Think back to how you envisioned work as a child. You probably pictured that you would find jobs that piqued your interest, apply for them, interview with hiring managers, accept a job, and go to work. It all seemed like an open-and-shut experience.

However, that's not the norm anymore. Sure, this is a process some companies still employ, but it's changed. Why? Because workers, and their preferred work experiences, have changed.

With the emergence of the gig economy and on-demand workers, employees now look for opportunities to do what they do best on their terms. These are the freelancers, independent contractors, and side hustlers of the world trying to strike the kind of work-life balance where the "work" part fits more seamlessly into the "life" part instead of the opposite. These employees routinely place personal balance, job flexibility, and assignment completion above being at the same organization for years.

This shift in mindset empowers employees to exert more control over their professional destinies. This means the companies attempting to engage and attract these in-demand workers will need to stray from those traditional approaches and embrace newer talent acquisition strategies to tap into this on-demand talent pool.

Why Workers (and Employers) Are Embracing the Gig Economy

From the employer's side of things, figuring out how to make the most of flexible staffing might seem daunting. However, companies can gain significant benefits by leaning into this new on-demand work era and using the necessary tools to get there. For employees, gig work affords them an attractive buffet of professional choices and the chance to expand their networks, gain more expertise, and maybe find a permanent position.

Case in point: Let's meet Bob. Bob is a solid team member. He works 9-5 each day and is integral to his company's operations. So what happens if Bob is out sick, on vacation, or headed to a new job?

Instead of replacing Bob, his company could onboard five on-demand replacement "Bobs" for each day of the week. Every "Bob" would have the ability and skills to keep productivity rolling. Looking ahead, one or more of the replacement "Bobs" might even accept a stickier, permanent role with the company after being introduced to the workplace culture.

Of course, finding on-demand, gig economy "Bobs" requires different talent acquisition strategies, including embracing tech solutions. For example, some cloud-based portals allow companies of all sizes to attract, assess, interview, and place qualified gig workers in hours. These tools simplify uncovering and managing gig workers and eliminate the need for antiquated "one size fits all" staff placement models.

Remember: The faster a company replaces a "Bob," the more productive the company will remain. Having access to a wealth of on-demand employees helps organizations maintain efficiencies while providing gig workers with a chance to have a work-life balance they enjoy. This ability keeps the workers engaged during their employment, which 71% of executives say is essential for succeeding in a competitive environment.

Mastering Flexible, On-Demand Staffing

Creating temporary work management protocols isn't always intuitive. To learn how to find part-time workers, start with the following mind shifts.

1. Consider "worker clouds" for some departments.
Historically, businesses focused on assigning single workers to roles. But no single worker has all the capabilities to do all parts of a job equally well. Therefore, if the job is divided into skills-based sections, a team (or cloud) of freelancers or independent contractors could complete all the responsibilities faster and with fewer errors.

Bringing together a cohesive worker cloud requires planning and structure. The process also involves deconstructing some single-worker job descriptions. However, having more skilled workers do the things they enjoy could lower turnover and increase quality output.

2. Embrace the initial awkwardness of a hands-off, tech-based hiring system.
Remember when everyone moved from a Blackberry to the iPhone? The shift felt clunky and unnatural. Today, though, most people interact with iPhones so naturally that they can't imagine using other technology.

The same initial discomfort might occur during the first few times of relying on technology-driven staffing software. However, don't let wariness get in the way of fascination at what's possible. According to a Gallagher survey, around seven out of 10 companies are planning technical upgrades to their HR systems within the coming year. If your organization falls into this category, investigate on-demand worker staffing technology that could allow you to tap in to the gig economy.

At Integrity Staffing Solutions, we built our Opportunity Engine (OpEn) digital platform to instantly connect companies with qualified on-demand and temporary workers. Our app helps hirers identify these candidates quickly to help fill these positions and (hopefully) eliminate any downtime in productivity.

The right platform allows users to quickly secure the workforce they need when they need it, often with just a few quick taps on mobile or web.

3. Put the emphasis back on the experience. 
Technology, in all its iterations and applications, is about convenience. It expedites — or automates, in some cases — time-consuming recruiting activities like onboarding paperwork, candidate communication, and interviews.

With those items taken care of by tech, the team can focus on overhauling and overseeing the entire experience for potential gig workers. That can mean modifying the onboarding process, personalizing specific touchpoints, and committing more time to educating the candidates about what their jobs would entail.

In short, tech gives teams the opportunity to create a candidate-friendly recruiting experience that gets talent excited and prepared to work.

4. Look out for potential superstars among on-demand workers.
When working with independent contractors, stay attuned to standouts. After all, one or two workers could be a good long-term fit, especially if they bring the experience and abilities the company needs to scale up. True, not all gig workers are looking for permanent roles or dream jobs. Yet some will be open to the prospect.

What's a good method to gauge the effectiveness and potential of these side hustlers? Offer them the chance to engage with employee learning programs. One LinkedIn study found that more than a third of workers used employee learning programs to find roles in their companies.

With so many people embracing on-demand work, companies are less apt to discover their next top performers from the usual hiring pools. Instead, their future rockstars (like Bob) might be waiting in the gig economy. Companies can find them fast by leveraging technology and changing their talent acquisition strategies to execute more effective gig economy staffing.

Susan Baxter is the senior vice president of HR at Integrity Staffing Solutions, a full-service staffing agency that ranks in the top 2% of agencies across the country for quality service based on ClearlyRated’s “Best of Staffing” client survey.