GXO Logistics, Inc, the world’s largest pure-play contract logistics provider, announced that it has completed a successful pilot of a workforce flexibility platform that provides flexible arrangements for more than 1,100 “gig workers” to supplement its workforce at eight GXO warehouses across the U.S., with plans to expand to additional locations.
“Tapping into the gig workforce expands our talent pool and reduces costs for our customers,” said Dawn Nixon, Senior Vice President of Human Resources, GXO. “For those who place a premium on flexible hours, our program enables us to offer greater flexibility to meet worker needs and helps us easily adjust our headcount as customer volumes change. It also creates unparalleled agility for our operations and new opportunities for our full-time team members to upskill. We look forward to expanding this program to our operations across the U.S.”
GXO has partnered with EmployBridge, the largest industrial staffing company in the U.S., on the pilot program, which offers enhanced flexibility, enabling the company to attract a greater breadth of potential employees through an app called EmployGig. At the sites where GXO piloted the program, nearly three-quarters of the participants are women and almost a quarter are stay-at-home parents or primary caregivers for children. Participants include people ages 18 to over 65, with the most, approximately a third, coming from the 25–34 age group.
Billy Milam, CEO of Employbridge, said, “We are proud to partner with GXO, an innovative and tech-forward contract logistics leader, as we harness the power of the gig workforce and reshape the employment landscape of the industrial supply chain. Technology is rapidly transforming every facet of life, including today’s workforce. Employbridge is passionate about leveraging technology in meaningful ways, and we’re able to do just that with our platform-based gig solutions. We look forward to continuing to partner with GXO to bring our gig solution to additional communities as we deliver expanded opportunities, and options, for the modern job-seeker.”
As part of the pilot program, GXO will post a job, including details on dates, hours, type of work and pay. That job is instantaneously dispatched by EmployGig to candidates who best match the requirements, and they can then signal their interest. Because GXO is an industry leader in technology, a key attraction for many candidates is the opportunity to work alongside robotics and automation, which can also reduce training time. The program has enabled GXO to provide enhanced flexibility for its customers, which is critically important to respond in real-time to changes in demand while reducing costs by more efficiently managing and forecasting headcount.
Nixon added, “We’re taking a better approach to workforce management. We’re creating a more diverse and engaged team — making sure our employees have the best experience and balanced capacity, even when we have seasonal changes in volumes throughout the year in industries such as fashion, technology and consumer electronics.”
People looking for extra income were overwhelmingly positive about the program. “I am saving to buy a house and I needed an extra income,” said an EmployGig worker from Allentown, Penn., and a retired veteran in Phoenix said, “This program gives me flexibility to work when I want to work.”
The program also appeals to people who might not otherwise consider working in logistics. Another employee from Allentown said, “I am trying to spend more time with my son, and EmployGig allows me to do just that,” while an employee from Memphis said, “I like being able to make my own schedule, especially since I have younger children.”
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