Top motivations to gig

It's easy to jump to the conclusion that earning some extra cash is the primary goal for many GigCX Experts. And it's true, one of the top motivations voted for in our most recent industry report was to earn money to supplement their main job.

After conducting interviews with over 600 GigCX Experts, the majority shared how they often spent their earnings to splurge on the little luxuries they couldn't afford otherwise. Some even said that they spent their gig-earned money on the brands they gig for! After all, GigCX Experts are the biggest fans of the products or services they assist, so this is hardly a surprise.

What may be a surprise though, is that the motivation to earn money didn't come top in our survey results. With 38% of respondents voting for this option, it was actually only the third most popular motivation to join the "gig." We can safely assume that GigCX is so much more than a source of financial gain for our Experts. So, what are the other reasons Experts are drawn to the world of GigCX?

Flexibility, again!

Topping the charts for the second year in a row, the most popular response at 55% was the flexibility to work on your own time and schedule. When we consider that the spectrum of Experts includes the likes of students, retirees, and full-time caregivers or parents - no wonder this trumped the rest.

The advantages of being able to work when and how much you want are crucial to these groups, where squeezing in a 9-5 schedule can prove to be more difficult. Or perhaps, some simply cringe at the sound of their early morning alarm and are much more productive in their prime state as a night owl (as the most popular working times below show). Either way, flexibility is an obvious luxury and something these Experts are not wrong to grasp and enjoy.

Giving back

The gig economy has been under some scrutiny, yet this is often due to the non-figurative and non-representative pictures the press paints around exploitation and the lack of protection for workers. For GigCX, our research revealed an entirely different perception. In fact, of those surveyed, 85% say it has had a positive impact on their mental wellbeing. At a time in which the pandemic brings a whole host of concerns, it is sobering to know that GigCX is viewed as a reliever rather than a contributor to this.

This brings us to the second greatest motivation for GigCX Experts. Of everyone surveyed, 44% said "the satisfaction it brings when helping others" is why they do what they do. Perhaps this is also why GigCX has such a positive impact on the well-being of Experts.

After speaking directly to the Experts themselves, it was clear that a sense of personal fulfilment was integral to their role. An Expert at Sunbasket said she liked GigCX as she can help others with many of the same questions she had herself when she first began cooking. Likewise, an Expert at eBay said that she simply loves giving out advice and sharing her experiences of buying and selling to help others. 

As Einstein once famously said, "give back to the world at least what you received." So for many, GigCX provides a way to give back to their communities. After all, the fourth greatest motivation at 33% was the ability to do something useful with their time!

Love for the brand

This brings us to our final point. While Experts have numerous reasons as to why they may need some extra cash or a flexible time scale, what ultimately brings them together is the level of passion they have for the brand they represent. 

In our latest report, Mark Hillary describes the GigCX crowd as a "network of brand advocates and people who are not only interested in the companies they're supporting, but quite often they actively love these companies. They aren't just watching the clock and waiting for their shift to end - they are making a proactive choice to log in and help customers when they want to."

For more information, why not download our 2021 Gig Customer Service Report here and meet the Experts and CX leaders behind this installment.