One out of five jobs in the United States is held by a contract worker.1 And more and more employers are starting to consider hiring them for impending job vacancies.
If you’re interested in effectively training and retaining your contract workers, here are a few things you should consider doing.
Provide a Brief Yet Informative Onboarding Process
Even if it’s through online channels or e-mail, material that highlights your organization’s mission, goals, agenda, situation inside the marketplace, etc., should still be offered to all contract workers. Don’t underestimate the effectiveness that such onboarding will have with their engagement levels and work quality. The better they understand your organization, the better their work output will be. And be sure to permit them opportunities to ask questions and offer feedback during their onboarding, as well.
Issue Access to a Learning Management System (LMS)
To keep your contract workers engaged, allow them to engage with others inside your LMS to ask questions and share best practices and data or information, especially with other contract workers. And let them take courses and access learning content that will help them develop their skills and expertise.
Offer Real Leadership and Development Opportunities
Give your contract workers opportunities to lead teams and projects, especially if they’re veterans in their field. Not only will your projects benefit from their expertise, but also, so will your teams and organization. You also never know when you’ll need to hire them for an upcoming contract position that requires such leadership skills. And it’s much easier to rely on contract workers you trust and have personally developed and vetted already instead of hiring a new outside contract worker you don’t know.
Extend Temp-to-Hire Positions
If you enjoy working with a contractor and he or she enjoys working for your organization, try to make the relationship longer-lasting if you can by turning temporary contracts into full-time positions. He or she will benefit from the regular work and salary, and your organization won’t have to spend additional funds searching for and vetting more contractors. This is especially helpful for contract roles that are always available with and inside your organization
Allow for Flexible Work
Allow contractors to choose their own schedules and work locations whenever possible. If they’re completing their project deadlines on time, always producing quality work, and showing up for necessary in-person meetings, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t offer contract workers flexible working conditions. They’ll be more productive, engaged, and happy to work with your organization.
Give Feedback and Recognition
Although contractors aren’t permanent fixtures in your organization, they’re still human. They’ll appreciate and value the opportunity to learn from their mistakes and will certainly appreciate recognition for a job well done. Give them feedback about their work performance as often as possible.
To effectively train and retain your contract workers, follow the best practices and tips listed above.
- “A Close-Up Look at Contract Workers.” Accessed 4/6/2018.