Gig work offers flexibility and freedom, but you also run the risk of dealing with bad paymasters. On the other hand, businesses may not have the time to constantly find help. FastGig is a new app that helps address the issues for both parties.
FastGig is a platform by FastCo, the company behind FastJobs. FastJobs is a job portal that specialises in non-executive positions, and FastGig is a natural extension that addresses the needs of the gig economy.
According to FastCo, the number of workers in the gig economy rose over 10 per cent from 228,200 in 2020 to 248,500 in 2021 and proved to be a valuable lifeline for many, especially those who were retrenched or furloughed during the pandemic.
The app helps to address the pain points in the current status quo, which according to the Ministry of Manpower’s 2020 Labour Force in Singapore report, are the lack of sufficient work and the uncertainty around finding available gigs.
Julian Tan, Founder & CEO, FastCo, said: “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.”
Since its soft launch, FastGig has picked up 10,000 registered users, with around 2,000 users who have done shifts.
Benefits for users
One of the key issues that FastGig is looking to address is the lack of sufficient gig work and the uncertainty of finding such work. As such, the app is designed to help gig workers plan their schedules better by offering users access to a wide database of freelance work opportunities where you can select job listings via locations and timeslots on a day-to-day basis. This also helps people who are looking to add a little extra income but who may not be able to commit to a fixed schedule.
As an added layer of protection, only verified businesses and job opportunities are listed. FastCo also takes on the work of managing and monitoring all parties to ensure that problematic workers and businesses are held to account. In this manner, all parties in this ecosystem can go about their business without worrying about whom they’re working with.
FastCo added that the process from sign-up to payment (upon completion of a job) on the platform has been designed to be so simple, that even gig workers over the age of 60 will have no difficulties in using it.
The other benefit of having such a platform is that it simplifies other processes as well: the gig worker need not have to approach multiple businesses to collect payment nor worry about difficult paymasters – FastGig users will receive payment the following week through the app; timesheets are now a thing of the past too, as FastGig users simply use the app to scan a QR code to complete what was once a tedious administrative task.
Business benefit too
FastGig is a convenient platform that can help businesses scale their workforce accordingly to changing needs. For example, NTUC FairPrice, Domino’s Pizza Singapore, and Phoon Huat have used FastGig to scale their operations on-demand to cope with seasonal peaks such as Christmas and Lunar New Year.
Michelle Tan, Human Resource Manager for Phoon Huat, credited FastGig for helping them tide through a manpower crunch in the lead up to the year-end holidays. Their Warehouse and Production departments were left shorthanded after their Chinese workers returned home in 2021 due to the pandemic. “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,” she explained.
Similarly, Julia Chong, Human Capital Management for 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.”
Aside from offering a large pool of gig workers, FastGig also offers provisions to push out urgent shifts if workers do not turn up or are unable to fulfil their obligations for one reason or another.
The platform also helps businesses minimise the administrative aspects of hiring a gig worker. For example, instead of having to arrange multiple payments to the various gig workers and filling out the relevant paperwork, businesses only need to pay FastGig a lump sum and the system will sort it out.
You can check out FastGig on the web or download the app from the Apple App Store and Google Play Store .
