Shiftgig Changes Course: What Can We Learn? (Part 1)

We recently reported that Shiftgig, the Chicago-headquartered, digital platform-based intermediary that connects workers and local businesses, announced that it was becoming a pure-play technology business. The company, which has raised $56 million since its Series A round in 2012, originally launched as an online marketplace that enabled workers to find hourly work and businesses to hire workers. Now, Shiftgig’s reinvention not only represents a significant pivot for the nearly seven-year-old company but also sheds some light on the evolution of the contingent workforce supply chain.

Part 1 of this series will provide background on Shiftgig’s business and a look into the company’s recent sale of its staffing operations to two staffing agencies that focus on hospitality/event staffing. Part 2 will cover our recent interview with Shiftgig CEO Rick Bowman, who shares his perspective on the business pivot and the current go-to-market strategy (ongoing since at least mid 2018). Part 3 of the series will conclude with our commentary on Shiftgig’s strategic shift in the broader context of the evolving contingent workforce technology solution and intermediation space.