6 Mistakes To Avoid When Hiring Temp + Contract Employees

Contractors, freelancers, and consultants are a great part of the US workforce. In fact, according to Deloitte, 30% to 50% of an organization’s workforce may be comprised of contract workers. Bringing on this talent can allow your business the flexibility it needs when adjusting to factors like changes in staff headcount, workload, budgeting, and, economic uncertainty—without making any long-term decisions.

While no long-term commitment is required when bringing on temporary or contract staff, it’s still important to commit to making your new hires feel like they’re a part of the team—especially since you may eventually want to hire them full-time. If you’re thinking about making temp employees part of your hiring strategy, here are 6 mistakes to avoid:

Being unprepared for them to join

Temp employees can serve as a major asset to your organization. No matter the length of their contract, it’s important to offer them the same training that you would offer full-time staff.

While you may be eager for them to get started on important projects, you should make sure there is an onboarding process in place before they arrive. Not only will this help them get to know your organization—it will enable them to do their job more effectively. It will also leave them with a positive start to their employment with your organization.

Having a ‘temporary’ mindset

When you consider a temp employee, well, temporary—you’re setting your relationship up for failure. When integrating temp employees into your team, it’s important to treat them as if they were joining full-time.

Be sure to make them feel welcome by formally introducing them to team members, and any key players within the organization they may be working with. It’s also important to make sure they are set up with any corporate accounts or technology that will enable them to do their job more effectively. In doing so, you will help bridge any divide between temporary and full-time staff—and help them work more harmoniously together.

Forgetting to set clear expectations

When integrating a new employee into your team—contract or not—it’s crucial to set clear expectations from day one. A temp employee should know exactly what their responsibilities are and have a clear understanding of their goals and objectives.

In order to make expectations clear, you should regularly be communicating and checking in with your temp employees and providing them with feedback.

Excluding them from company events (and the office)

Workplace friendships can boost engagement, productivity, and overall job satisfaction. When it comes to company happy hours, outings, and celebrations—don’t forget to extend an invite to your contract employees. Including your contract employees in such events will help motivate them to perform their best while getting to know the team on a more personal level. If you have a hybrid or in-person work environment, the same sentiment should apply. Ensure your contract staff feels empowered and equipped to come into the office if they are located close by and would like to.

Being vague about the future of their role

It is not uncommon for a temporary contract to be extended. This could happen if the scope of the project changes or your organizations feels like they still require more bandwidth. On the contrary, it is also not uncommon for them to come to an end on time. Whether you do, don’t, or are unsure if you’ll need a temporary employee past their contract end date—be up front with them. If a temp employee is wondering what the future of their role holds—it’s likely because they need to decide on their next move. Stringing them along is not only unprofessional, but it can reflect negatively on your organization.

Not giving recruiters a chance

If you’re new to hiring contract and temp employees, recruiters can help you navigate the unknown. Not only can they make sure you recruit the right talent for your temporary needs—they can help ease the stresses of the hiring process so you can focus on onboarding and welcoming them to your organization. Interested in connecting with a recruiter? Contact us here!

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