How to embed an IT contractor into your team

Technology contractors can be a great way to ensure you have access to the right skills to enable innovation on high-priority projects or provide crucial support on day-today activities. They were a crucial way to ensure project continuation throughout the pandemic and will continue to be vital as technology leaders battle in the current war for talent.  

IT contractors can be sourced by recruitment agencies based on specific project, industry, product, or technology experience, ensuring you get the right support you need, exactly when you need it. 

But once you’ve made the decision to support your teams and projects with contract IT professionals, how do you integrate those contractors into your team to see the quickest possible ROI? Contractors can be placed on your projects very quickly, the average lead time to find and engage a contractor is 4-10 days, and they can be with your company from two weeks to two years.  

Just like with a permanent employee, having a well-thought-out onboarding strategy, that is easily replicable, will mean you can get your IT contractors up, running and delivering as quickly as possible every time.

6 best practice tips for onboarding IT contractors successfully

While it’s tempting to onboard IT contractors using the same process you have for permanent members of staff, there are some crucial differences between the two that need to be accounted for in any robust contractor onboarding plan. These seven tips will help you create a plan that acknowledges the specific requirements of the contractor, the form of their engagement and their project requirements. 

Prior to the contractor arriving you should:

• Complete all necessary contractor paperwork

Ensuring you’ve prepped any required paperwork early will ensure you have everything you need before the engagement begins. Contractor engagements may require extra paperwork due to compliance, tax requirements and IR35 regulations.

• Grant all required accesses

Make sure that your contractor has access to everything they will need before their start date. This means that they can get started on their work quickly. This could mean everything from backend website access, administrator permissions or even access to your office with key cards, etc.

If your contractor is working remotely and accessing files and data, you will also need to think about security. Remote contractors need the same security as permanent employees.

• Collate any important documentation

Put together any important documents you feel would be beneficial for the contractor. This can help set the tone of your engagement and give your contractor an idea of your workplace culture.  

Possible items to include:

• Any passwords for programs and tools  

• A run through of the project goals and scope 

Once your contractor is in place you should:

• Encourage engagement with wider team

Contactors can often feel disconnected from the wider team. Encouraging engagement with your permanent staff can make for happier contractors and allow knowledge transference between them and your regular team.

• Schedule key deliverables

A schedule of regular deliverables gives contractors segmented deadlines to work towards and mean that you can address any issues and concerns as they arise as well as keep track of the progress of your project.

On completion of the project remember to:

• Ask for feedback

Getting feedback from your contractor is crucial for you to improve your onboarding process and maximise your ROI on future contractor engagements.

Looking for skilled IT contractors to bolster your projects?

You need IT and technology contractors who can hit the ground running and give you the best possible ROI. At Fruition IT we offer unrivalled access to individuals with the most relevant skills, experience, and work ethic for your requirements. We partner with you to provide a seamless experience whilst ensuring that we are up to date with compliance and legislation such as IR35. 
 
Contact us today to discuss your contracting needs.