Friday, November 17, 2017

How to Effectively Motivate Your Contractors or Temporary Field Staff


If you are a small business owner, this discussion will benefit you to improve the job proficiency of your contingent workforce, that is, the independent contract employees. The trick here is to motivate your temporary field staff or the contractors, so they give the maximum output and achieve the best results. 

Convince them the freedom and profitability possible through contract jobs. Tell them that it’s a great option to work for an already established company that guarantees their work, and also gives them great flexibility in choosing their task lists. If possible, give them the dream option of independently growing their business by owning your franchise. 

The following tips can bring out the best in your contractor:

Assessment and Feedback
Appreciate a job well done, and correct them when the expected standard is not obtained. Rather than bossing around or blaming abruptly, convince the person that the job can be done differently and in a better way. He or she will be happy to learn a new technology from a person with positive attitude. 

Create Trust and Motivate 
Show them that you care for them to build a good relationship.   For that good communication is essential. The staff members should feel that you have a genuine interest in their family, interests, and career plans etc. Invite them to social gatherings like team lunches, tea party and business seminars along with your own permanent employees. This will help to develop a bond and it’s highly likely that they may take up repeat work. 

Proper Briefing  
Some motivational speakers from your HR dept should first conduct a meeting with the contractors to highlight the importance of your company’s mission, your values, quality assurance, and how important you treat your customers. Your technicians can also share some trade job tips concerning your business services; may it be landscaping, plumbing, snow removal, HVAC and pest control etc. 

Set Expectations without Ambiguity 
After giving the briefing about your mission, clients, and work culture, you should provide the contractors with clear-cut instructions and information about the context of the particular task they are undertaking. Never assume things- as both the contractor and your company are new to each other, take time to educate them regarding the quality of work expected. Brief them clearly about your competency standards and how precisely you measure the quality of a task.   

Never Be Late to Pay Your Contractors 
Be transparent in paying the contractors. On time payments, even for tryouts, on par with industry standards is a must for contractor retention and goodwill.   

Remember, contractors can act as word of mouth marketing representatives for your small business. They can make or break your reputation in front of your customers. If your contractors continue to give poor output, it’ll eventually lead to unhappy customers and may affect your business reputation. 

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