How Can You Ensure That The Contractors You Hire Have the Skills Your Company Needs?
To get the kind of contractor you want, you have to be able to explain what you want. Contract firms can do a lot for your company, but they can’t read your mind.
Are you aware that one of the most common hiring mistakes managers make is failing to define Superior Performance for an open position? The answers to the following questions can help to define Superior Performance in terms of specific, measurable, action, results, and time objectives.
- Position title
- Position description – the responsibilities the individual will be performing
- Position description – the responsibilities the individual will be performing
- Skills required to successfully meet the expectations of the position
- Superior Performance Profile of the position: define the specific objectives of the individual in measurable terms, define actions expected, the results expected, and time frames over which these objectives are to be accomplished
If you’ve been specific with your requests in the past and still haven’t received the kind of help you want, a couple of different issues might be at the root of the problem.
First, you may have called too late. Calling the day before you need a contractor doesn’t allow the firm much time to locate the right contractor for the job. Even if the firm can track down someone with the skills you want, another company that called further in advance may have already retained that person. Calling as far ahead as possible will increase your chances of getting a contractor with the right skills, even if you are only anticipating the possibility of new work.
Second, the contracting firm may not have checked the candidate’s references to ensure they have succeeded as a superior performer in previous similar positions. Make sure the contracting firm only works with the top 30% performers in their discipline.
