If you’re a business owner or manager working with contractors or freelancers, you’ve probably felt the effects of mismanaging this type of talent. And given that freelance work is just getting more popular, finding the right way to stay on top of changing trends is essential. As things stand, there are more than 70 million freelancers in the US, further solidifying the path in which work culture is heading.
Even with that, some business owners are sceptical of the complete shift. But when managed correctly, contractors and freelancers can provide an invaluable resource to any organization’s workforce.
In this post, we will explore some of the best practices for successful contractor management so that you can ensure your project goals are achieved on time and within budget.
Create Complete Onboarding Documents
Ensuring everyone on your team has the same knowledge is extremely important, whether they’re working full-time or as a contractor. Creating clear guidelines and onboarding documents outlining expectations, roles, and responsibilities is essential to building an effective and productive team prepared to face all the challenges the industry might pose.
It’s great to have a talented pool of contractors/freelancers who can join you in quickly and efficiently completing projects. However, it’s still important to take the necessary steps to ensure they hit the ground running as soon as they join the team.
Relay to them how you operate and which platforms you use to communicate. Instill the way of work early on, and you will see your new contractors working efficiently as soon as they join your workforce.
Measure Their Performance
If you want to ensure profitability, you have to track the performance of your contractors. It gives employers an accurate reflection of the work their contractors and freelancers have completed, ensuring that clients receive the best quality of service every time. Luckily, monitoring software makes it easy for you to keep tabs on your hybrid, full-time, and contractor workforce.
A useful contractor management software should incorporate features such as progress reports submitted by contractors, a digital dashboard for easy data analysis, and fields to record client feedback. As an employer, these tools will help you gain greater insight into how your contractors are performing and clarify which areas need improvement.
Work With Veterans
When selecting contractors for a job, it is important to consider not only the price of the service but also their qualifications and experience. In addition, prioritizing quality over quantity means less likelihood of errors or additional costs associated with redoing a project.
The more qualified a contractor is for the job, the better chance of success they will have in achieving the desired outcome. Seeking out qualified contractors takes a bit more time, and research, but will pay off in providing a better quality product faster and more cost-efficiency in the long run.
Manage Them From a Single Hub
Investing in project management software can be an excellent way to save your business time and money. By automating workflows and streamlining processes, the right software can help you and your team get more done in less time.
Services like Trello are free and particularly helpful for managing projects collaboratively with all of your team members. As a bonus, there’ll also be fewer paper trails to handle. Investing in project management software is an excellent way of staying organized and productive without wasting valuable hours on manual tasks.
Foster Connection
Building strong relationships with contractors is essential for long-term success. Regularly checking in with the contractor, especially at key points throughout the project, helps ensure that both parties are up to date on progress and deadlines.
Communication is key; asking contractors how things are going and providing updates from your side shows dedication and establishes a sense of trust between the two parties. Taking an active role in fostering relationships with contractors on a project, means setting yourself up for success by establishing clear expectations and ensuring everyone involved is well-informed.
Bottom Line
Proper management of contractors and freelancers is essential in order to get the most out of their services. By creating thoughtful guidelines and onboarding documents, establishing a tracking system to measure contractor performance, selecting quality workers, investing in project management software, and fostering relationships with contractors, you will be well on your way to hiring contractors who understand their duties and can effectively complete the task at hand.
Businesses need to recognize that the successful engagement of independent professionals is often reliant on an effective contractor/freelancer relationship management process. With well-defined processes in place, it’ll be easier for you to enjoy successful engagement with independent professionals and reap the rewards.