COVID-19 changed the world in many ways, with one of the biggest changes being to our economy. Many employees experienced a reduction in hours or the elimination of their jobs altogether, forcing them to find other ways to generate income. Consumers, on the other hand, were not able to live their day-to-day lives to obtain the goods and services they needed. Utilizing the work of independent contractors, allowed them to get what they needed without leaving the comfort of their homes. These changes just a few short years ago have spotlighted the gig economy.

The gig economy has brought businesses that use online applications and platforms providing services to consumers, such as Uber or Lyft, much more readily available. These services are being taken much more seriously, bringing both benefits and risks to consumers. Often these businesses want to hire quickly, making the cost and time of background checks less appealing. Harm to consumers may push for solutions such as creating a nationally accepted standardized approach to due diligence and background checks. At this time, Lyft and Uber have added some background checks to their initial hire and/or continuous monitoring of current contractors.

As many different types of gig work emerge, so does the need for various forms of background checks. For example, as Uber, DoorDash, and Lyft require gig workers to drive in some capacity, checking the contractor’s driving history would be imperative. Consumers utilizing the services of Education First, an online portal connecting tutors to consumers, would hope that these gig workers’ previous education history has been verified. Additionally, gig workers employed by companies such as Care.com, Handy.com, or Rover.com place either the consumer’s loved ones or home in direct contact with an outsider. The expectation is that this person has been screened thoroughly by a consumer reporting agency with accreditation from Professional Background Screening Association (PBSA).

Right now, roughly 36% of US employees participate in gig work of some form. That equates to about $1.21 trillion in revenue within the US. Projections show that by 2027, upwards of 50% of US employees could be partaking in this new flexible way to earn income. This shows that the gig economy is not just a trend, but is here to stay. These gig workers will need to be background checked and to help both the gig worker and the consumer, fast turnaround times and cost efficiency will be of utmost importance.

How will ClearChecks help our gig business?

We built our platform specifically for companies that require quick turnaround times. Turnaround times do not begin and end with the initiation of a county search. Account creation, ordering, and consumer disclosure/consent/application process, are all time-consuming tasks that take place BEFORE any search is initiated; we streamline these events for our customers and consumers. Digitization in onboarding, integration with your ATS or homegrown application, and an engaged Customer Support and Court Investigations team translate into efficiency, accuracy, and cost savings. If you are in the gig space, reach out! We will bring efficiency, scale, and cost reduction to your existing process.