Ought to You Onboard Contractors? | Litmos Weblog

Think about it: you’re a freelancer. You’ve simply landed a model new consumer. You don’t know a lot about them or their product, however you’re wanting ahead to getting began on the undertaking you have been contracted for. You simply want some details about them and their product and you will get to work.

Besides… there’s no data. The consumer will get your W-9 and simply expects you to get began. You’re not precisely positive what their expectations are, and the one factor you already know about their product is what you’ll be able to glean from their web site. As a contractor, I can let you know that this occurs generally, and it’s often an indication {that a} undertaking is off to a bumpy begin for each me and for the consumer.

For this reason I find it irresistible when purchasers have a transparent and structured onboarding course of for freelancers. It units the tone for our relationship, and helps me to know the group I’m working with and produce higher work.

The significance of onboarding freelancers

Onboarding is an introduction. It’s a structured plan that welcomes somebody into your group, acquaints them together with your tradition, folks, and processes. Onboarding units targets and expectations for everybody concerned, and supplies studying that’s important for a newcomer to achieve success together with your group.

It is sensible that you simply’d onboard anybody who’s new to your group: workers, companions, and clients. Not each onboarding course of is identical, nevertheless. What about your contractors?

Contractors are a necessary a part of your enterprise; they supply key companies and are sometimes useful group members. Nevertheless the legal guidelines governing contractors could make it troublesome to supply the identical onboarding expertise you’d present for a brand new full-time everlasting worker.

How can your group present the appropriate stage of onboarding on your contractors whereas staying compliant with trade and regional laws?

Key variations between contractors and workers

Your favourite freelancer could look like simply one other group member, however legally, there are some fairly large variations between contractors and workers. Totally different nations have totally different legal guidelines, however the U.S. makes use of the Financial Actuality Take a look at to find out the distinction between contractors and workers, which takes six elements into consideration:

1. Alternative for revenue or loss relying on managerial ability: does the employee negotiate the phrases of their very own work?
2. Investments by the employee and the employer: Who pays for the tools and workplace area utilized by the employee?
3. Permanence of the work relationship: How long-term is the connection?
4. Nature and diploma of management: Are you able to inform the employee how one can produce the work?
5. Whether or not the work carried out is integral to the employer’s enterprise: Is the work central to your mission?
6. Talent and initiative: Does the employee carry their very own expertise to the job or do they want coaching?

In different phrases:

• Contractors signal a contract with a consumer, agreeing to supply a particular service or product at an agreed-upon price. This can be short-term or long-term, and so long as they produce the work, the contract is fulfilled. The consumer can’t inform them how one can do the job. For instance, the consumer can’t require a contractor to work sure hours, or do the work in a sure manner. The contractor often pays for their very own tools and area, and so they can’t count on advantages from the consumer.
• Staff are employed indefinitely. They work set hours, you’ll be able to inform them precisely how one can do their job, and sure behaviors will be required (like attending coaching). Staff are supplied with advantages, tools and workplace area by their employers. They get a wage moderately than submitting an bill.

Onboarding: workers vs. contractors

What does worker onboarding appear like?

Making a structured onboarding program for brand spanking new hires is essential. A powerful onboarding program for brand spanking new hires often contains the next:

• Compliance data and paperwork
• An orientation
• An introduction to tools and instruments
• Integration with the group and firm tradition
• Data so the brand new rent can do their job properly
• Constant check-ins with the brand new rent over the primary a number of months

Different finest practices embrace setting targets for brand spanking new hires and offering studying for them.

What works for worker onboarding in all probability received’t work for contractor onboarding.

What does contractor onboarding appear like?

You possibly can’t require a contractor to take coaching within the U.S. — it’s thought of behavioral management, and the contractor is meant to be bringing their very own expertise and data to the job anyhow. They technically mustn’t want coaching.

Because of this, contractor onboarding is often stored to a minimal:

• Paperwork, similar to tax paperwork, contracts and NDAs
• Provisioning, if the contractor wants entry to any platforms utilized by a consumer
• Compliance data if wanted

In some circumstances it’s much more primary than that — only a signature on a tax kind.

Ought to contractors be supplied extra onboarding?

As soon as you discover the appropriate contractor, you in all probability need them to leap proper in and begin your undertaking.

Nevertheless, as keen as you is perhaps to onboard a contractor shortly and get to work, each you and your freelancers can profit from a structured onboarding course of that goes past documentation and paperwork. Onboarding is supposed to set expectations for each you and the contractor, so even in case you’re solely bringing on a freelancer for a small undertaking, it may be useful to create a guidelines for onboarding.

This may occasionally embrace:

• Paperwork: tax paperwork, NDAs, contracts, fee particulars, and another paperwork that must be accomplished
• Expectations: What’s the scope of your undertaking? What are the duties of the contractor? What about your duties? How will you talk, and when?
• Introductions: Introduce the contractor to the group that they are going to be working with.
• Assets: If there are any sources the contractor must do their job, they need to have entry to these objects. This would possibly embrace guides, demos, or programs that assist the contractor perceive your organization or product.
• Permissions: If a contractor wants entry to any methods or platforms, your onboarding course of ought to embrace this.

Why onboard contractors in any respect?

It’s vital to keep in mind that whilst you can’t require your contractors to attend conferences or have a look at sources, you’ll be able to set them up for achievement by offering the chance to get higher acquainted together with your group.

Actually, many contractors welcome onboarding. So many instances, we’re thrown into tasks with little or no details about the group as an entire. However after I can see how the work I’m doing aligns with my consumer’s enterprise targets, I will be more practical. When I’ve a robust understanding of my purchasers’ product, I can produce stronger tasks.

On the finish of the day, most contractors need to do one of the best job we probably can; our portfolios are our livelihoods. The work we do for our purchasers now will assist us land extra purchasers sooner or later. If you present us with an onboarding program, you’re giving us a chance to supply our greatest give you the results you want, and for ourselves. It’s a win-win.