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Mastering the Gig Economy: Effective Strategies for Recruiting Freelancers and Contract Workers

Gary Chambers on April 23, 2024

The gig economy is thriving, and businesses are increasingly relying on freelancers and contract workers to fill skill gaps, manage costs, and adapt to fluctuating market demands. Effective recruitment strategies are essential for leveraging this flexible workforce. Here are some key strategies to help you navigate the gig economy, recruit the best talent, and optimize your workforce management.

Understanding the Gig Economy

What is the Gig Economy?

The gig economy refers to a labor market characterized by the prevalence of short-term contracts or freelance work as opposed to permanent jobs.
Workers in the gig economy are often independent contractors, freelancers, project-based workers, and part-timers.

The Growth of the Gig Economy

Rapid growth due to shifts in technology, worker preferences for flexibility, and businesses’ need for specialized skills on an on-demand basis.

Benefits of Hiring Freelancers and Contract Workers

Cost Efficiency: Save on benefits, office space, and other employee-related expenses.
Flexibility: Scale your workforce up or down easily depending on project needs.
Access to a Broad Talent Pool: Tap into a global pool of professionals with diverse skills and experiences.
Increased Innovation: Freelancers often bring new perspectives and ideas that can drive innovation within your company.

Strategies for Recruiting Freelancers and Contract Workers

Define Your Requirements Clearly

Skill Needs: Identify the specific skills and experience required for the project.
Project Scope and Timeline: Outline the project details, expected deliverables, and timelines to ensure clear communication.

Use the Right Platforms to Find Talent

To effectively tap into the vast pool of freelance talent, utilizing the right platforms is crucial. Here are some avenues you can explore:

Niche Job Boards: Platforms like Upwork, Freelancer, and industry-specific boards can help you find specialized talent tailored to your project needs.
Social Media: Professional networks like LinkedIn, as well as platforms like Twitter and even Facebook, can be effective for networking and finding freelancers through posts and community groups.
Referrals: Leverage your existing network to get recommendations for reliable freelancers. Often, the best talents come from trusted sources.
Virtual Job Fairs: Participate in or host virtual job fairs. These events allow you to meet and interact with freelancers in real-time, providing a platform to discuss your projects and their qualifications directly, mimicking the interaction of in-person job fairs but with the reach and convenience of a virtual environment.

Evaluate Candidates Thoroughly

Portfolio Review: Assess their previous work to determine quality and relevance.
References and Reviews: Check feedback from previous clients to gauge reliability and professionalism.
Skill Tests: Consider short assignments or tests to evaluate their capability in real-world scenarios.

Communicate Effectively

Initial Briefing: Clearly communicate your project requirements and expectations from the start.
Regular Updates: Maintain regular contact through emails, video calls, or project management tools to keep the project on track.
Feedback Loop: Provide constructive feedback and allow for revisions to ensure the final output meets your needs.

Build Long-term Relationships

Repeat Gigs: Offer recurring work to reliable freelancers to build a stable pool of go-to professionals.
Fair Compensation: Pay competitive rates to keep high-quality freelancers interested and motivated.
Professional Development: Provide opportunities for growth, such as training sessions or access to courses, to deepen their commitment.

Legal Considerations

Contractual Agreements: Ensure all terms of work are agreed upon in writing to protect both parties.
Compliance with Labor Laws: Understand and comply with the labor laws applicable to freelancers and contract workers in your jurisdiction.
Intellectual Property Rights: Clearly define who owns the work product and how it can be used.

Best Practices for Managing Freelancers

Effective Project Management

Clear Milestones and Deadlines: Set and agree on milestones and deadlines to keep projects on schedule.
Tools and Technology: Utilize project management software and communication tools to streamline workflows and keep everyone aligned.
Performance Reviews: Conduct regular check-ins to discuss project progress and address any concerns.

Foster a Positive Working Environment

Respect and Inclusion: Treat freelancers as valuable team members, even if they are remote.
Recognition and Rewards: Acknowledge their contributions and provide incentives for outstanding work.
Support and Resources: Ensure they have access to the necessary resources and support to successfully complete their assignments.

