You asked so many questions of us in March’s Monthly Flex newsletter that we were positively overwhelmed by your responses. That’s why we’ve written this post, with the aim of covering all of them.
Below is a video answering some of the most frequently asked questions, and underneath that there are a whole host of others. As some of your questions were quite similar in nature, we’ve grouped them together and given a collective response which we hope covers all bases. You can also find some of the answers on our FAQs pages.
What’s the story behind Indeed Flex?
Indeed Flex was started in 2015, by friends Novo Constare and Jack Beaman. Motivated by their experiences of temporary work at university, they wanted to improve the market for temporary work, for both employees and employers. Ultimately, they wanted to create more freedom and choice for workers and more reliable staffing options for employers.
You can read more about the journey and who we are by reading “about us”.
What are the current obstacles facing the company?
As a knock-on effect of the cost of living crisis, the employers we work with have seen their customer demand fall; with, for example, fewer people shopping or eating out in restaurants. Unfortunately, this has led to a decrease in the need for staff and a reduction in the number of shifts on our platform. It can also lead to shifts being cancelled at short notice if a large event is postponed or expected sales change. We know this isn’t a great experience for Flexers who’ve made plans for that day to travel and work, and we do everything we can, in partnership with employers, to avoid this happening. We also ensure that you’re at least compensated for some of your time: if your shift is cancelled with less than 24 hours notice you’ll still receive 4 hours’ pay.
While it’s quite normal to see a drop-off in the number of shifts post-Christmas, we continue to work hard with our employers to get back to the expected levels of work for everyone. This includes our Employer Relations Team, who guide our employers to try and post accurate shift forecasts instead of cancelling at short notice. We’re also constantly working with Indeed to onboard more employers onto the platform across the industries that we work within.
Rest assured, now that we’re heading into spring and more events are going ahead (not to mention the number of pop-up restaurants springing up), we expect to see a significant increase in the number of shifts available to you, with fewer cancellations.
What other countries are you planning to expand it to?
After Indeed acquired Syft in 2019, we set our sights on launching in America, which we’ve since been able to achieve, as Indeed already had such a large presence there. Unfortunately, the pandemic soon followed and the current, worldwide cost of living crisis. It therefore made sense that we focus on making sure the app and the experience work well for current Flexers and employers, before we look to expand into other regions.
Do Indeed Flex offer internal permanent job openings within their organisation?
Yes, all of our internal job vacancies can be found on our careers page. If there’s a specific role currently being advertised, such as one in digital marketing, it will be there.
Can I use Indeed Flex for references?
Yes, of course – we’ll be sad to see you move on, but we’d be only too happy to give you a reference.
Please share our contact email with the person/employer who is asking for that reference ([email protected]). The support team will then respond to them with the reference needed.
Please Note: We are unable to provide references directly to you. The employer must contact us themselves.
Why don’t you have a phone line for Flexers to contact you on?
Live Chat is available via the Support section of the app. The idea is that this Live Chat function allows us to be more efficient in answering your queries, enabling us to speak to multiple Flexers at a time. It allows us to provide the same level of service that we would via phone. Live Chat also allows us to request and share images, live information, and instructional videos, should the need arise – something we couldn’t do over the phone.
How do you onboard companies as employers on Indeed Flex? Do you carry out vetting processes to know that they’ll treat Flexers well?
We go through a 3-month onboarding process with clients (or ‘employers’, as you’d know them), to ensure they’re up to speed with our operating processes. We also make sure we understand how they operate to align this with our values, and that they’re aware of the rules for working with Flexers; for example, the maximum number of hours they can work in a week.
How do Indeed Flex source their clients?
We source clients in one of three main ways:
- They come to us organically, simply signing up to the app
- We run multiple advertising campaigns to attract numerous clients from the same area
- We get referrals or contact from clients currently working with indeed.com.
Does Indeed Flex approach potential clients or is it the other way around?
The simple answer to that is, both: we have a team that onboards clients who sign up organically, but we also contact new, potential clients and offer the Indeed Flex solution to them.
Is it possible that, at the end of the shift, we can get feedback from the employer to show on our profile?
This is very much what we’re working towards; to allow you to receive beneficial feedback from the employer, so you know how you did. You can then show this on your profile, which will highlight your skills and attributes for the next employer who views you. Our product team is reviewing these features, and we’ll update you on their progress as soon as possible.
Why don’t we have a section for comments?
We recognise that, while we provide you with the opportunity to rate shifts, you don’t currently have the option to comment on your shift experience. We want to offer you the chance to do this in future – to give honest feedback without fear of its impact on your profile or earnings. So, you’ll be pleased to hear that our engineering team is working to fix this, and we hope to share an update on this in future newsletters.
Are we being rated individually or as a team?
Rating should always work on an individual basis. When the employer is confirming your shift attendance, they’re also asked to individually rate your performance, based on a star rating of 1 – 5 (5 being the highest). For more information on how ratings work and what to do if you feel that a rating was incorrect, you can view our FAQ on rating.
How come it takes so long to approve sign-in timesheets?
Some employers we work with will have a large number of timesheets to approve. However, regardless of how many they have, we always ask that they complete those timesheets by the Tuesday after the week in which you’ve worked. This allows us to process your weekly earnings. Having said that, we know that very often you’re looking for control and choice in how and when you get paid, which is why we’ve launched Next Day Pay. This service will give you the opportunity to claim up to 50% of your earnings the day after your shift. You can read more information about this service on our Next day pay blog page.
Where can I see my pension pot?
Your Flexer pension pot is with a company called NEST. If you’ve started paying into your pension with us, you should have received a welcome pack, after enrolment, which will help you log in to their portal. From here, you can view your pension pot whenever you like. If you haven’t received your welcome pack, you can contact the NEST customer helpline for support, on 0300 020 0090.
Does Indeed Flex have any training programmes for Flexers, for career development?
We recently shared a programme called ‘Grow With Indeed Flex’, which you can go back and review at any point, to help you with your career development. With our Flexer Development Manager, Matty, we are looking at what other opportunities we can bring to you.
