With the growing acceptance of the “gig economy” workforce in Australia, new independent research commissioned by specialised recruiter Robert Half reveals Australian hiring managers predict a 70:30 split between permanent and temporary workers by 2023.
And not just in Australia, as a further survey of over 3,800 businesses around the world found global employers are aiming for almost a third (66:34 split) of their employees to be temporary workers in four years’ time.
What concerns do employers have regarding the gig economy?
The rise of web-based platforms, such as Freelancer and Airtasker, in sourcing temporary resources in the professional gig economy has made it easier to find the talent that businesses need with 94 per cent of global business leaders (and 90 per cent of Australian businesses) currently sourcing contract workers from online job platforms.
Yet many of those polled cited several perceived problems with these new online platforms.
The most common concerns include:
- no guarantee of the standard of work (41 per cent),
- a lack of alignment/understanding of the company (38 per cent),
- concern on their eligibility to work (37 per cent),
- unclear expectations of the service (28 per cent)
- perception that contract workers are only freelancing because of their inability to find a permanent job (28 per cent).
It is essential for companies to find solutions to alleviate these concerns and secure the best candidates as 95 per cent of global hiring managers (and 93 per cent of Australian businesses) expect to hire a freelancer or temporary professional for projects using an online platform by 2023.
Why are employers turning to freelancers despite these concerns?
Andrew Morris, Director of Robert Half Australia said, “During times of economic uncertainty, organisational change or during peak workloads, hiring temporary workers is an effective short-term solution to filling critical skills gaps.
“As the world of work continues to evolve and skilled professionals seek out greater flexibility in their roles and careers, businesses can use this to their advantage and build up their contingency workforce to fill essential skills gaps.”
He further stated, “Hiring managers still need to be cautious when sourcing talent from online platforms as not every online recruitment platform is the same, and it pays to research any recruitment partner very carefully.
“The hiring process should not only evaluate a candidate’s skill and experience level, but also whether or not they will make a good cultural fit – something that can be achieved through a rigorous sourcing and hiring process where human expertise continues to play a vital role.”
What does Robert Half do?
Robert Half is a specialised recruitment consultancy and member of the S&P 500.
Founded in 1948, the company has more than 300 offices worldwide providing temporary, interim and permanent recruitment solutions for accounting and finance, financial services, technology, and administrative professionals.
Robert Half Australia has offices in Brisbane, Melbourne, Mount Waverley, Perth and Sydney.
