Three Key Learnings From SIA Collaboration in The Gig Economy

Last week we attended SIA’s third annual Collaboration in the Gig Economy Conference. Hosted in Dallas, Texas, it once again brought together talent supply chain, suppliers, and industry experts from the rapidly-evolving workforce solutions space. The event was an insightful and interactive two-day forum of talks, networking, and roundtable events which served as a great platform to open some interesting conversations from different perspectives of the staffing industry.

Sessions ranged from topics around AI to misclassification through to the disruptive tech platforms that are changing the way companies within the industry work. As we think about the future of the industry and how we continue to adapt to the market and provide scalable solutions, we’ve put together three of the top insights we took from this year’s event.

1. The influence of the Gig Economy

The Gig Economy trend has proved that it’s not just a phase, with worldwide temporary staffing currently equating to $413billion. Of this, $82billion is attributed to Human Cloud platforms which are being monopolized by online work services such as Uber and Lyft who between them hold $76billion of this market.

The remaining $6 Billion is made up of Crowdsourcing platforms, Online Staffing Platforms, and other marketplaces. Over the last few years, we’ve seen a notable increase in the number of developments and progressions in the gig economy and marketplaces that are focused on niche industries. Where we previously found that there was a focus on disrupting’ the staffing industry, we’re now seeing a collaborative approach. Marketplaces are directly engaging within the space and looking at partnering with MSP programs, integrating with VMS technology, and working in partnership with staffing agencies

2. Increasing alignment in contingent programs and wider corporate goals

In a recent survey by Ardent Partners, it was found that 98% of business leaders perceive their non-employee as critical to the function of their business and 81% of businesses want to become more agile. This has resulted in an increased expectation on contingent programs and the tools and tech that enable them, companies are expecting and relying on the best knowledge, tech, and delivery; and space is becoming more and more competitive. There was lots of talk about contingent programs becoming more aligned with wider corporate goals due to the increased use of contract workers

3. Focus on enhancing worker experience through efficiency

Concerns have been raised within the industry around the disconnection between users and designers as more tech platforms overlap and integrate, the need to maintain an understanding of people is highlighted. We see that more traditional roles typically result in employees being more invested in the company and culture they are working in.

However, as the way people work changes, there is a higher risk for a disconnect. It’s become the role of the service provider to bridge the gap between workers and companies, making sure that the use of temporary workers does not become solely transactional but is a positive and experience for everyone involved.

Overall, it’s an exciting time in the industry - we are in the midst of a workforce revolution. 41.5% of the workforce is considered to be non-employee and that is only set to increase and as companies begin to implement procedures and technology to manage these, changes this brings its own challenges. If you would like to hear more about our findings or tips on supporting your gig workers, please get in touch!