Why and how you should engage your gig workers

Be they freelancers or independent contractors, these professionals often make it possible for your organization to take on and complete key projects. The key to a solid relationship: trust.

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PR agencies that use independent workers have to get serious about trust.

Right now, 36% of the workforce is in an “alternative work arrangement,” whether it’s the freelance, gig or independent contractor variety. With 65% of executives saying they’ve had to turn down projects because they lacked the necessary skills to deliver the work, cultivating trust in alternative work arrangements is imperative.

However, “alternative” doesn’t mean separate. These gig workers, if leaders have the confidence to employ alternative workers, are joining established teams with established cultures. They’re not, however, always trusted members of the teams they join.

Because independent contractors don’t have the same incentives that employees do—to sustain real relationships, help the company succeed in the long term, and develop in the job—their motives are different. Employees may reasonably doubt a freelancer’s intentions, especially if they’re concerned about losing their job to one.

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