How firms address their HR and recruitment needs has been significantly impacted by the gig economy's growth. Companies needing to fill temporary or project-based roles increasingly turn to remote or freelance HR professionals and recruiters. In this article, we will look at how the freelance economy has modified HR and hiring procedures and how they lead teams in the age of remote work. 

Team management in the remote era

The pandemic has disrupted the traditional work environment, and freelance HR and recruiters have been forced to adapt to the new norm of remote work. However, the challenges that come with managing a remote team have led to the development of unique and innovative strategies by freelancers.

Effective communication remains the backbone of managing a remote team, and HR freelancers have taken advantage of a variety of tools to stay connected with their team members.

From popular video conferencing platforms like Zoom and Skype to messaging apps like Slack, these freelancers are always a few clicks away from their team. To keep track of tasks and deadlines, they have also embraced the use of project management tools like Trello or Asana.

To ensure their team is working towards the same objectives, freelance HR and recruiters understand the importance of setting clear expectations and goals. This helps promote accountability and ensure everyone is on the same page.

How has freelancing changed the HR and Recruiting landscape?

The traditional HR system is being phased out by freelance and strategic HR recruiters who function quite differently from their traditional counterparts. 

Hiring new talent

The conventional HR system is established and effectively satisfies internal staffing demands from hiring to onboarding and managing the whole employee lifetime. But, as was already said, it does not work well for managing freelancers.

Unlike permanent employees, freelancers frequently do not conduct business from an actual office or other fixed location. This is where the various remote HR tools come in handy that help them screen, process, track, train, and manage new hires.

Retaining new talent

Retention in the gig economy context refers to the requirement to create a devoted freelancer network. To make sure your company can satisfy the ongoing need for certain skill sets, it is essential to maintain a strong working relationship with the freelancers you hire. Burning bridges will prevent you from creating a reliable freelancing network. The effects of it might not be felt right away, but they will be felt eventually. Engagement HR professionals are tasked with retaining new freelancers, ensuring no disruption in ongoing operations with routine deliverables.

Difference between traditional HR and strategic HR services

Here are a few differences between the way traditional HR and strategic HR function: 

Responsibilities 

Traditional HR: Conventional HR places a limited emphasis on topics like fundamental people management and labour relations. Their objective is to look after employees and keep them content. The HR department does not inform employees of their duties or how things are carried out. They believe workers will learn that from their bosses or on the job.

Strategic HR: Strategic HR departments go beyond administrative tasks and focus on recruitment, training, developing employees, drafting employee handbooks, and steering them towards meeting the company's goals. Their efforts create a productive work environment that supports success and prosperity.

HR forecasting

Traditional HR: The focus of traditional HR is on meeting the needs of present employees as well as forecasting HR needs in the near future.

Strategic HR: Strategic HR considers what the organization's needs will be in the future while also on optimization of processes. For instance, they will focus on the need for additional employees in the next three months and optimise payroll and recruitment options to make them more seamless and streamlined. They will focus on the improvements of knowledge or training sets too. Strategic HR creates a strategic plan to address the demands of the future based on futuristic trends and processes. 

Reactiveness 

Traditional HR: Although it is alluring to put off possible issues until they manifest, doing so is harmful, especially when dealing with others. Traditional HR usually steps in only after a problem has occurred. They usually do not do much to prevent it from happening in the first place.

Strategic HR: Strategic HR personnel are usually proactive. They may create a handy rulebook that discusses appropriate behaviour and consequences that the employees may face when rules are broken.

Evolution

Traditional HR: Traditional HR views itself as using the same methods and instruments to continuously carry out the same tasks over the years.

Strategic HR: Strategic HR makes an effort to remain ahead of the curve. They stay abreast of innovations in the industry as well as emerging technologies that might facilitate better workforce management. They also keep an eye on the market for novel approaches that the opposition can deploy to inspire workers more effectively.

How companies face issues in the gig economy by implementing strategic HR in their organization? 

While remote working has benefitted several organizations, it has led to some challenges for many organizations. Strategic HR implementation can help companies address these challenges and continue to leverage remote working as a viable option for gig economy workers.

When employees are spread out across diverse geographic regions, organizations usually have to blend cultural disparities to ensure optimal productivity. Strategic HR implementation can help companies promote cultural sensitivity and awareness with workshops that make employees aware of different cultures. Hiring a nodal SPOC HR can help in the long run in becoming a virtual bridge between diverse cultural groups and making all employees feel valued, and also making the company's culture inclusive and harmonious.

It can be challenging for companies to coordinate schedules when there are employees working in diverse time zones. Strategic HR can help companies implement flexible working hours accounting for overlapping time zones to manage meetings and other collaborative tasks. The nodal SPOC HR can help facilitate communication between teams in different time zones, ensuring that everyone is on the same page and perfectly in tune with the organization's goals and objectives.

Language barriers pose challenges, too, especially for those who are working remotely, to gel with existing employees. To avoid language differences, strategic HR initiatives related to language and demographic knowledge can help teams to accommodate different professionals, leveraging their skill set for the job. The nodal SPOC HR professional can also help in translating and facilitating communication between parties. 

Does every business need to switch to strategic HR systems?

Not every business needs to switch to strategic HR from traditional HR systems. The business might have varied requirements. Strategic HR systems can provide many benefits in terms of higher efficiency, better decision-making, and enhanced employee engagement.

Whether a business should switch to strategic HR systems is dependent on organization size, domain, and present HR practices. Large organizations might find it essential to adopt strategic HR systems. However, small businesses could also implement some strategic HR practices that might include a functional performance management system.

Ultimately, the switch or choice to implement strategic HR systems is dependent on organizational objectives, the potential benefits of the switch, and the overall costs of implementing such systems.

Conclusion 

With their flexible and collaborative approach, freelance HR and recruiters have changed the HR and recruiting scene and have given businesses a practical way to upgrade their procedures. These experts use technology to manage teams and interact with employees as remote work becomes more common. Their adoption of data-driven decision-making and agile HR practices has transformed HR management, offering a new viewpoint and effective outcomes.