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The Internet & Contingent Employment: How They Helped Workforce?

Contingent employment meaning, contingent employment


What is meant by contingent employment?

Organizations often rely on contingent workers for a variety of reasons. When scaling up its workforce to meet specific project demands or covering small issues or problems where the organization lacks expertise, they often contract outside groups who have those capabilities.

Many reasons can explain why companies are relying on temporary workers. For example, a company that is growing may need to increase the size of its workforce to meet the requirements of a new project. Sometimes, a large organization does not have the necessary expertise in-house to deal with specific small issues and therefore calls upon an outside team with the relevant qualifications.

How the Internet has facilitated the growth of the contingent workforce

The contingent workforce is a growing trend that has been supported by the increased digitization of the workplace.

As technology advances and employers often get short-term, project-based work, it's more difficult to afford a full-time workforce. This poses a unique challenge for some workers and limits their ability to gain meaningful employment. As a result, we are seeing a rise in the contingent workforce.

In the past, companies found it difficult to find temporary workers to fill short-term or project-based needs. It was rare that someone would be willing to take on short-term work, and it was even rarer that the employer would be able to find them. Websites like Upwork were developed to help employers fill these roles more easily, and have been largely successful.

This flexibility for employers has made it easier for people who may have previously been ineligible for full-time employment—because of family care responsibilities, physical disabilities, financial instability, or other reasons—to get a foothold into the job market. This is especially true for remote jobs that can be done from home.

The result has been a steady increase in the contingent workforce trend over the last several years.

How "The Internet" has facilitated the benefits for the enterprise workforce during COVID times?

The outbreak of the global pandemic has left all industries struggling to find ways to keep their employees safe and productive. Although this has been a challenge for the enterprise workforce, the internet has played a critical role in facilitating the benefits of contingent employment during COVID times. These include:

Increased Flexibility of Remote Work: Contingent workers have been able to work from home without changing their performance reviews or hours worked, as well as providing more flexibility to meet family obligations.

Increased Productivity: Since many enterprises were forced to find ways to reduce costs, they started to hire contingent workers on short-term contracts which enabled them to be more productive while also reducing expenses.

Reduced Costs: The cost of setting up and managing an office and hiring full-time workers is quite expensive. Managing remote work teams that consist of contingent workers and freelancers can be cost-effective since enterprises only pay for the hours spent working on their projects.

Increased Transparency: When evaluating candidates, employers can now see what skills they have through online profiles or video interviews rather than relying on resumes or cover letters alone. This allows for greater transparency about who is hired and why.

Increased Worker Engagement: For contingent workers, working from home has resulted in more time with family, which has boosted worker engagement through reduced stress levels and allowing them to focus on their work.

Reduced Workplace Stress: With the ability to work from home, workers have less stress due to a reduction in commute time and being able to focus on their work without interruptions. Remote workers experience less stress when working from home, even though they are working longer hours.

Less Uncertainty: Providing options for contingent workers such as an extended leave of absence or the ability to reduce hours will make them feel more secure about their employment status.

No Change in Pay: In May 2020, only 7% of workers reported a pay cut. This is important because we are still in a global recession and any loss of income could be devastating for many workers.

Avoiding Commuting Time: Remote workers get a free hour plus each day by not having to commute.

Improved Communication: Employees can now be more easily connected with their colleagues through video conferencing tools, which has made communication between employees easier than ever before. It is also important because it allows for better collaboration and problem solving within teams.

Is Contingent Employment the Future of Work?

Contingent employees are often called freelancers or contractors; they work independently for one or more companies, performing short-term tasks. The arrangement offers flexibility and adaptability to both the employer and employee. Employers aren't required to offer benefits or paid leave to contingent employees, as they are with full-time staff. Contingent workers can move from project to project, learning new skills along the way.

This movement has disrupted traditional office work and created new ways of getting things done. But what does it mean for those who remain in traditional office roles? How will the office space change?

The physical spaces that house white-collar workers have changed before, during other shifts in workplace culture. In the past, office space has been a symbol of status, but that's no longer true as we enter this new phase of employment structures. Instead of offices lined with mahogany wood panels and leather chairs, many businesses are moving toward open floor plans where employee stations are not separated by walls or doors. This type of space encourages communication and collaboration. 

The Internet Marketing & Contingent Workforce

This has multiple advantages, ranging from flexibility for the company to a developed skillset for the worker. It is important to remember that workers need flexibility just as much as employers do. 

The workforce of today is not solely made up of two main age groups: unemployed and retired. 

Since the workforce of today is filled with freelancers and contingent workers, it is essential that these individuals also have days off and sick time to tend to their matters. These types of workers, often called the "under-employed," aren't sought after like other traditional employees; however, they can still provide hospitality and other services to companies around the world.

Field Engineer is a platform designed to make hiring and managing technicians easier through the use of online services. Field Engineer proves that it is possible to run a business cost-effectively while also providing quality staffing with remote flexibility.

Conclusion:

As we mentioned, it's hard to make big gains in COVID and flexible staffing strategy if you don't know where you are and where you can improve. Businesses who can systematically evaluate and fine-tune their workforce strategies, by measuring their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT), will likely see the greatest benefit from a strong contingent workforce. The design centers around strategic planning and implementation of contingent staffing, putting contingency practices and policies in place with the right training for managers on how to effectively utilize web-based resources and overcome internal resistance. An effective contingency workforce allows businesses to be more nimble so they can better compete in the marketplace.


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