Conclusion

Recruiting freelancers and contract workers in the gig economy can bring tremendous flexibility and a wealth of skills to your business. By implementing these strategies, you can effectively navigate the complexities of the gig economy, ensuring that your company remains competitive and agile in a rapidly changing market. Remember, the key to successful freelance recruitment lies in clear communication, thorough vetting, and building relationships that foster trust and collaboration. By doing

The Rise of Remote Work: Adapting Recruitment Strategies for a Distributed World

Gary Chambers on April 15, 2024

Remote work has moved from a niche option to a mainstream mode due to technological advancements and recent global events, prompting changes in recruitment strategies worldwide. This article explores the transition required in recruitment methods to accommodate a distributed workforce, and how companies can thrive in this new environment.

The Evolution of Remote Work

Growth Trends: Even before the pandemic, remote work was increasing in popularity, a trend that exploded as businesses adopted remote policies during the pandemic. A Gallup report from 2020 showed that 62% of Americans worked from home during the peak of the pandemic.
Implications for Recruitment: With the ability to hire globally, companies have access to a broader skill base, increasing diversity and opportunity but also presenting new recruitment challenges.

Redefining Recruitment for Remote Work

Digital Tools: The shift to remote work has prioritized tools like LinkedIn, Zoom, and applicant tracking systems, essential for managing recruitment processes remotely.
Criteria for Selection: Modern recruiters assess not only technical skills but also the ability to work independently, manage time effectively across time zones, and communicate efficiently in virtual settings.

Virtual Job Fairs: A Gateway to Global Talent

Global Reach: Virtual job fairs break down geographical barriers, allowing companies to connect with talent worldwide.
Technological Advantages: These fairs utilize live chats, webinars, and virtual meeting rooms, providing platforms for real-time interviews and networking.
Efficiency and Accessibility: Virtual job fairs save time and resources and are more accessible to candidates from different backgrounds, enhancing diversity in recruitment.

Challenges and Solutions in Remote Recruitment

Cultural Fit: Virtual interactions make it harder to assess a candidate’s fit within a company’s culture. Solutions include using video interviews and virtual tours.
Time Zone Differences: Automated scheduling tools and asynchronous communication methods help manage interviews and collaborations across various time zones.

Future Trends in Remote Recruitment

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning: These technologies are streamlining recruitment by automating the screening process and improving job-candidate matching.
Importance of Soft Skills: Skills like adaptability and teamwork are crucial for remote work. New tools are being developed to evaluate these skills effectively in a remote context.

Conclusion

The transition to remote work is reshaping recruitment strategies. Companies need to adopt new tools, refine their criteria for candidate selection, and implement innovative recruitment methods like virtual job fairs to stay competitive.

We encourage our readers to share their experiences with remote recruitment or reach out for guidance on adapting their hiring strategies. Let’s collaborate to build more connected and efficient global workforces.

Top 3 HR Tech Trends You Need to Know!

Gary Chambers on May 2, 2023

A human resources department consist of many different aspects that manage the career path of employees. HR Tech is meant to improve processes and efficiency so that companies can hire the best employees, and to properly support them.

There are programs and platforms to manage all of the different that focus on

For 2023, future HR technology trends will likely focus on:

HR strategic initiatives
The hybrid work environment
Employee wellness, safety, and support
Cloud-based systems
Data integration
Hiring and retaining workers
Enhanced decision-making
Learning management
Improving diversity in the workplace

Of these, the top 3 HR tech trends are:

The hybrid work environment
Employee wellness, safety and support
Hiring and retaining workers

The Hybrid Work Environment

As the COVID-19 pandemic has transformed the way we work, many companies are embracing a hybrid work environment that combines remote and in-office work. As with many other technologies, Covid accelerated the rate of adoption, and now many companies have a fixed remote workforce or hybrid workforce in place. Offering these positions is often a competitive advantage for talent that prefers to work remotely. Here are some of the tactics that are benefiting from HR tech and updated policies.

