Four ways to build loyalty in the gig economy
Generating loyalty can be a challenging prospect when team members don’t know each other and may not even be working in the company beyond project completion.
Yet up to 50% of the UK workforce of companies such as Google and ASOS is freelance, and this number is growing. The ONS reports that in 2017 there were 4.8 million self-employed workers in the UK, representing more than 15% of the total labour force.
So when time is short, what can you do to generate the kind of loyalty that drives great performance and turns individuals into lifelong brand advocates?
69% of employees say that reward and recognition would motivate them to stay, according to Achievers, December 2017.
1) Foster a sense of pride
Everyone needs to see the value of their contribution to the big picture. Share third-party testimonials, social proof and related evidence that enables people to truly believe in the product or service they are delivering, take ownership of their role and understand why it’s important to your clients/ customers.
2) Maintain open channels
Annual engagement surveys have little relevance for short-term contract workers. Having an always-on feedback channel enables you to capture and share great ideas, disseminate best practice and swiftly address any concerns. As well as enabling you to fill gaps in understanding and dispel any myths, first-hand insight will help support and inform your continuous improvement strategy.
3) Empower peer recognition
Peer-to-peer recognition can resonate powerfully, creating a sense of mutual appreciation that supports team working and collaboration. Having a platform that facilitates ‘anytime, anywhere’ social recognition enables colleagues to recognise and congratulate each other, share successes and add congratulatory comments to others’ posts.
4) Reward in a relevant and timely way
Having a structured approvals process built into your recognition platform will help manage the budget and maintain consistency. Rewards can also be an ‘in the moment’ expression of thanks and appreciation, perhaps for reaching a key project milestone, or for extra effort to meet a deadline.
They can be ‘surprise and delight’ moments or random acts of kindness (“Treat yourself to a meal out on us!”). And of course they can be offered as an incentive to drive activity, such as reaching a certain target, winning a performance league or beating previous performance.
And because you can’t please everybody all of the time, we recommend getting as close as you can to that goal by offering rewards that facilitate choice, such as a gift card, a digital code, or lifestyle memberships.
This article was provided by Grass Roots.
In partnership with Blackhawk Network
Our integrated worldwide network enables you to connect with employees, sales channels & customers.
