FastCo, the company behind FastJobs, Asia’s top non-executive job portal for both jobseekers and employers, recently launched new FastGig app for Singapore’s gig economy. This a move in response to ride on the wave of the growth of the gig economy that has been growing and expanding in recent years.
What is FastGig all about? This is Singapore’s ‘Workforce as a Service” (WaaS) platform that helps to match qualified flexible workers with businesses looking for solutions to headcount constraints and labour shortage, especially during peak seasons. FastGig is also one of the first job apps for gig workers in the Southeast Asia region.
Julian Tan, Founder & CEO, FastCo, said: “The official launch of our FastGig app opens a brand-new chapter at FastCo and we are excited to embark on this journey to help address a critical gap in the current economy. Leveraging on the solid foundation of FastJobs, we have created a robust platform that will allow for greater job flexibility for both workers and businesses. We believe FastGig will thoroughly transform Singapore’s gig economy.”
The gig economy in Singapore has been steadily growing and gaining popularity for some years, the recent and ongoing pandemic situation accelerates the growth of the gig economy in Singapore. The number of workers in this sector rose over 10% from 228,200 in 2020 to 248,500 in 2021. FastCo foresees continued growth in this gig economy sector, as more opportunities become available. During this pandemic, gig economy has become a lifeline to help keep many workers afloat, especially those who were retrenched or furloughed.
Benefits to gig workers
According to the Manpower Ministry’s (MOM) 2020 Labour Force in Singapore report, flexibility and freedom are the top reasons that push workers towards such work arrangements. However, the lack of sufficient work and uncertainty around finding available gigs are among the top 3 challenges these gig workers face. With the technology built into the app, FastGig enables workers to access a wide database of freelance work opportunities across job types, timings, and locations.
Users can easily register for the FastGig platform without jumping through hoops. Existing FastJobs users can access the platform without the need for additional registration. Once on the platform, users can select job listings via available locations and timeslots on a day-to-day basis. Gig workers are free to plan their own schedules, choosing to work according to their availability and convenience. The entire experience from sign-up to payment on the platform is kept simple and fuss-free, even gig workers of above 60 years of age will not face difficulties using it.
The simplicity of the FastGig platform extends to its streamlined payment process. Users can enjoy the benefits of choosing to work at multiple businesses without the hassle of having to approach them individually for payment. The hassle of filling up timesheets is also removed as users clock in at their work locations with a simple scan of a QR code using their FastGig app. Users will be paid directly on a weekly basis.
“We truly believe that harnessing the right technology will power the transformation of our workforce. The convenience of FastGig will create equal access to job opportunities, thus redefining meaningful work for everyone,” said Julian Tan.
As a safeguard for FastGig users, only verified businesses and their job opportunities are listed on the platform.
Benefits to businesses
Businesses that list jobs on FastGig enjoy many of the conveniences the platform offers. The automation of timesheets and payment processing cuts down on administrative manpower requirements. Instead of processing individual payments to the gig workers, businesses would just need to pay FastGig a lump sum on a regular basis to pay out wages. If a user does not show up for work, FastGig can push out shifts urgently, helping businesses to maximise the chances of securing last minute workers.
FastGig supports businesses in building a robust blended workforce of conventional employees and freelancers. It enables businesses to tap into an additional pool of workers that would otherwise be inaccessible to complement their existing staff. Hence, this allows businesses to easily scale up or down their workforce according to their changing business needs.
To date, FastGig has worked with dozens of brands to bridge their staffing gap, fulfilling over 160,000 manhours. Notable mentions include partners such as NTUC FairPrice, Domino’s Pizza Singapore, and Phoon Huat, who have leveraged FastGig to scale their operations during seasonal peaks such as Christmas and Lunar New Year.
Michelle Tan, Human Resource Manager, Phoon Huat, said “Our Warehouse and Production departments were struggling to fill vacated positions when many of our China workers left to go back home due to the Pandemic in 2021. With Christmas and Chinese New Year fast approaching, we were desperately in need of staff at the end of 2021, and luckily, we found out about FastGig’s services. Since engaging their service, FastGig has been very efficient and never once failed to supply us with the daily required workers to address our manpower challenges. We are so thankful for their dedication and professionalism and will not hesitate to recommend their services to any Company.”
Julia Chong, Human Capital Management, Domino’s Pizza Singapore, said “Tapping on FastGig’s pool of reliable gig workers has helped us develop a blended workforce that can better accommodate seasonal peaks. For businesses like ours where operations need to scale up significantly on demand, this service provided by FastGig is a true lifesaver.”
* Information and pictures courtesy of FastCo and GLOO *