Flexible work arrangements: Many companies are offering employees the flexibility to choose where they work from. Some are providing the option to work from home full-time, while others are offering a mix of in-office and remote work.
Technology infrastructure: Companies are investing in technology to enable remote work and collaboration. This includes cloud-based tools for file sharing and video conferencing, virtual private networks (VPNs) to ensure secure remote access to corporate resources, and other software tools to facilitate communication and collaboration.
Reconfiguring office spaces: Companies are rethinking office spaces to create a more flexible work environment. This may include redesigning workstations to accommodate social distancing, creating collaborative spaces for team meetings, and providing a range of amenities to support a hybrid work culture.
Employee engagement: Companies are focusing on employee engagement to ensure that remote workers feel connected to the company culture and remain productive. This may include regular virtual team meetings, virtual social events, and other initiatives to build team cohesion.
Revising policies and procedures: Companies are revising policies and procedures to accommodate the needs of remote workers. This may include revising leave policies, redefining performance metrics, and creating guidelines for remote work to ensure compliance with legal and regulatory requirements.

Overall, companies are embracing hybrid work environments as a way to provide flexibility, promote productivity, and ensure the safety of employees during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Hiring and Retaining Workers

Ultimately the main role in HR is to hire the best possible employees to fit the companies goals and culture, and to find ways to support each individual. Several technologies are helping companies to hire and retain workers. Here are some examples:

1. Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS): An ATS is software that helps companies manage and streamline their recruitment process. It enables companies to track job applications, automate resume screening, and schedule interviews. This technology helps companies to hire more efficiently, saving time and money while also improving the candidate experience.

2. Virtual Hiring Event Platforms – A VHEP can significantly increase the number of applicants a company can meet by hosting virtual hiring events. These events allow applicants to attend online, increasing efficiency for both the job seeker and the hiring manager. The more advanced platforms like Premier Virtual offer a complete virtual recruitment suite that offers many more feature and benefits that can integrate with other HR tech tools.

3. Artificial Intelligence (AI): AI-powered hiring tools help companies to automate and optimize the recruitment process. For example, AI-powered chatbots can be used to answer candidates’ questions and provide information about job openings. AI can also analyze resumes, identify top candidates, and even conduct initial interviews, freeing up HR professionals to focus on other tasks.

4. Learning Management Systems (LMS): An LMS is software that enables companies to deliver and manage employee training programs. It can help companies to up-skill and re-skill, their employees, which is crucial for retaining talent in today’s rapidly changing business environment. By offering continuous learning opportunities, companies can improve employee engagement and job satisfaction.

5. Employee Engagement Platforms: These platforms help companies to measure and improve employee engagement. They provide tools for pulse surveys, feedback, recognition, and communication. By using these platforms, companies can identify areas where employee engagement is low and take steps to address the underlying issues.

6. Performance Management Software: This software helps companies to set and track employee performance goals, provide feedback, and evaluate employee performance. It can help to identify top performers and provide opportunities for career development, which is crucial for retaining talent.

Overall, these technologies are helping companies to hire and retain workers by streamlining recruitment processes, improving employee engagement, and offering opportunities for upskilling and career development.

Employee Wellness, Safety and Support

Companies are increasingly recognizing the importance of supporting the wellness of their employees. Many different HR tech platforms are being released that specifically address employee wellness. Here are some of the areas these platforms are focused on improving:

1. Mental Health Support: Companies are providing mental health support through employee assistance programs (EAPs), counseling services, and mental health resources. They are also training managers and HR professionals to identify signs of stress and provide support to employees.

2. Wellness Programs: Companies are offering wellness programs to promote physical health, such as gym memberships, nutrition counseling, and stress management programs. Some companies also offer programs to promote mental wellness, such as mindfulness meditation and yoga classes.

3. Flexible Work Arrangements: Companies are offering flexible work arrangements, such as remote work options and flexible work schedules, to help employees manage work-life balance and reduce stress.

