How to hire the best contractors

Hiring a contractor can be a great way to give your business a short-term boost, but how can you be sure you’re getting the best talent?

Whether you’re looking for a short-term fix or simply exploring different recruitment options, hiring a contractor can be a great option for your business.

But filling contractor roles requires a different approach to permanent positions, which is why we’ve compiled some tips on hiring the best contractors.

Move quickly

Speed is essential when hiring contractors. Companies typically go through multiple stages when hiring for permanent roles, to ensure they offer them to the right candidate, but for contractor roles it’s crucial for companies to move fast – and have the correct internal processes set up to allow them to do so.

Hiring a contractor can take as little as 24 hours or even less. It’s vital that decisions are made quickly. Contractors are often involved in multiple projects at any given time, so you need to make fast decisions to avoid missing out on strong talent.

Craft the perfect job description

To attract the best talent, you need to create the right job description. Contract job descriptions should highlight five main tasks and daily responsibilities. Contractors will need to jump straight into the work so emphasising these key tasks will ensure they can prepare to make an impact from day one.

It’s also important to clearly state that it’s a contractor position to avoid confusion. Make sure to mention the contract length. If you’re unclear on the timeframe, give an estimated minimum and maximum and update candidates as the scope develops.

Offer the correct salary 

It’s essential to offer the right salary no matter the role, but be aware that a contractor salary will be higher compared to an equivalent permanent role. The amount of inflation between roles will vary between locations and industry and could be anywhere from 5% to 30%. Be sure to do research on local contractor salary before making any decisions.

The extra financial impact makes it vital to discuss budgets with internal stakeholders before beginning contractor searches or connecting with a recruitment agency. Make sure to manage your expectations.

Search out the necessary soft skills

When hiring a contractor, it’s crucial that you find a candidate with the right soft skills. Unlike technical abilities, which are likely to shine through in a candidate’s CV and work experience, an applicants’ soft skills can be difficult to assess – but it’s imperative that hiring managers are clear on which soft skills are critical for the role before recruiting a contractor.

Contractors need to be able to communicate with others and develop strong relationships quickly in a new work environment. The candidate should have strong skills in engagement and proactiveness, as well as adaptability and problem-solving abilities.

Ask the right interview questions

Use the interview to evaluate a candidate’s motivation and probe into the reasons behind why they’re looking for a temporary role. These positions require adaptability to new environments and a commitment to the length of the contract, so hiring managers need to ask the questions that’ll get these answers.

A good question to ask to understand the candidate’s intentions is how they would react if they received an offer for a permanent role a week into their contract.

Add some perks to your offer

Many companies will only focus on financial compensation, but this can be a mistake. The best contractors are drawn to companies that not only offer a decent salary but also make them feel included as part of the team. Treating contractors equally within the company can have a big impact on the success of their work, so ensure you offer them some of the same opportunities as permanent employees, such as training and education or even free lunches.
Companies are under increasing pressure to provide attractive offers to contractors or risk losing strong talent to another employer.

Use a recruitment agency

Utilise a recruitment agency you can trust to connect with high-quality contractor talent. The best talent often registers with recruitment agencies to ensure they find the right roles, while companies use agencies as they know candidates will be vetted and referenced, taking the onus and associated time pressures off themselves.