The gig economy is on everyone’s lips, but what does it really mean for professionals, especially HR consultants? 

What is the gig economy?

The gig economy is the economy of small jobs, short missions. Imagine a world where working is synonymous with freedom to choose your projects, set your schedules and diversify your experiences. That sounds appealing, doesn’t it? But that model doesn’t really exist.

HR consultants are often called on for specific tasks: reorganizing the HR function, implementing a new talent management system, or mentoring teams. Temporary assignments place them directly in the heart of the Gig economy.

Benefits of being a Gigger for consultants

• Flexibility: choose your missions and work at your own pace
• Diversity of projects: each mission is unique, which allows to gain a wide experience and improve their skills.
• Autonomy: in the management of its missions is appreciable, the means used remain at their hand, the goal to be achieved must be pre-defined, shared and clear.

The challenges to be met

• Financial uncertainty: without a fixed salary, you must constantly seek new missions to maintain a stable income while maintaining a level of benefit.
• Lack of social protection: we must not forget to manage ourselves and do not forget our social protection.
• Exhaustion and isolation: the race for missions can be stressful and working alone can sometimes weigh on morale.

So, am I a gigger?

If you are an HR consultant working independently on temporary assignments, the answer is yes, you are a gigger! Being a gigger also means that you are adaptable, autonomous and able to manage your own career with great flexibility.

Tips for success as a gigger

• Plan financially: make sure you always have some missions in mind to avoid periods of no income.
• Build your network: stay connected with other professionals and companies to increase your chances of finding interesting missions and stay alert on innovations, trends.
• Invest in your training: continue to learn and grow to remain competitive in the market and not lose your skills, your expertise.

What does this mean for companies?

Businesses also need to adapt to this new work dynamic. Here are some ways to effectively manage giggers:

• Flexible integration: set up fast and efficient integration processes for giggers so they can be operational from the moment they arrive.
• Project management: use project management tools to coordinate the work of the giggers and ensure smooth communication with internal teams.
• Ensure quality: implement mechanisms to monitor and control the quality of work performed by giggers.
• Fair rates of service: offer the right amount of service to attract and retain top independent talent.
• Community building: fostering a sense of belonging even for temporary workers by recognizing their contribution.

The gig economy is a profound transformation of the world of work. For HR consultants, it offers an opportunity to rethink their career and enjoy new professional freedom. For companies, it represents an opportunity to rethink their engagement models and take advantage of the flexibility and expertise of giggers. So the next time someone asks if you’re a gigger, you can say with pride: “Yes, and I love it!”