Gig Work officially gives way to the Flex Workforce
Matt Gorman
![Matt Gorman]()
Matt Gorman
Chief Revenue Officer | Six Sigma | Workforce Management | Advisor I Balanced Growth Leader | Staffing Junkie | B2B Batman
In today's world, the workforce is no longer limited to one role for one person. With the rise of the Gig Economy, the demand for flexibility exploded. However, as the Gig Model for employment’s effectiveness begins to wane, it paved the way for the rise of the Flex Model or “Multiple Earning Model”. Contractors and contingent laborers are no longer comfortable relying on the availability of one-day employment opportunities, or other forms of traditional Gig work. While they do not wish to sacrifice flexibility, they are looking for shift-based work they can count on. The modern workforce is seeking work that is sustainable, reliable, and most importantly-predictable. The Flex Model allows workers to move away from being Gig ”Contractors” and to Flex “Employees”, reaping the benefits such a moniker entitles them. They can still work for various companies on schedules of their choosing, but now they can plan and build a life for themselves with confidence.
1. Difference between Gig Workers and Flex Workers?
Unlike the Gig Workforce immediately following the Pandemic, the new Flexible Workforce has the ability to work from home, to work at different locations, and to work when they want, but with the added benefit of being able to plan for the future. The Flexible Workforce of today is still relying on multiple employers much like their gig predecessors, but in a way that gives them a predictable income. For most workers, 40 hours a week may still be the desired amount of workable hours to achieve economic freedom, but accruing those hours via one host employer, or on short-term gigs is becoming the way of the past. In contrast, the average Flex Employee works at three different physical locations a week. Different from years past with Gig Work, Flex Employees are looking for and choosing employment options that allow them to return to the same three locations, week over week. They are able to achieve their desired economic outcome albeit still through a variety of employers. The biggest concern for most Gig Workers was the unpredictability of their employment. While Gig Work was great to supplement full-time employment or make ends meet during a volatile few years, it falls short of being able to provide a sustainable lifestyle. While reliability was the main frustration to the Gig Worker, it is much less of a concern for their Flex Employee peers, who are achieving full-time compensation with certainty and foresight.?
2. Benefits of a flexible workforce
The Flex - “Multiple Earning Model” is becoming the way of working that is fast, efficient, and most importantly, reliable. While the benefits to the Flex Workers are vast, companies are also taking advantage of this model and adapting their businesses to meet the demands of a tightening employment market. Although some companies have been slow to evolve, those who have can finally balance the work they need to be done, with the availability of workers to do it. Much like the Flex Workers themselves, companies are looking to build flexible schedules and teams they can rely on, while also avoiding the revolving door of Gig Workers they have unfortunately grown accustomed to. While the biggest concern for Gig Workers was the predictability of their employment options, the biggest concern for companies was the sustainability of a gig workforce. A carousel of new Gig Workers every day made it hard for even the most streamlined businesses to forecast and budget and employers are all but fed up with draining their resources to keep up with the high churn rates. The Flex Model creates sustainability in hiring, reduces the cost burdens of constant training, and creates work schedules that benefit both employees and employers, which is something the Gig Model could never quite do.
3. Looking forward