The gig economy has developed a positive reputation, for the most part, in recent years. What was once filled with inexperienced people looking to get their foot in the door to different occupations, the gig economy is now full of experts who want more flexibility. Some of the main benefits of hiring gig workers is not having to hire full-time staff to fill various cyber and network security jobs you have open. However, before you jump into the talent pool of the gig economy with both feet, you have to look at some of the challenges it presents as well.
Engagement Can Be Challenging
Staff engagement is one of the biggest challenges every business owner faces. Too many people with IT networking jobs think of their position as just a job rather than being engaged with growing the company. And since gig workers likely won’t even meet you or your staff face-to-face, engaging them is even more of a challenge. This doesn’t mean their quality of work is going to be bad, but it could mean they will jump at a new opportunity quickly because they won’t feel like they are part of your team and owe you anything.
Classify The Gig Worker Accurately
Classification is another tricky part of hiring gig workers. You don’t want to violate any wage laws by misclassifying workers, so it’s important to make the classification very clear and in writing. In general, if you are hands-on in directing a gig worker to complete a certain project under your strict guidelines, it’s best to classify them as an employee. But if the worker has the freedom to complete the project on their own with very little guidance, then classifying them as a contractor is usually safe.
Balancing Gig Workers With Full-Time Employees is Key
Usually, a mix of full-time employees and gig workers works well for companies. Your data center engineer probably needs to be full-time, since they have to be engaged with everything that goes on in the organization. Positions like cyber and network security jobs could also be filled in-house, but there are plenty of qualified gig workers to help you out on specific projects as well. Every company is different, so once you evaluate your needs thoroughly, you can determine the right balance.
Anistar Technologies has access to some of the most talented technology experts across the country. Whether your company is interested in hiring a full-time data center engineer or needs a contractor to handle various IT networking jobs, our talent pool is deep enough to fulfill your needs. The gig economy continues to grow, and we are here to answer any questions you may have. Feel free to contact us at any time for tips and advice on structuring your organization for success.
