Ready for the GIG economy? 7 tips & tricks

In Ghent's hippest co-working space, GIGHOUSE launched the launch and networking event, "Are You Ready for the GIG Economy" on June 4. With the single-minded goal of overcoming the War for Expertise.

GIGHOUSE's new matching platform plays the lead role in a series of solutions we offer to win the battle for talent. To get you started, we summarize the most important observations here. What follows is a roadmap to prepare your organization for up-and-coming freelance talent.

1. Create a clear definition of what is effectively needed within your company

Define job titles as broadly as possible and don't look within the framework of the title itself but sum up the expertise needed. This way it is easier to match based on skills.

2. Inform HR and all other departments in your company

Inform all employees that the company works with freelancers. Involve HR in all departments as well. If as a company you implement a good HR policy it is possible to ensure a cultural fit between the freelancer and your company when looking for a freelancer, this ensures a successful collaboration.

3. Provide a good legal framework

By creating a proper legal framework for employing freelancers, you can deal with fears around leaks of trade secrets and confidentiality. It is important to be aware of the proper agreements in accordance with all laws so that you can have peace of mind when working with a freelancer.

4. Structural use of freelancers

Freelancers mainly fill temporary positions but can also be used on a structural basis. It does not matter whether you want to use a freelancer for a specific project for 6 months or one day a week for 12 months, both options are possible.

5. Prepare for the future

The freelancers are there and are growing in number, so it is important to start now. Last year in Flanders alone there were 127 227 freelancers active. This was an increase of about 20% compared to 2015. Based on the above data, we can assume that by 2030, more people are likely to be freelance than salaried.

6. Expect and demand transparency

A study conducted by IVOX shows that ¾ do not yet use platforms to find a suitable freelancer. One of the biggest criticisms for not doing so is that they lack transparency. When choosing a suitable platform for finding your ideal freelancer, it is important to pay attention to all the conditions of the platform. Conditions related to transparency between client - freelancer - platform are decisive.

7. Looking beyond own network

Searching for THE freelance match for your specific assignment can be a hassle. Therefore it can be interesting to choose a platform that does the matching for you. Preferably taking into account the required expertise, availability and values of your company.