As the employment landscape is shifting, more and more professionals in the tech space are opting for contract roles, rather than permanent employment. This allows them to gain diverse experience and enjoy the freedom that comes with the contracting lifestyle.

Contracting offers benefits to both the employer – who can tap into diversified skills and knowledge, and the contractor – who gains exposure to a range of different projects. Both parties agree on terms that are most attractive to them, and both can terminate arrangements when it no longer suits.

All in all, contractors are well received in organisations and most businesses are familiar with engaging people in this way. However, there is still some disparity between the treatment of contractors and permanent employees. Although contractors are more commonplace than ever, they still somehow remain as ‘outsiders’.

Being an ‘outsider’ doesn’t necessarily imply being unwelcome, in fact in most cases, organisations don’t realise it’s happening. In some instances, the contractor may not be added to an email about a company event, or they weren’t brought into a team meeting, despite being part of that team for the short-term future.

While these exclusions seem minor, they can certainly affect the productivity of the contractor. Although contractors are accustomed to and perhaps expect to be excluded from activities, inviting them may boost their productivity and the overall morale in the office.

Ensuring no disparity between the treatment of contractors and permanent employees promotes a unified workplace  where the entire workforce is engaged. Companies invest large amounts of time and effort in creating a culture to inspire staff and failing to include contractors can be detrimental to company culture.

1. Develop an induction process similar to that of your permanent staff which includes the company mission, values and direction.
2. Schedule introductions on their first day to meet their peers in the business.
3. Include contractors on team meetings (if appropriate) so they can gain a deeper understanding of the business.
4. Ensure contract staff are invited to all company-wide events including their team events.
5. Conduct reviews to discuss their work and ask for their feedback also. Contractor satisfaction should be equally as important as your permanent staff feedback.

You can be assured that these tips require little effort for big rewards. Your contractors will be inspired to become advocates of your business, which can improve your reputation in a candidate-short market.