Tips to Managing & Leading Contractors

It sounds simple… let’s take on a few contractors to fill the gaps in our organisation’s expertise and help take our business to the next level… but how do you establish yourself as a leader and manage your contractors to get the most out of them?

If you’re not already a strong leader, here are some simple tips to instantly transform you:

Show passion and enthusiasm for what you’re doing – your energy will be contagious.
Motivate your contractors and employees to work harder by being optimistic about achieving goals
Encourage a collaborative approach to find new solutions, that way you’ll engage and empower
Reflect on what’s been done before with the objective of finding new and improved ways to maximise opportunities in the future
Be resilient when setbacks occur – you need to show your workers that you won’t let a set back get you down
Cut yourself some slack – if there’s one thing we all need to realise, it’s that we don’t… and will never… know it all. So don’t be afraid to admit you don’t know

When managing your contractors and employees to get the most out of them it’s important to instil confidence and provide clarity. Here are a few tips to help you along the way:

Actively listen to what your contractor has to say. In doing so, you’ll empower them to perform to their best ability and you’ll be able to grow your own knowledge along the way.
When defining a contractor’s role or a specific project, be sure to clearly document the requirements and your expectations. Vague descriptors will confuse and frustrate both you and your contractor.
If an assignment is not progressing as you expected, sit down with your contractor to identify impediments and to identify opportunities for improvement – don’t be tempted to take on the task yourself – you’ll only get bogged down while your contractor loses confidence and/or interest.
Be sure to delegate interesting assignments to others rather than holding the most interesting work for yourself, so that your contractors are able to learn and gain professional satisfaction.
Don’t reward mediocrity but do give full credit for excellence.

There’s no doubt that leading a team and managing individuals can be challenging. At the Ayers Group, we support recruiters and corporate organisations with back end solutions to streamline payroll and administrative processes, freeing you to focus on leading your team and growing your wealth. Talk to an expert from the Ayers Group today to find out how we can help you.