For example , offering shift options from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm ( while the kids are in school ) brings parents that would like to work back into the active workforce . If it works better for someone to work three shifts of ten hours , why wouldn ’ t we let them ? Conversely , if shorter shifts were open , service industries would become more attractive in the labor market .
As another labor source , many hotels are focusing their recruitment efforts on are schools . This generation is familiar with the gig economy concept and is likely to find existing shift and scheduling protocols dated and uninspired . Capturing the minds and hearts of the next generation of leaders with a flexible and progressive scheduling model should be a united focus throughout service industries .
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