Instawork Review: Legit App to Find Local Gigs?

With the app, you can earn money working hourly service shifts. And just like with other apps similar to Instawork, you can work where you want when you want.

What cities does Instawork operate in?

If you are wanting to work on Instawork, you’ll want to know if the service is available near you.

Instawork operates in the following metro markets and surrounding areas in the United States:

• Atlanta, GA
• Austin, TX
• Bay Area, CA
• Boston, MA
• Charlotte, NC
• Chicago, IL
• Columbus, OH
• Dallas, TX
• Denver, CO
• Detroit, MI
• Houston, TX
• Kansas City, KS/MO
• Las Vegas, NV
• Los Angeles, CA
• Miami, FL
• Minneapolis, MN
• Nashville, TN
• New York, NY
• Orlando, FL
• Philadelphia, PA
• Phoenix, AZ
• Portland, OR
• San Diego, CA
• Seattle, WA
• Tampa, FL
• Washington, DC

It is also available in Canada in the following areas:

• Toronto, ON
• Vancouver, BC

The company states that it can’t give an exact estimate of when it will open in your city. But, it does state that if you’re looking for work, you can complete your profile and join the waitlist, and it will be sure to contact you first when it opens up in your neighborhood.

How Does Instawork Work?

You can use Instawork to find local shifts. You can set your own schedule, which is great.

Here’s how it works…

Sign up

The first step is to sign up. It’s free to sign up for the staffing app. Just head on over to this page to get started.

Then, you can create an account. All you need to do is enter your name, email, and phone number.

The site will then direct you to download its app. The app is available for Android and iOS devices, and it is free.

You will also need to verify your phone number and answer a short questionnaire.

The questionnaire asks you about things like:

• The number of hours you want to work per week.
• The distance you’re willing to travel for work.
• Your work availability.
• What type of hourly wage you’d like to earn.
• The amount of notice you’ll need before accepting a shift.

Once you have completed the questionnaire, you will need to enter your zip code so the Instawork app can highlight open shifts in your area.

Complete your profile

In order to get shifts on Instawork, you will also need to complete a profile.

Here’s what the app will ask for during the signup process:

• Details about you: This includes things like a profile picture, your date of birth, and your home address.
• Position applications. You will need to let the company know what type of shifts you’d like to work.
• Work experience: You need to provide this to help Instawork understand where you’ve previously worked so it knows you have experience and are able to do the job that you’ve applied to.
• References: You will need to provide two professional references. According to the app, these are important to the company so it knows that someone can vouch for you. Getting two professional references can speed up the process to get activated on the Instawork platform.
• Take a quiz: Based on the position or positions that you selected, Instawork will give you a short quiz to ensure that you know the job. According to the company, if you’ve worked in these roles before, then the quiz is super easy.
• Certificates: Depending on the city and position that you select, the app might require a certificate. These are typically laws that the company has to comply with at the state level. For example, if you want to work shifts that involve serving or handling alcohol, then you must complete online responsible alcohol training and certification or TIPS. Or, for example, if you want to work shifts that involve preparing food or handling dishes in any way, then you will be required to obtain and upload a Food Handlers card. You can learn more about certification programs here.

Start finding work

Okay, so once you’ve completed your profile, you will be able to start finding work near you.

Businesses post shifts for the positions they need, up to a few hours in advance. You can accept shifts that fit your availability.

You get to set your own schedule, and work and earn as much as you want to. You can book shifts in advance or at the last minute. And, you can choose shifts by duration, time, and location.

You’ll get shifts through the Instacart mobile app. You can choose from lots of different positions across industries like food, event, and warehousing.

Jobs include things like

• bartender,
• dishwasher,
• and general labor.

You will only be able to view positions, like server, dishwasher, or bartender, for the jobs that you are qualified to work.

The main tab on Instawork features a list of different job categories where you can find open shifts. These categories are based on the categories that you chose when you signed up. You can add more positions though to unlock more job categories.

So, if you have experience in a position that you currently don’t have listed in your profile, under the profile section of the app, scroll down to Gig positions in the middle of that page, and select the option to add more positions.

