Your Contractors play an important role in your team and your company’s success even if they are part of your team for a short while.  While these workers may be remote and possibly isolated, that doesn’t mean they should feel that way. Contractors can be equally responsible for creating work product, engaging with customers and helping to grow your business as any other employee, so why not engage with them in the same way.

If you don’t include your contractors in key conversations and integrate them to your team, they may not understand your vision, what drives your company, or your goals and as a result your contractors may not be as motivated, which can impact their job satisfaction and quality of work. If you want to get the best work from your Contractors, it is essential that you integrate them into your company culture.  We have six tips to help build culture with your contractors.

1.Hire the right contractor for the job

Building the culture for your contractor starts right from the hiring process.  You may think that culture fit is irrelevant when hiring contractors because of the short duration of their contracts, but that is not the case.  Think about it this way – if your contractor is not able to work together with your team, they will not be effective in the role. Like any employee, it is important to take the time to evaluate how the contractor will fit in with the current team.  This will build a stronger culture for the contractor and full-time employees.

2.Onboard your contractor

On-boarding helps new employees get familiar with the people and processes they will be working with.  Just as it is important for employees to go through proper on-boarding, contractors should also have the opportunity to do so as well.  This gives the contractor a chance to get to know important contacts in the company as well as the organization’s values, beliefs, and culture.  Since your contractor may be remote or rarely go into the office, it is even more important that they get these messages so they understand what type of company they are working with and how they fit in with the company and its team.

3.Maintain open communication with your contractor

Open communication is an essential piece of maintaining a healthy company culture.  This allows ideas to be shared and helps employees feel included as part of the organization.  Holding regular meetings with all staff (full-time employees and contractors) allows you to discuss current project progress, future plans and team priorities.  While it may be easier to manage your remote contractors individually, this prevents them from interacting with the team. This further drives a divide between them and the company.  There are programs online that encourage collaboration with team meetings such as Google Hangouts and Skype. Other business collaboration tools exist to allow contractors to share their ideas with the team.  Open communication will allow you to make the best use of your contractor’s contributions and these successful interactions will build a stronger team.

To build further on the communication piece, you want to also keep your contractor in the loop on new projects and procedures in the office.  Keep them updated just as you would any other full-time employee by including them in emails or giving them a quick phone call. This way, they are updated on new targets and goals.

4.Check in with your contractors regularly

This seems like a no-brainer but while you’re checking in on work-related items, remember to check in on their lives as well.  Generally, contractors don’t get the full experience of daily interactions that make up a company’s culture such as conversations while getting coffee.  When you are starting an online meeting, take the time to find out about their day, weekend plans, and get to know them. These conversations build a feeling of mutual trust, and will help your contractors feel part of a team.

5.Provide positive feedback to your contractors

Your contractors are working hard to help achieve the company’s goals.  Often, remote teams can feel unappreciated because they may not be in the office to enjoy the successes.  Make sure to praise them for a job well done or recognize them with financial incentives. You want to make sure their experience with your company is a positive one so that they will come back to work in the future.

6.Find ways to involve your contractor in person

While this may not always be possible, it will help your contractor feel more involved with the team.  On occasion, it may be nice to invite your contractor to have lunch with the team. If your team is participating in any events or conferences, organize the schedule early so you can book flights and hotels for your contractor to attend as well. In-person collaboration helps your team to bond and work together, benefiting the business overall.

In conclusion, it is important to view your contractors as employees in your overall talent strategy.  Start off by hiring the right fit and providing a proper on-boarding that sets the tone for your company’s culture.  For the duration of their contract, maintaining open communication, providing positive feedback, and inviting your contractor to events in-person will keep them updated about your company and allow them to feel involved in your culture.

Surge HR Solutions can help you increase engagement with your contractors and employees.  Contact us for a free HR consultation to see how we can help your business succeed.