Skill-based Contractors: When to Hire Them & How Your Whole Team Benefits
Ask any startup or SMB leader, and they’ll tell you: there is simply never enough bandwidth, funding, or hours in the day. Small but mighty businesses in growth stages usually need more work done than they can afford to complete.
These teams may not want the long-term commitment of hiring for full-time roles that could change or become unnecessary as the business matures. On the other hand, employing highly skilled experts to help with key initiatives can change the trajectory of an organization.
One solution is to hire trained contractors or freelance talent for specific projects.
Common use cases include “one and done” projects like presentation templates (branded proposal, pitch, or strategy decks), or CRM implementation or data migration tasks. You may need design assets built that will be used on a recurring basis - like social media, website, mailer, or email graphics. Perhaps you’re looking for technical writing work (documentation, contract language for agreements and scopes, standard operating procedures, SLAs, etc.) and need a subject matter expert to assist.
But how should hiring managers determine when it’s best to outsource to temporary workers, and how do full-time employees benefit?
Here are three situations in which you should hire skilled contractors for your project:
If there’s a time crunch. Contractors can take on specific tasks and focus only on those with no conflicting priorities. These hires can quickly ramp up and complete work without interruption or multiple deadlines to juggle.
If the task is novel or temporary in nature. If an initiative doesn’t fall squarely into any one team member’s job description, it’s likely not going to be needed again, or it’s something entirely new to your organization, it’s best to outsource to someone with relevant experience.
If you need to save money. Contractors are paid a set amount of hours at an agreed upon rate and don’t require benefits packages, making their services cost-effective alternatives to full or part-time workers.
Helping your full-time employees understand the benefits of bringing in temporary help
Though skill-based contractors are an asset to any team, their presence can create uncertainty for those who are salaried with the organization. They may fear layoffs in favor of less expensive bandwidth, or worry that they’ll need to onboard and manage new team members.
Reassure your team members that contractors help management avoid layoffs by allocating funds appropriately AND allow hiring managers to make more informed headcount decisions. Additionally, more consistent help means less burnout and improved work-life balance. And they’re a great indicator of where priorities are being left unchecked: if talent acquisition leads are hiring freelance staff regularly, it may be time to open up a full-time opportunity on the team.
Why temporary hires are pivotal for operations
Temporary hires can allow leadership to focus on one of the most pivotal operations initiatives: upskilling staff. Asking full-time hires to take on additional tasks outside of their scope creates burnout and impedes productivity. Outsourcing those allows employees to focus on what they’re really good at, and where they want to grow professionally.
If you’re struggling to determine when and how to hire freelance or contract workers, let’s talk. I have extensive acquisition strategy experience and help lean teams make decisions that put people AND profit first.
Learn more about my services, or reach out to book a free discovery call today. talenttracksolutions.com/contact