Make sure that you add all of your previous work experience, request references to vouch for this experience, and, for certain positions, take a quiz. After you’ve done that the company’s team will review your account and reach out to you if it has any questions or concerns.

Once you pick job categories, Instawork will show you open shifts in your area.

Complete shifts

Once you apply for a shift and get approved, you’ll need to complete the shift.

To prepare for your shift, it’s a good idea to ensure you know how to get to the job location, you have transportation for that day, and that you confirm your shift before the start time. You’ll be prompted to confirm your shift 32 hours before the shift starts. You’ll have 16 hours before the shift start time to confirm your upcoming shift. This tells the company that you’re still able to work that shift.

It’s important that you confirm your shifts because if you don’t confirm, then the shift is auto-canceled and that will negatively impact your overall performance rating.

Instawork recommends that you arrive at your shift 10 to 15 minutes early.

Get paid

You get paid for completing shifts. You’ll make more money for urgent requests and peak times. You get paid weekly to your bank account, which is really convenient.

How Much Does Instawork Pay?

Instawork pays $15 to $25 an hour for many jobs. For some jobs, you can earn more than $25 an hour.

The amount of money you earn depends on the type of job you do and how many gigs you complete. So, you could earn $100s a month from Instawork if you can get enough gigs on there.

What Kind of Jobs are on Instawork?

You can find jobs in a variety of categories, like events, food, and warehousing.

Some of the jobs available on the platform include:

• Bartender
• Event server
• Busser
• Dishwasher
• Runner
• Cook
• Picker/packer
• General labor
• Forklift driver
• Retail merchandizer
• Warehouse associate

Is Instawork Legit?

Instawork is a legit company that you can use to find work.

Here’s how it’s reviewed by users across multiple platforms:

• Glassdoor: 3.8 stars
• Indeed: 3.7 stars
• Better Business Bureau (BBB): 1.17 stars from customers. F rating from the Better Business Bureau.
• Google Play store: 4.5 stars.
• The App Store: 4.8 stars.

As you can see, its reviews are average to good. So, on Glassdoor and Indeed, the reviews are average, but on the Google Play store and the App Store, the app is well-reviewed. However, on the Better Business Bureau, Instawork only has 1.17 stars from customers and an F rating from the BBB. So, it seems as though some people are not happy with the company. Overall though, the reviews of Instawork are good.

Below, I’ve included some reviews from Intsawork users, so you can get a better idea of what people’s experiences are like with the company.

Instawork User Reviews

There are many positive reviews of Instwork, like these from Instawork users on Indeed:

• Good gigs. they provide the gigs. you can work as much as you want. not a bad company to work for if you want some extra income. they allow you to be your own boss in a way.”
• “Fun company to work for. You just go to your job location, meet with the company’s leaders and they provide the clothing and you get to work. Happy with the amount of pay and how you can choose to work as much as you’d like.”

There are some negative reviews of the company, like these ones from users:

• “Instawork does not have good customer service for its workers, only for its partners. For instance, they don’t back up the freelancer, or ask for any details if any issues may arise. They pay a very low wage as well. If a company is paying $14.75 an hour for you- you’re only getting $11.50.” (Review from BBB).
• “Good: flexible hours (if you get any) since you get to pick up shifts of your own choosing. You get to meet tons of people and see tons of places since jobs come from everywhere you’re willing to travel. Bad: jobs get canceled with no warning leaving you with a day(s) without work. So where are you supposed to find work last minute? Some jobs will require you to lift 50lbs and make you CONFIRM that you can lift 50lbs or threaten that you will be sent home with no pay if you show up and say you can’t lift 50lbs. Jobs are grabbed up pretty quickly. The app controls access to what gigs you can grab based on how long you’ve used the app, not according to your work experience. No customer service! The Instawork captains there are very rude and disorganized.” (Review from Indeed).

Closing Thoughts

Overall, Instawork is a legit place to find work. It does have its issues though. One of the most common complaints I saw was about the company’s customer service. So, many workers feel as though the customer support they get from it is poor.

However, a lot of the Instawork reviews are good, so it’s one to consider if you’re looking to make extra money. Hopefully, this Instawork review helped you to decide whether the platform is for you.