Double the Tasks,Double the Control: An Analysis of Workers’ Practices to Increase Visibility in Cleaning,Care,and Accommodation Platforms in Spain

Abstract

A vast amount of literature on social media has researched how content creators develop practices to present themselves and play the ‘visibility game’ (Cotter, 2019). Similarly, platformization of work has led to algorithmic control through the logic of ratings and visibility. This article studies how platforms shape the practices of workers who carry out services in domestic spaces. We conducted a qualitative content analysis of 36 profiles in cleaning, care, and accommodation platforms in Spain complemented by 10 in-depth interviews with workers. Similarly to what has been found for social media, we observed how workers manage their profiles following a presentation logic, including disclosing personal information and knowledge, achieving desired results in terms of metrics, and interpreting and surpassing the clients’ expectations. Thus, the work process is geared toward satisfying clients and platforms to access working opportunities, resulting in double the work and showing how visibility permeates and shapes a variety of sectors.