Gig economy set to impact background screening in 2018

Millennials have surpassed Baby Boomers as the nation’s largest living generation, according to population estimates released this month by the U.S. Census Bureau (shared by Pew Research).

With millennials being a more transient, adaptable, and flexible generation that those before, we’re sure to see such population trends have an impact on employment.

In one particular case: the gig economy.

Resolution Foundation suggests that the gig economy jobs that have seen the highest rate of growth over the last decade are in typically high wage sectors – core sectors for educated, tech-savvy Millennials.

After all, the gig economy has made it easy for workers to control when, where and how much they choose to work.

The flexible nature of gig work also benefits employers, as they only pay when work is done, and don’t incur staff costs when customer demand is not there.

With more of the workforce working with/for multiple companies – and given this number will only increase – we need to ask what this means for the safety and protection of companies. What role will employment screening play?

No doubt, it will be more important than ever. Here are a few areas to consider:

Regulations

This is a brand new landscape and regulations are struggling to keep up. Companies such as Uber and Lyft have faced a multitude of lawsuits over the last few years as local governments try to understand who plays what role in ensuring the safety of the consumer using these products, as well as precisely what that responsibility looks like.

Resources

More fluctuation in staff will also mean that companies need to commit more resources to onboarding, turnover processes, and training.

Reliability

Despite popular belief, there is no federal database that background screeners can use to run a holistic pre-employment background check. Screening companies need to look to various local, state, and federal databases and points of contact to verify different areas of someone’s background.

More than ever, companies must be able to trust their screening partner to deliver rapid turnaround times, accurate information, and committed customer service support in order to leverage their independent workforce.

Get in touch today to learn more about how MYB can help your business in the gig economy.

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