4. Health Insurance: Companies are providing comprehensive health insurance plans that cover preventative care, mental health services, and chronic conditions. Some companies also offer wellness incentives, such as discounts on insurance premiums for participating in wellness programs.

5. Ergonomic Workspaces: Companies are providing ergonomic workspaces to reduce the risk of workplace injuries and improve employee comfort. This may include ergonomic chairs, adjustable desks, and proper lighting.

6. Employee Engagement: Companies are focusing on employee engagement to promote wellness. This may include team-building activities, social events, and other initiatives to build a sense of community and belonging.

Overall, companies are supporting the wellness of their employees by providing mental health support, wellness programs, flexible work arrangements, comprehensive health insurance, ergonomic workspaces, and employee engagement initiatives. By prioritizing employee wellness, companies can improve employee engagement, productivity, and overall job satisfaction.

Bare Minimum Mondays is the Latest Work-life Balance Trend

Gary Chambers on April 11, 2023

Is you company being effected by the Bare Minimum Mondays trend?

Will Employees Return & What’s Behind Quiet Quitting?

Gary Chambers on August 23, 2022

The Great Resignation – Will Employees be Returning to the Office?

One of the key questions being asked in the business world today is “Will employees be returning to the office?” According to a recent Gallup poll, the majority of office workers across the US want to return to their jobs . . . some of the time anyway. The primary reasons for a partial return include collaborating and socializing with their co-workers as well as making important decisions alongside them. However, this is only a part of the scenario as there is another side to this that many are neglecting to talk about.

Interestingly enough, some employees preferred the remote working life over returning to the office. Many were upset because of how much they had enjoyed it and couldn’t figure out why, after nearly 2 years of working at home, they would have to return to the workplace. Furthermore, individuals who were anxious about returning to their offices didn’t find the same situation that they left behind when they were forced to start working remotely.

Why Isn’t the Return to Office Life Working Out?

There are several reasons that the return back to the office place isn’t working. For one, bosses and employees have different regarding how their offices should be used. After two years of living with the pandemic and working remotely from home, individuals have developed their expectations as to how their time should be spent. Unfortunately, as increasing numbers of individuals are returning to the workplace, their ability to focus, level of satisfaction on the job, and stress levels have deteriorated.

The Other Side of the Equation

With the onset of the pandemic, many office employees started working remotely from home. In a sense, it was the beginning of a new era in the jobs sector. Unfortunately, many of those remote workers opted not to return to their former employers and have sought employment elsewhere, thereby leaving holes to fill at their former workplace. As an employer in these circumstances, you have to be concerned about replenishing your workforce and bringing your daily operations back up to speed.

What’s Behind ‘Quiet Quitting’

Returning to the office is one thing, but returning to the former level of effort and the ‘above and beyond’ mentality is something all together different.

This new work ethic is based upon a priority to life-balance and that work is not the end all, be all that it was once was seen as. It’s not something that a person declares or can be labeled as, but what everyone can agree on is that the term doesn’t mean that an employee has quit, but rather that they are setting boundaries at work and refusing to go above and beyond in completing their duties.

That seems healthy, and productive, but it’s not the same as the person who was just doing the bare minimum to keep the job. As we see in this article from CBS news:

“People see ‘quiet’ and ‘quitting’ and they think it’s about quitting, but really what quiet quitting means is someone who has decided, ‘I want to prioritize my well-being overall and things outside of work’,” Elise Freedman, senior client partner at consulting firm Korn Ferry, told CBS MoneyWatch.

But, she added, “This is different from someone who is disengaged.” Instead, it’s about doing what is required of them, without volunteering for an ambitious project, agreeing to work at nights and weekends, or otherwise going the extra mile in ways that Americans are traditionally encouraged to as a way to demonstrate their worth to an employer.

If you travel the world, it seems to me that America is simply growing up. The rat race had it’s time and place and now side hustles and self preservation have replaced it. If you’re going to ‘go all out’ it’s going to be for yourself and on your terms, otherwise I’ll do the best I can. Who knows, if we keep down this path, the afternoon siesta might be the next culture piece we adopt in America.

