Hiring independent contractors is a complicated situation since that are not as easy to manage as they not the employees of the organization. As such, they cannot be provided with the same compensation benefits resulting in easier walkouts from the positions if they feel discontented with the job. What is required is to search for contractors who are as worthy as employees and would stay long and dedicated to the organization.
Mentioned below are the best five independent contractor-hiring practices to follow:
1. Payment – Paying wage that is in accordance with the industry standards is the norm and cannot be substituted by any rewards or compensations. More so independent contractors are aware of their industry standard wage which makes it obvious to pay them right. By paying less, one can only expect substandard work amounting to incredibly high turnover and loss of time and capital.
2. Job Clarity - Being clear about the job role and responsibilities is crucial because at times, the independent contractor may be remotely located and if the work is not explained properly, the outcome may be disappointing.
3. Job Listing – This is one of the best practices for hiring independent contractors. As it is crucial to locate the source of talent, the contractors will not be easily available on normal job portals. As such searching on independent contractor specific job site can be useful for finding the right people. For example, websites like Freelancer, Elance, and Odesk etc.
4. Agreement – A written contract or agreement is necessary before starting work or any upfront payment. This serves two ways; firstly, it gives the contractor an assurance for payment of work and gives the employer the means to hold the contractor accountable if the work is not performed as specified in the contract.
5. Interview – To ensure that the contractor coming onboard the organization has the required skills, is pleasant to work with and can perform well even if it is only for a month, an interview is required to check the capabilities and make reference checks of the candidate.
Independent contractors can be a quick fix solution for an impending workload that needs to be cleared just in time while cutting out the long term hiring expenses.
