So how do you manage the process of onboarding subcontractors efficiently, to save you time and ultimately, that doesn’t require a full-time admin manager to solve? Stay tuned, that is precisely the question we are going to answer.

Why do I need contractors to go through an onboarding process?

In a nutshell, onboarding is about getting a subcontractor up to speed on the job and collecting the right documentation to set the project up for the best possible outcome. Some parts of onboarding are essential e.g., collecting insurance documents, others are more optional such as introducing the subcontractor to your team. The downside is that if you want your business to stay compliant, some level of onboarding is required, the upside is that if you do it right you will get better results from contractors, in a shorter space of time, while minimising your admin and creating a positive environment for all.

1.   Reduce the time it takes for a contractor to hit peak performance

Whether a subcontractor is new to your company or just new to a job, the speed at which they can understand the what, how, when and where of the job that needs to get done, the quicker they can hit peak performance and deliver results, period.

By taking the contractor through a structured onboarding process, you get the opportunity to give the contractor all the tools and resources they need to complete the best job possible.

Imagine the difference between a contractor turning up on-site freshfaced with no idea where anything is to the contractor who already has detailed scopes, drawings, lay-outs, safety protocols etc. completed and uploaded to a mutually accessible database? The productivity gains are limitless.

2. Ensure all compliance requirements are met

The red tape is very real when you’re hiring subbies and there are certain documents that are simply essential if you want to stay on the right side of the law. Meeting your compliance obligations typically requires a long list of documents that need to be collected, verified for accuracy, monitored for changes and managed efficiently.

The difference between a business that has no handle on the level of compliance for their contractors and one that is completely on the ball, is an efficient onboarding process. The trick to minimising the time it takes to meet these obligations is to leverage technology that takes away the leg work such as SubbieHub.

You can find out what sort of documents need to be collected to meet your compliance requirements in our article ‘What documents do I need from my contractors’.

3.   Reduce the threat of issues arising during the job

Taking the time to give a subcontractor the heads-up on how your contract works, what the expectations are, what the quality standards etc. are means they will be far less likely to fail at meeting those requirements of the job. Having this in writing and delivered in an onboarding process with the consequences of poor performance will make it crystal clear what is required.

Having a documented process that fosters high performance is the best way to gain significant boosts to your job performance and productivity. Assumptions and miscommunications can be the death of any project and they are a threat that can be eliminated. The great news is that creating an onboarding process doesn’t need to be a daunting task. You can read about how to make a simple and efficient onboarding process here.

4. Manage safety to reduce the risk of incidents or accidents

Work, Health and Safety (WH&S) create a range of legal requirements and obligations on all parties involved in a working environment. You have a legal responsibility to manage the risks of the job and worksite and to communicate and interact with a subcontractor to ensure a safe working environment. Building safety management into your onboarding process will give you confidence that you’re meeting those obligations.

Using an onboarding process to communicate the safety standards and responsibilities involved in a job means that all team members receive a thorough and consistent message. Having an audit trail of the process is an essential ingredient to prove you are taking the necessary steps to effectively manage risks in the workplace.

5. Peace of mind that the job is in good hands

Having confidence in your contractors and team members to deliver great results is essential for you to be able to step away from micro-managing every detail of every job. Your onboarding process is the single biggest ingredient in making sure that a contractor has the relevant skills and qualifications, meets your standards, and is a good fit for you and your business.

At the end of the day, the performance of your subcontractors reflects on you, your brand, and the client’s overall satisfaction with the job. By completing an onboarding process and not cutting corners, you can be confident that you have hired a subcontractor that ticks all the boxes and that you have given them the best chance of delivering exceptional results.

The post 5 Reasons Why You Need Efficient Contractor Onboarding appeared first on SubbieHub.

The beauty of a well-designed onboarding process is that it is repeatable and consistent for you and your subcontractors. The challenge to creating a great onboarding process is that there are no hard and fast rules and no limits on what you can include in the method. However, there are some very specific best practices that will help to guide you to build a process that delivers the best results.

Tip 1 – Know what documents you need

Get crystal clear on the documentation you need from all your subcontractors at each stage of the project. Demanding unnecessary info and documents will very quickly frustrate both your admin teams and your contractors. Some documents are essential before work can commence while others are just a nice to have. Understanding what you need and when you need it will make for a smooth flow of work by eliminating obstacles and roadblocks. You can read more about what specific documents you need to look at here: ‘Subcontractor onboarding that actually saves you time and money’.

While you’re compiling your list of essential documents, be sure to include the reasoning behind why you need it. Typically, this will be for compliance reasons but also extends to protecting the safety and welfare of everyone involved in the job, improving communication, preventing mistakes and so on.

Tip 2 – Empower your admin with the right tools

If you want to make a big reduction in the time and effort it takes to onboard a subcontractor, then the most powerful tool you can use is technology. The effectiveness of online systems such as SubbieHub has grown exponentially over the last 2-3 years. Technology is getting better and better at handling even the most complex onboarding process and delivering it in a way that is easy, accessible, and convenient for both businesses and subcontractors. Here are three essentials for a good onboarding system:

• Validation checkpoints: Documents need to be reviewed and validated to ensure they meet minimum standards. The best way to ensure those validations take place is to have a system that is monitoring and tracking each and every document at any given point in time.
• Reminders: Subcontractors need to be reminded of the tasks they need to complete, and businesses need to be reminded of the tasks they need to complete. Auto-reminders are your best friend and will shave hours of time chasing up subcontractors and writing to-do lists on your own.
• Audit trails: When there are multiple people handling different aspects of a subcontractors onboarding, it’s essential to have oversight over who has done what, when and where. These types of audit trails give you powerful reporting capabilities to stay ahead of the game.
• Set the rules: Both your admin and subcontractors need to know what is acceptable and not acceptable throughout the onboarding process. People will always try to push the boundaries and having a system with set rules will remove the guesswork and prevent unnecessary mistakes from happening.