Premier Virtual has the answer – our online hiring platform or virtual recruitment platform. These virtual event platforms and accompanying virtual job fair software were designed to look and feel as though you were attending a real live in-person career fair without all of the costs and hassles that would normally be involved. To learn more about our products, call us today at (561) 717-9717.

5 Tips to Improve Online Recruitment

Gary Chambers on July 12, 2022

Over the past 3 years, remote work has become increasingly more prevalent among the labor force, not only here in the US, but on a global scale as well. As of last year (2021), nearly 5 million Americans were working remotely. When “shelter in place” or stay-at-home orders became the norm, the popularity of online job fairs and recruitment events spiked dramatically.

Whether you have an entrepreneurial start-up and are looking for a virtual recruitment platform to reduce company overhead or you have an established company and want to expand on your candidate recruitment options, Premier Virtual can help. Here are 5 helpful tips for effectively recruiting remote workers online:

Determine what you’re looking for – online recruiting creates a never-ending pool of hiring choices. Unfortunately, you can’t just explore every option in the hopes of landing the most desirable candidates. Instead, you have to know exactly what you’re looking for where a candidate’s abilities, experience, and traits are concerned.

Engage candidates in video interviews – this will enable you to connect with career candidates face-to-face during online virtual recruitment events. It will be easy to determine their communication skills, job fit, motivations, and personalities without having to schedule in-person interviews or pay for costly travel expenses.

Finding the best talent involves asking the right questions – if your goal is finding the most outstanding talent, you have to ask the right questions such as:

How did you cope while working under pressure?
How did you handle working with an individual whose personality and work style differed from yours?
How did you stay on track when you had to be prudent with your time?

Make sure you always check a candidate’s references – statistics have revealed that job candidates aren’t always truthful. Believe it or not, roughly 30% of all job candidates admitted that they bent the truth or lied on their resumes. Always ask their former employers about their job performance, personality, and working style.

Utilize social media platforms – the initial reason social media platforms were created was to enable families and friends to keep in touch with one another. Since then, it has evolved into numerous platforms for connecting with family members and friends as well as strangers, dating, joining movements for change, networking, and reading the news. Use these platforms to market your company to job candidates and assess them based on their social media activity.

For more information about our virtual event solutions, please call Premier Virtual at (561) 717-9717 today.

Questions to Ask When Choosing a Virtual Job Fair Platform

Sergio on March 31, 2021

Top 10 Questions to Ask When Choosing a Virtual Career Fair Platform

An effective virtual event platform is first and foremost, easy to use, at all levels. The participants need to have little to no learning curve, resulting in a positive user experience. It’s equally important for the host and other participating organizations or vendors to be able to quickly ramp up, which requires excellent support and a knowledgeable sales team.

With this in mind, all of your questions ultimately should address whether or not the features make the event easier to set up and use. After all, even the best technology is useless unless it makes sense to everyone.

Some platforms focus more on certain types of events than others. For example, if you have a trade show or a career fair, some platforms will offer more features and benefits because they specialize in such events. For this article, we will focus on platforms that specialize in virtual career fairs.

1) How will my recruiters or hiring companies communicate with the candidates?

The best platforms offer easy-to-access chat features that allow candidates to initiate a conversation with the recruiters. Also, there should be an integrated video chat, as well as an option to add whichever video platform your company already uses. This is important in the case of government agencies that may have firewalls or restrictions that do not allow for third-party teleconferencing access. You don’t want to be troubleshooting that the day of the event.

In addition, it’s important to understand if the chat is one-on-one or group chat. The best platforms offer one-on-one chat with the ability for the recruiter to quickly access a list of pre-programmed answers to be able to chat with as many applicants as possible. Finally, advanced chats will follow a candidate throughout the event, meaning the job candidate doesn’t have to wait in that recruiter’s booth (or in the queue) to receive an answer before moving on. At any time when the recruiter answers, the candidate will receive that answer in their chatbox.

2) What happens if the candidate or hiring company has an issue registering or during the event?

