By activating our community of on-demand professionals, we are able to offer task execution where and when it’s needed. However, seasonality, big new projects and unpredictable events can cause fluctuations in the demand for flexible work, resulting in peak seasons and challenges when it comes to supplying flexible work. For example, national holidays cause an increase in the demand for in-store checks at our retail department, and the start of the winter season increases the demand for boiler maintenance at our tech department.
Since the established task completion targets should always be met, we understand that potential fluctuational challenges raise questions for you. That is why, in this article we dive into the processes and tools we use for dealing with such fluctuations, giving you an answer on the frequently asked question “How does Roamler deal with strong fluctuations in the demand for flexible work?”. These processes are mainly fulfilled by our dedicated Community Management teams, who are continuously working on (1) forecasting demands, (2) activating current Roamlers, and (3) attracting new Roamlers.
1. Forecasting demands
As a first step, forecasting of future demand is necessary to be able to take potentially needed actions. Based on our own growth, seasonality, experience from previous years, and the expected ad hoc volume coming from clients, our community management teams predict if and where we need additional resources. In case it is expected that demand and supply will be out of balance, two processes are put into effect: activating current Roamlers, and attracting new Roamlers.
2. Activating current Roamlers
As the flexible professionals in our community are often working for multiple parties, we are continuously triggering them with interesting work opportunities. Additionally, by proactively sharing upcoming available work through multiple channels, our community managers are able to activate the community during expected peak times.
Marit Maxwell, Community Manager at Roamler Retail Netherlands: “When we know a busy period is coming up, we let our communities know a few weeks in advance. We give them as much information as possible, so they know what opportunities to expect. This way they are able to plan ahead, create their own schedule, and get excited for opportunities to come!”
3. Attracting new Roamlers
In addition, our Community Managers monitor local coverage on a daily basis and if needed, they have the tools to attract new independent professionals through referrals or online recruitment campaigns.
By continuously working on these three processes, we maintain a healthy balance between supply and demand for flexible work, reassuring that completion targets are met and our community of independent professionals has a sufficient amount of work opportunities.