4 Expert Tips For Making New Contractors Feel Welcome
Looking to help a contractor settle in quickly with your company and deliver a project effectively? Here’s how you can welcome new hires.
Contractors can find themselves in a unique position when they accept a contract with your company. Although they’re not full-time employees, they’re still playing an essential role in your team and helping you to complete a project.
As a result, it’s vital that you make them feel welcome.
Welcoming new contractors isn’t just a nice thing to do - it’s also very important for productivity and team collaboration. When a new hire feels like they’re being embraced and supported in your business, they’re more likely to produce their best work.
(This is also crucial for minimising contractor time to value - learn more about that in our comprehensive guide here.)
Let’s take a look at 4 ways that you can make a new contractor feel welcome in your business.
1. Prepare for the first day
Preparing for your contractor’s arrival on their first day will help you to hit the ground running.
Always agree on a specific start time and location with a new contractor, and be ready to greet them upon arrival - ideally in person, but if not, virtually!
Give them a quick rundown of your company basics (i.e. an office/site tour, introduction to different departments, important process information) so they immediately feel informed and ready to get started.
Setting a clear structure for this first day is also highly important, particularly for less experienced contractors. Not only will this help a new hire to maximise productivity, but it will also show that you’ve put thought and effort into their arrival.
2. Take time to build relationships
While a contracting arrangement is typically much more short-term than permanent employment, it doesn’t mean you can’t establish a solid working relationship that builds trust, mutual understanding, and shared goals.
Contractors can often feel uncomfortable attending official company events (e.g. Christmas parties) but you should still try to include them in as many team activities as possible.
Lunch outings, coffee runs, and other informal gatherings can be a great way to build rapport between full-time team members and contract workers.
The important thing is to make your new contractor feel like a valued part of your business.
Spending as much time as possible with them (and encouraging colleagues to do the same) will help them to integrate seamlessly with your team and deliver on the job they’ve been tasked with.
3. Set up a ‘buddy’ system
Assigning a workplace ‘buddy’ to a new contractor is a great way to make them feel more comfortable, particularly during their first few days.
While it’s important to encourage all staff members to welcome contractors, setting up dedicated buddies shows new hires that you’re genuinely invested in supporting them.
This doesn’t need to be too full-on, but just having a buddy or mentor in place can be very helpful for a contractor. Having someone there to answer basic questions, provide a site tour, or even just chat with can make a big difference to new starters.
(Just make sure that your chosen buddy is happy to volunteer!)
4. Check in on your new contractor
A quick face-to-face check-in at the end of day one can be massively appreciated by a new contractor, so if you can spare a few minutes, it’s well worth the effort.
Check how your new hire is settling in, and answer any questions they might have about the company or project.
If a face-to-face chat isn’t feasible, an email can still be a nice gesture.
Making independent contractors feel welcome in your company is important for a few reasons.
When you embrace new hires, you’ll motivate them to deliver high-quality outputs and help them to function effectively in their team. Plus, it reflects well on your company, which can enable you to attract fresh talent and encourage contractors to return for future projects.
Ready to hire? Send us your vacancy details now.
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