Tip 3 – Design your onboarding for the subcontractor

The onboarding process is one of the first and last experiences a contractor will have with your business and leaves them with a lasting impression.

One of the biggest mistakes businesses make in their onboarding process is not understanding who their subcontractors are. Typically, a subcontractor is going to be time-poor and see your ‘onboarding process’ as extra admin for them. If you have a good understanding of who your subcontractors are, you can tailor the wording, the delivery and implementation to suit the circumstances.

There are a few simple rules to follow to keep your contractors happy and on-side.

• Keep it simple: An onboarding process doesn’t need to be overly complicated. Make sure you are getting the right documents at the right time as efficiently as possible and you will be on the right track. Remember that not all documents are essential on day one. Knowing which documents you need and when will help you make the process less cumbersome.
• Make it easy to access: In today’s digital world if your onboarding process isn’t accessible anywhere at any time of day you’re going to get friction. Subcontractors are busy and will need to be able to access or engage with your onboarding process at a time and place that suits them or else you are creating an additional roadblock.
• Stay consistent: Building your onboarding process in a way that takes advantage of online systems removes the human tendency to make changes on the fly. As a result your onboarding process will be far more consistent for all subcontractors you onboard and deliver you consistent results.

Onboarding subcontractors doesn’t need to be an overly time-consuming and painful task if you can get the fundamentals right and systemise the process. Build your process using best practices and leverage technology to automate the time-consuming aspects of the process and you will make a dramatic impact on the time it takes and the results of your subcontractors.

The post 3 Tips for Simple Contractor Onboarding appeared first on SubbieHub.

1. Engaging a contractor without a contract

The commercial nature of contracting relationships means that a contract detailing the engagement is imperative. The idea of a hand-shake agreement between friends regularly comes un-stuck and leaves a big mess in its wake.
A simple contract that spells out the terms and conditions of the arrangement and expectations of both parties will often save you a lot of pain in the long run. Having it written down and agreed minimises disputes and creates a clear platform for everyone to get on with the job.

2. Inadequate document management

Contracting requires more documentation than most other forms of engagement and needs to be managed efficiently and appropriately. Because contracting covers a wide range of legal responsibilities and wide-ranging industries, the documents you need to collect and the frequency you need to collect them will vary.
Insurance misinterpretations are common, where a business will hire a contractor and ask for their certificate of currency, which is valid at that time. Later down the track if the business hires that same contractor and fails to get an updated certificate, the insurance may have lapsed or expired without them knowing.
Other documents like qualifications, licenses, green/white cards, subcontractor statements (NSW) etc. should all be collected and monitored to ensure compliance standards are maintained ongoing.

3. Safety oversights

Safety on a worksite is one of those non-negotiables and is highly regulated regardless of the type of worker you are engaging. Just by hiring a contractor does not pass off all your responsibilities to ensure the worksite is safe.
Essential to meeting your safety obligations will be the ability for you to prove you have taken steps in conjunction with the contractor/s to manage the safety of the site at the beginning, during and end of the job.

4. No onboarding or induction process

Each and every time you engage with a contractor it is critical to go through a consistent and transparent onboarding process to ensure all documentation is accurate and up to date. Failing to take this step or skipping important documents leaves a hole in your compliance management. While it may not be apparent straight away, all too often missed documents will come back to bite you down the line.
Induction processes are often linked to safety protocols, which are important, although inductions can be used to help bring a contractor up to speed on all aspects of a job. Incorporating into induction material your business philosophy, expectations, process and timelines can help them to see the big picture and work in with the rest of the team.

5. Incorrect worker classifications

Workers can be classified in a myriad of different ways for the purposes of different laws and regulations. Understanding where a worker sits within the legal system is no easy feat but is essential to staying on the right side of the law.
On top of the common law view of a contractor vs employee, laws that regulate superannuation, workers compensation, payroll tax and more have extended definitions that can deem certain contractors to be employees.
Take the time to gain a thorough understanding of your obligations under the different rules and get independent legal advice on your engagements or risk substantial consequences.

6. Poor contractor management policies and procedures

Many small businesses overlook the importance of having a documented process for managing the day to day engagement of a contractor. Having a written policy and procedure helps to ensure that all important documentation is identified, and a set structure is followed to maintain those standards.
Just as important as having a written policy is making sure that it’s followed by all members of your team and that it is enforced consistently. I sometimes come across a fear from businesses that they don’t want to put too much pressure on a contractor to follow protocol or the will move on. The reality is that if a contractor is not conforming to simple compliance requirements, it’s often a good thing if they move on before things go wrong.

7. Relying on individuals rather than a system to track compliance

We are all human and humans make mistakes. A system on the other hand is designed in specific ways to remove the opportunity for mistakes to happen. A simple and structured contractor compliance management system will identify and highlight important or missing information before it becomes a problem. Similarly, as individuals we tend to default to management practices we are comfortable with, meaning that each and every person has their own unique way of doing things. If compliance isn’t managed in a systematic way, it leaves too much up to personal interpretation.

The post Top 7 Contractor Management Mistakes appeared first on SubbieHub.