The gig economy is big news. It’s eating into tax revenues, providing an employment law headache for firms such as Uber and Deliveroo and all-in-all accounts for just under three million working adults in the UK according to the latest Government count.

And whilst the first job types that come to mind when thinking about gig workers are food deliverers, couriers and taxi drivers, it also includes freelancers and independent contractors, caregivers, labourers and room renters too.

But when it comes to your employee recognition strategy, you’d be forgiven for focusing almost solely on your mainline, full-time staff ahead of workers who check-in to do a shift when they like or part-timers.

Here are three reasons why, actually, recognising your giggers and temp staff amongst the workforce is a pretty good idea too.

Getting the most bang for your buck

The cold, hard truth of it is that motivated and engaged staff work harder, are more productive and get more done. This isn’t just true of permanent staff, it’s also apparent for part-time and gig workers too.

Temporary staff are unlikely to have any company affinity or derive pride in working a shift or a freelance stint at a business, so you wouldn’t really expect these workers to go above and beyond.

So how do you make sure, as an employer, you get the most return from your part-time and flexible staff investment? That’s right, recognition.

Even if your gig workers are only likely to be on the work floor a few weeks, intermittently throughout the year or check in to earn some extra cash when they need to, make them feel part of the family, recognise and reward their good work and achievements and you’re sure to get more than you’d expect in return for their time.

Motivation is contagious

Motivating part-time workers, in particular, can help motivate and engage long-serving staff too.
I wrote in more detail on how to infect workplaces with a dose of motivation in this article, including the importance of facilitating collaboration, choosing when to strategically reward and how important simple acts such as displaying positive vibes can have on workers motivation levels.

Naturally, contagious motivation is more relevant to contractors and freelancers you invite into your workplace to carry out a specific, short-term task. But it can apply to those giggers who really do check into an app and get paid by the delivery or pick-up and drop-off too.

Employer Brand

Finally, a look at the bigger picture - your employer brand.

For large businesses, a positive employer brand and working culture are an intrinsic part of the company’s overall public image. Bad experiences passed on through word of mouth and social media can grow into a genuine dent in that image.
And for smaller businesses employing at a localised level, or rapidly growing brands struggling to keep up with consumer demand, it doesn’t take many reports of bad experiences for a firm to be known as a workplace or employer to avoid.
That perception is tough to dislodge once it beds in and recruiting part-time, freelance, zero-hour contracted or even permanent staff in the future can become a more difficult and protracted process.

It’s particularly important for businesses that rely on a large pool of potential gig workers for their business to work and uphold customer satisfaction, especially if they’ve direct rivals in the marketplace. For example, a young man or woman interested in earning some cash by delivering restaurant food to hungry customers will likely ask his friends at Deliveroo and Uber Eats what it’s like working for the company, what support they’re likely to get and how much work is on offer too.

But as a result, there is also an opportunity for employers recruiting these temporary and casual workers to really showcase the very best of their businesses. Not just the free coffees and biscuits and the great work the rest of the team is producing, but that yours is a company that truly values and looks after all of its employees, short-termers and long-timers, and fosters a truly positive workplace culture.

Motivated and engaged staff are more likely to talk well of their job… and their bosses.

And just remember this one point: a positive employer brand takes years to create, but potentially just one afternoon to damage.

How does your company manage its part-time staff and gig workers? Are they actively included as part of a managed employee recognition or rewards scheme? Leave your comments below!