Think about it: you’re a freelancer. You’ve simply landed a model new consumer. You don’t know a lot about them or their product, however you’re trying ahead to getting began on the mission you had been contracted for. You simply want some details about them and their product and you will get to work.
Besides… there’s no data. The consumer will get your W-9 and simply expects you to get began. You’re not precisely certain what their expectations are, and the one factor you realize about their product is what you may glean from their web site. As a contractor, I can let you know that this occurs generally, and it’s often an indication {that a} mission is off to a bumpy begin for each me and for the consumer.
Because of this I adore it when purchasers have a clear and structured onboarding process for freelancers. It units the tone for our relationship, and helps me to grasp the group I’m working with and produce higher work.
The significance of onboarding freelancers
Onboarding is an introduction. It’s a structured plan that welcomes somebody into your group, acquaints them along with your tradition, folks, and processes. Onboarding units objectives and expectations for everybody concerned, and offers studying that’s important for a newcomer to achieve success along with your group.
It is smart that you just’d onboard anybody who’s new to your group: staff, companions, and prospects. Not each onboarding course of is identical, nonetheless. What about your contractors?
Contractors are a vital a part of your enterprise; they supply key providers and are sometimes precious workforce members. Nonetheless the legal guidelines governing contractors could make it troublesome to offer the identical onboarding expertise you’d present for a brand new full-time everlasting worker.
How can your group present the suitable stage of onboarding to your contractors whereas staying compliant with industry and regional regulations?
Key variations between contractors and staff
Your favourite freelancer could seem to be simply one other workforce member, however legally, there are some fairly massive variations between contractors and staff. Completely different nations have completely different legal guidelines, however the U.S. makes use of the Economic Reality Test to find out the distinction between contractors and staff, which takes six components into consideration:
- Alternative for revenue or loss relying on managerial ability: does the employee negotiate the phrases of their very own work?
- Investments by the employee and the employer: Who pays for the tools and workplace house utilized by the employee?
- Permanence of the work relationship: How long-term is the connection?
- Nature and diploma of management: Are you able to inform the employee find out how to produce the work?
- Whether or not the work carried out is integral to the employer’s enterprise: Is the work central to your mission?
- Talent and initiative: Does the employee convey their very own abilities to the job or do they want coaching?
In different phrases:
- Contractors signal a contract with a consumer, agreeing to offer a particular service or product at an agreed-upon charge. This can be short-term or long-term, and so long as they produce the work, the contract is fulfilled. The consumer can not inform them find out how to do the job. For instance, the consumer can’t require a contractor to work sure hours, or do the work in a sure means. The contractor often pays for their very own tools and house, and so they can’t anticipate advantages from the consumer.
- Staff are employed indefinitely. They work set hours, you may inform them precisely find out how to do their job, and sure behaviors will be required (like attending coaching). Staff are supplied with advantages, tools and workplace house by their employers. They get a wage moderately than submitting an bill.
Onboarding: staff vs. contractors
What does worker onboarding seem like?
Making a structured onboarding program for brand new hires is crucial. A robust onboarding program for brand new hires often contains the next:
- Compliance data and paperwork
- An orientation
- An introduction to tools and instruments
- Integration with the workforce and firm tradition
- Data so the brand new rent can do their job properly
- Constant check-ins with the brand new rent over the primary a number of months
Different finest practices include setting goals for new hires and providing learning for them.
What works for worker onboarding in all probability received’t work for contractor onboarding.
What does contractor onboarding seem like?
You’ll be able to’t require a contractor to take coaching within the U.S. — it’s thought of behavioral management, and the contractor is meant to be bringing their very own abilities and information to the job anyhow. They technically shouldn’t want coaching.
Because of this, contractor onboarding is often saved to a minimal:
- Paperwork, equivalent to tax paperwork, contracts and NDAs
- Provisioning, if the contractor wants entry to any platforms utilized by a consumer
- Compliance data if wanted
In some instances it’s much more primary than that — only a signature on a tax type.
Ought to contractors be provided extra onboarding?
As soon as you discover the suitable contractor, you in all probability need them to leap proper in and begin your mission.
Nonetheless, as keen as you may be to onboard a contractor rapidly and get to work, each you and your freelancers can profit from a structured onboarding course of that goes past documentation and paperwork. Onboarding is supposed to set expectations for each you and the contractor, so even if you happen to’re solely bringing on a freelancer for a small mission, it may be useful to create a guidelines for onboarding.
This will likely embody:
- Paperwork: tax paperwork, NDAs, contracts, cost particulars, and another paperwork that must be accomplished
- Expectations: What’s the scope of your mission? What are the duties of the contractor? What about your duties? How will you talk, and when?
- Introductions: Introduce the contractor to the workforce that they are going to be working with.
- Assets: If there are any assets the contractor must do their job, they need to have entry to these objects. This may embody guides, demos, or programs that assist the contractor perceive your organization or product.
- Permissions: If a contractor wants entry to any programs or platforms, your onboarding course of ought to embody this.
Why onboard contractors in any respect?
It’s necessary to keep in mind that when you can’t require your contractors to attend conferences or have a look at assets, you may set them up for achievement by offering the chance to get higher acquainted along with your group.
In reality, many contractors welcome onboarding. So many occasions, we’re thrown into tasks with little or no details about the group as a complete. However after I can see how the work I’m doing aligns with my consumer’s enterprise objectives, I will be simpler. When I’ve a robust understanding of my purchasers’ product, I can produce stronger tasks.
On the finish of the day, most contractors need to do one of the best job we presumably can; our portfolios are our livelihoods. The work we do for our purchasers now will assist us land extra purchasers sooner or later. Once you present us with an onboarding program, you’re giving us a possibility to provide our greatest give you the results you want, and for ourselves. It’s a win-win.