For the job candidates, registering for the event includes adding all of the contact info, uploading their resumes, and so on. This should be as easy to navigate as possible. Make sure to ask for a demo to see how this process works since many of the issues reported during the event revolve around user login, and uploading information. This holds true for the hiring companies that want to customize their booths, adding bios, links, and downloadable documents. With any issue, the best platforms offer 24/7 support and quickly respond to requests through either email, chat or even live calls.

3) How many recruiters can participate at the same time?

The best platforms offer an unlimited number of recruiters to participate. Typically events receive a large amount of foot traffic as soon as they start, so having extra recruiters at the start of the event is a good strategy. Each recruiter must understand how to access their admin dashboard and how to chat with a candidate or invite them into a video interview.

4) Do you offer training?

This leads to the next question…how will the host, hiring companies, and candidates be trained to use the platform? Again, the most important feature is ease-of-use, but when it’s a user’s first time, there will be some getting used to it. All platforms should offer a library of detailed training videos for each type of participant. These videos should be readily accessible as soon as the participant registers. Also, the best platforms offer a dedicated account manager that will schedule an onboarding call to show you exactly how the platform works, and make sure everyone on your team is ready. Beyond that, you can ask if they offer any other live webinar or group training options for your employers or registered job candidates, that are helpful the day of the event, usually just before it goes live.

5) How quickly can I set up and launch my event?

If you have an urgent need, you’ll want to know how quickly you can start using the platform. Premium providers make it easy for you to set-up, so that you can host your first event literally within 24 hours. This flexibility can save you in a pinch, but as with any successful event, you will want sufficient time to promote and get everyone trained ahead of time.

6) Is pricing based on the number of booths or resumes?

This is a very important question since some of the best-known platforms do have charges for booths or resumes that exceed a certain threshold. Your initial price may be based on 100 booths or resumes, and if you go beyond that you are charged accordingly. This can be prohibitive and results in charges you did not budget for. The best platforms offer a flat rate price, with no upcharges. Pricing can also be discounted when you sign up for yearly, or multi-year licenses that are paid upfront. Keep in mind, the more you use the platform the more value it offers, and the less you pay per event on a flat-rate/licensing model.

7) What kind of reports will I receive?

The data collected and reports you receive, offer some of the biggest benefits of participating in a virtual career fair. Your employers or hiring managers will love it when they receive a complete list of who attended the event, who visited their booth, a copy of all the questions asked, and of course, all of the resumes submitted. The best platforms offer real-time reports that update as the event goes on, and some have integrated APIs that automatically move that data to your existing CRM tool. You can also ask if there are reporting tools such as ‘ranking a candidate’ or other ways to make notes during the event which are very helpful to improve the follow-up process.

8) How many people can be on the platform at the same time?

The reliability or stability of a platform is ultimately the most important factor. If the platform crashes or lags, it will interrupt the event, causing candidates to leave or have a poor experience. Make sure to ask if the platform you are considering has had any issues like this, or you can check their reviews on reputable sites like G2, Capterra, and Select Software to see what others have said. Premier Virtual recently powered an event for the workforce board in Virginia that saw over 15,000 job candidates and over 350 employers on the platform at the same time, with no downtime! That’s the kind of reliability you want to know your platform will provide.

9) Can I use the platform for other types of events or purposes?

It’s amazing once you have this tool, how many other purposes you can use it for. Make sure to discuss with your sales rep all of the different possibilities including things like; internal training, onboarding, webinars, trade shows, etc, and see how the platform can be adapted to handle these requests. Once you start using the platform for other purposes you add more value, reducing your cost per event and increasing the return on your investment.

10) Is there a wait time between events, or can I host unlimited events?

Finally, make sure to ask if the use of the platform is truly unlimited when you license it. Some platforms require you to wait up to 14 days between events which can limit your options. The best platforms do not require any wait time between events and believe me, you will want to use the platform as much as possible once you have it!

If you have any other questions, please feel free to contact us to schedule a free demo so we can address any other needs you may have.

561-717-9717