Tackling new hurdles to meet growing needs
What is the gig economy? Freelancing, contracting, on-demand, ride-sharing, gig work – whatever you want to call it, it’s blowing up! This type of work is getting more popular, which presents a whole new set of questions and concerns regarding background checks.
Gigs aren’t just ride-sharing, either. Fast food restaurants are using gig workers to fill shifts. You can hire people for cleaning or handyman services through gig platforms. A small business may need a temporary fill-in for accounting or to answer phones while someone is on vacation. Chipotle recently started utilizing delivery by subcontracting to services like Door Dash to deliver their food instead of employing drivers in-house.
So how big is this whole gig thing, really?
Gig work accounted for 30 percent of new jobs between 2010 and 2014, and one in four Americans earn money from the digital “platform economy.” Millennials are major contributors to this market considering a whopping 38 percent of them do freelance work. While this may have started out as a means to supplement income or a way to make money during the recession, they continue to freelance because they enjoy the flexibility and like to maintain control over the work they do and how they do it. As more companies shift to gig work, the workforce is recognizing the need to change how they work to accommodate a shifting economy.
So what about background checks in the gig economy?
Background checks in the gig economy didn’t really come to light until Uber started having multiple issues with its drivers. We saw problems with everything from firearms to assault. Uber has revamped its background check process in response to this negative view of their company and new laws and regulations that are being put into place around the country. How are other industries handling background checks? It’s hard to say.
In most cases, there’s little to no formal processes in place for bringing on gig workers, which can be risky. Checking their backgrounds should be just as important as vetting a regular employee. That consistency is important to safeguard your business, its employees and its customers.
That said, there’s definitely a push in these situations for background checks to be quick and reliable.
How can True Hire help with your gig demands?
True Hire has specifically designed a workflow for your background checks in the gig economy, and continual screening is important with an on-demand workforce.
Turnaround Time
Depending on what type of background check you run, True Hire can have your background check completed in mere hours, and over 70 percent of our background checks are completed in less than 24 hours.
Seamless Process
Our cutting-edge technology allows you to administer background checks in several ways. We can integrate our background checks into the hiring or gig software you’re already using, so “applicants” complete the background check authorization as part of the on-boarding process. Integration to platforms like Snag, Telescreen and others helps your business stay on top of background checks.
True Hire can also create custom webpage just for your company. You can email the invitation to the worker to complete the background check, requiring an access code to continue, or have the webpage be open to anyone who has the URL. There is even the option to have the worker pay for his or her own background check. We also have mobile flexibility.
So… what now?
Gig work isn’t going anywhere and is expected to grow exponentially over the next few years. Will your company use it? Are you already? If so, consider how background checks are going to fit into this changing landscape. True Hire is here as a partner to help you figure this out and create a plan of action that makes sense for your company.
Keep an eye out for more in-depth articles about the gig economy and what you need to consider when working with an on-demand workforce.
If you have questions, please reach out. [email protected] or 800-262-7301.
