Should We Use Independent Contractors, But Can We Trust Them Too?

When you’re building your brand, the topic of trust can come up a lot. We need to trust the people working for us, as well as the clients, and in some way, the customer, so we can develop as a business.

But there can be points when we hit a wall, and as such, we need to get outside help. A contractor, or outsourcing, becomes an essential component.

This helps us to highlight the places where we are going wrong, and when we look to hire a contractor, this can be in the place of a full-time employee.

But when it comes to hiring these contractors, trust can be a big issue. Should we trust them, and should we use independent contractors to help us fulfill our business needs?

 

They Are There To Do A Job

We use contractors so that we can fill in gaps in our knowledge. And a contractor that works for you on a short-term basis is there for one reason, and one reason only, to do the job.

And when we hire a contractor, ultimately, there is a contract in place. They are there to do a job, and if they don’t fulfill the requirements of the contract, they will need to go.

This is an annoyance to us because we are spending additional money, but that’s part of nature in contracting.

We can hire temp workers, which is a great way to get a short-term task done, but ultimately, we have to communicate what we need from them. This is the prevailing factor.

 

What Can An Independent Contractor Teach You?

Contractors, as well as outsourcing to certain companies, can highlight where you are going wrong, but this might be something you know already. An independent contractor can help you to make better business decisions.

You know what needs doing, so you get a contractor to do it, and this gives you the opportunity to assess these skills more close up. As such, you can hire people permanently if you need this role fulfilled on a long-term basis.

When it comes to something like outsourcing, there are so many IT consulting services that can fill the skills gap in your business with regards to technology. Because technology is such a constantly evolving aspect of a business, it can be very difficult to keep on top of.

As such, hiring a company like this to do your work gives you the benefit of assessing the skills gap in your business, while also getting the task done.

 

Does Hiring A Contractor Breed Mistrust?

Whether hiring a contractor or outsourcing certain processes, there can be consternation from within the business. Having employees come from outside sources can mean that your current employees may feel shunned. This can cause a division within the business.

And this is something that we can prepare for with better communication. Ultimately, the rule is that “it’s not personal, just business.” But from the perspective of the employees that have served with you for a long time, it can feel like a slap in the face.

And at the same time, may learn a lot about how you operate as a business. If you want to breed a culture of trust, is hiring a contractor or outsourcing the best way to do it? If you are looking to invest for the future, contracting may not be the right avenue.

Because you have goals for the business, and if one of those is to breed a culture where stability becomes part of the core values, having people from the outside come in and temporarily work within the business will alter that stability.

And at the same time, if you want to make sure employees are built up to be key assets to the business, contracting doesn’t help. Not only will it breed distrust within your employees, but these people that you have on board to complete a task will be gone as soon as they are done. And this is very much the nature of the game.

When it comes to hiring a contractor, should you trust them? If they are there to do a job, and they can recommend it, then you have got to trust them. But we have to be prepared that the relationship can easily break down. They could leave at a moment’s notice, or we may find them inadequate.

These are all things that will have to be considered. And as such, creating that trust is something that we have to develop as business leaders. Outsourcing or hiring contractors is an essential component, especially when it comes to saving money. But it can come with a lot of issues if you’re not careful.

Are you thinking about using an independent contractor?