5 questions to ask before hiring a contract worker

Every good business needs the right mix of in-house talent to keep things running, but sometimes there is a need for versatility and flexibility that can strain your full-time employees.

Contractors or temporary workers can help fill this gap and provide an interim solution, but before you start recruiting, you’ll need to plan thoroughly to ensure you can locate the right kind of talent.

Here are a few questions to ask when considering contract and temporary workers to make sure that this is right choice for your team:

1. What needs will a contractor fill?

Make sure you have a clear idea of what role a contractor will be stepping into. Sometimes, the parameters are easily defined, such as a large project coming up that requires certain expertise you don’t have in-house. Other times, your team is just too stretched and needs extra support.

In the latter case, make sure you work with staff to find out how having a contractor would ease their workload, which should form the basis for any KPIs or deliverables. In order to get your contractor up and running quickly, you’ll have to make sure they will be a good personality fit with your team – this is something to cover in the interview – and also that they have enough support available to hit the ground running.

2. Do we need a fresh perspective?

There’s a myth out there that temporary workers can be less skilled or that they can't find a full-time job. However, many temporary workers are actually highly skilled individuals who actively prefer contracting because of the variety, freedom and higher pay rate it offers.

This means that a contractor can bring a new outlook based on vast experience of different workplaces. If you’re in need of new ideas or ways of working, an experienced contractor could be precisely what you need.

3. Do we need a contractor or a permanent hire?

Contracting is the ideal solution for unusually intensive periods of work, parental leave, holiday/sick cover and the period between a staff member leaving and a new hire starting.

It’s also a good way to trial a new hire to find the right fit for your team; a temporary contract allows you to test an applicant’s skill set and cultural fit in the workplace before committing. Some contractors will be open to leveraging a contract role into a permanent position, which may make them more motivated to perform and prove their value.

4. What are we offering?

Since the top contractors out there have many options, the best can often pick and choose between offers of work. It’s important that, in lieu of sick and holiday leave, you can offer an attractive package to entice top contractors in your industry.

An attractive package doesn’t have to mean remuneration (although a good rate should be a cornerstone of your offering). You can also open up any staff discounts or corporate partnerships to temp workers, or include perks like a travel allowance.

5. How urgently do we need to hire?

When there’s an unexpected gap in your team (such as when a member of staff calls in sick), there could be an unexpected gap in your productivity and capability. Such lapses in staff can leave remaining team members stretched thin, and projects can suffer.  

At those moments, you need to find someone very quickly. Contractors have the benefit of usually being available for an immediate start, and can usually bypass the time involved in getting sign-off for a new permanent staff member.

When a sudden gap occurs, it’s important that there’s an established and ongoing relationship with an agency that understands your business and can provide contractors or temporary workers at short notice to minimise these disruptions.

Page Personnel has a huge pool of pre-qualified, highly talented temps ready to step in immediately. Contact Page Personnel today to connect with the top contractors in your industry.