Even though the workforce is growing, not much is known about how to manage and improve the performance of a mixed workforce. This article aims to institutionalize a blended workforce model in the post-COVID age, i.e., a transition from a homogeneous workforce to a heterogeneous workforce comprising full-time workers working in tandem with gig talents connected through digital platforms.
Highlights:
- The present uncertainty in conventional employment connections resulting from the ongoing pandemic necessitates more consideration for enterprises to increase the proportion of gig workers post-COVID-19.
- Concurrently, with the introduction of technology developments in Industry 4.0, businesses began balancing the antiquated full-time worker paradigm and the gig workforce model.
- Using the concepts of various talent management functions, an alignment of the gig workers with the permanent workforce will be leveraged in the future to address the needs of short-term specialized skill sets and scalable operations while creating a fair balance through a flexible and agile workforce.
The name “gig” dates back to the 1920s, when jazz concerts were gaining popularity across the United States. These musical performances were one-time events that didn’t last long. The idea of gigs grew out of them, giving performers flexible work options without benefits (Whitehead, 2019). To date, however, there is no clear definition of gig employment (Healy et al., 2017). Other hallmarks of the gig economy include flexible work schedules depending on service-based demand and the ability to pick one’s own place of employment while performing activities through an internet platform (Stewart & Standford, 2017). This lack of a continuous employment connection makes the work schedules and incomes of gig workers uncertain. This is also indicative of the lack of any predefined advancement or competence development for the affected employees (Abraham et al., 2019; Johnes, 2019).
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