According to a TeamStage infographic, around 36% of US workers are currently part of the gig economy. It’s expanding three times faster than the entire US workforce, and it is expected that over 50% of Americans will join the gig economy by 2027.

If you’re a leader in your industry, you would do well to accept the changing times and take the necessary steps to adapt (if not thrive) in the new normal. What are these steps, you might be wondering? Check them out below!

1)  Encourage Work-Life Balance

To join the gig economy and reap its rewards,  start with the team you already have. And one of the best ways to do that is by encouraging your employees to maintain a work-life balance.

One of the main reasons the gig economy is so alluring is because it allows anyone to achieve a work-life balance. By encouraging it in your own workplace, you’ll be able to warm your team up to the idea, thus making the transition smoother.

Start by making their working environment more flexible, prioritizing productivity over hours. By doing this, you’ll basically put your employees in charge of their own time. This will make them feel more empowered, and they’ll love you all the more for it. Additionally, you should consider allowing your team to work remotely at least once or twice per week. Aside from allowing all of you to maintain a work-life balance, it could help you reduce some costs as well. And contrary to what others might believe, letting your team work from home can make them more productive.

2)  Create a Better Workplace Culture

Your workplace’s culture defines its personality and character. It’s what sets it apart from other businesses within your industry, summing up your values, beliefs, traditions, and what-not. And ultimately, it will help you prepare your team if you intend to join the gig economy. Strive to create a positive culture that will make your current employees want to continue working with you, as well as attract new blood from the gig economy that will add more value to your team.

First, you need to build strong relationships with your employees. As a leader, you play a central role in setting the tone of your company’s culture. By acting as an active mentor rather than a distant boss, you’ll strengthen your bond with your employees. This will lead to increased motivation, as well as improve their connection to you.

At the same time, you have to create positive employee experiences. Employee experience and workplace culture have a symbiotic relationship, with one affecting the other. Foster positive employee experiences by giving them a venue to share ideas, voice concerns, and suggestions, support regular team activities and discussions and convey enthusiasm, appreciation, and support every time you communicate with them.

3)  Improve Their Spirit of Collaboration

Despite the numerous benefits it brings, the gig economy is not all sunshine and daisies. One of its hurdles involves team collaboration. Collaboration is a difficult enough feat to pull off even in a regular workplace. In the gig economy, it’s even harder because team members constantly come and go. Once you achieve team collaboration, your business will be able to weather the other challenges of joining the gig economy.

One of the worst mistakes you can make when improving your team’s collaborative spirit is to micromanage them. Instead, give them more leeway. People choose to join the gig economy because it allows them more freedom and flexibility. While you should expect them to work within your hours and use your preferred communication tools, you shouldn’t expect them to be on-call at unholy hours or exert too much control.

Strive to motivate your team through respect. There was a time when people thought of freelancers and independent contractors as cheap labor. With the rise of the gig economy, that’s no longer the case. Rather than treat your independent workers as expendable labor, think about them as an integral part of your team.

4)  Revamp Your Recruiting And Onboarding

Finally, to make your company gig-economy ready, make sure you have the recruitment and onboarding processes to go with it. Recruiting and onboarding freelancers and independent contractors is different than onboarding employees. Prepare your business for the gig economy, by modifying your onboard processes appropriately.

For your recruitment process, you’ll need to understand what matters most to your potential employees. As mentioned above, most of them are in the gig economy for more freedom and flexibility.

As for the onboarding process, you have to build it in such a way that it can easily showcase your company’s culture and goals. It must also be able to provide your potential new teammates with everything they need to get started, from security clearance to equipment.

Join the Gig Economy and Reap the Rewards

The world is constantly changing, and the workplace is following suit. With numerous benefits to offer, the gig economy will definitely become the new normal. Keep up with this global trend, embrace it— and follow the steps above.

Çontributed by Rumzz
Author Bio: Rumzz is a digital strategist and content marketer at Giggle Finance. She enjoys spending time with her family. She loves to go out and experience new moments whenever they come to light.