How to Write Constructive Contractor Feedback
Published: 24/07/2021
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With this article, we aim to connect with managing directors and consultancy owners who depend on an outsourced workforce. When it comes to contractors, we tend to focus heavily on project management, invoicing, and client billing. However, one crucial element often gets overlooked: providing contractor feedback.
Your regular employees receive performance reviews, and you should not deprive your contractors of feedback either. Now, why does it matter? The answer is quite simple: it will help them secure future work opportunities. According to Fundera, 46% of full-time freelancers find work thanks to word-of-mouth. Your feedback might be the deciding factor in whether they secure their next gig.
But what is in it for you? Providing honest and detailed feedback during and after the collaboration can lead to a quicker fulfilment of your requirements. Furthermore, it can help establish an effective, long-term partnership with the contractor. So, how do you structure and communicate your feedback to the outsourced staff?
Constructive feedback is the golden middle ground between praise and criticism. It is an objective evaluation that considers both strengths and weaknesses and then utilises the conclusion to help the receiver of the feedback improve.
That is the ultimate goal to keep in mind when providing feedback to your contractors: to highlight what they’ve done well, to accentuate what didn’t go as planned, and to offer potential avenues for improvement.
You may have less direct responsibility for contractors, but that doesn’t mean you can’t help make them feel secure and respected. For example, contractors can feel anxious about whether they are up to scratch. They know they can be removed from a job at any time, which is stressful. Providing feedback will help contractors gauge their performance and offer valuable reassurance.
Feedback is part of a strategy to foster a warmer, trust-driven relationship with contractors. A strong relationship facilitates effective communication and collaboration. It also increases the likelihood that the contractor will return to work for you in the future. This will result in enhanced performance, better alignment, and lower recruitment costs.
As a manager, you set the tone for how a contractor is integrated into your team. Be sure to introduce the contractor warmly and make it clear that you expect team members to treat the contractor like their other colleagues.
Remember to include the contractor in social events, important meetings, email threads, and discussions. Freelancing can be a lonely way of life; contractors may appreciate someone making the effort to treat them as more than just a work robot.
Why does the contractor want this job? What are their career goals or motivations? They might be pursuing new skills or steering their career in a new direction. Or perhaps they simply need the money.
Either way, by understanding their motivations and needs, you will be able to tailor your approach and communication. Through empathy, you’ll know what a contractor wants from an assignment. It will also hint at how you can support them and make the work more rewarding. This increases the likelihood that they will return for future contracts and put effort into your current project.
If you’re not familiar with Kim Scott’s best-seller, Radical Candor, get yourself a copy. Without making this article sound like a sponsored piece (it’s not!), we’ll try to summarise the main idea regarding feedback.
For feedback to be truly constructive and radically candid, you need to do two things: care personally and challenge directly. Giving either one too much or too little attention will have negative consequences. Scott titles them as ‘Ruinous Empathy’, ‘Manipulative Insincerity’, and ‘Obnoxious Aggression.’ To learn more about each and how to avoid them, we strongly recommend reading the book.
You do not need a formal review process for your contractor, but that doesn’t mean you can’t address performance. Set aside some time for a 1-on-1 catch-up and discussion. This will allow you to explain where you believe the contractor is succeeding and where they could improve. You might consider referring back to the contractual documents during these discussions to help guide your conversation.
Many contractors will appreciate your effort in doing this. They may even provide valuable insights about your team and operations. Trust them—they have likely observed many different teams and can offer an informed opinion on yours.
Remember: care personally and challenge directly. During your catch-up sessions, genuinely praise what you are pleased with. However, also communicate clearly the areas you would like them to improve on.
If a contractor is not meeting your expectations, you might be tempted to either terminate the contract or stop working with them in the future. This is understandable. However, sometimes with a little well-timed and radically candid feedback, you can turn things around. The issue might be something you can resolve, such as a challenging dynamic with another team member.
Feedback should always be timely. If you provide feedback promptly, the contractor can absorb it and use it to inform their next actions on a project. Letting it wait diminishes the chances that both you and the contractor will remain focused, making it feel less relevant.
More often than not, contractors are remote workers, making in-person feedback delivery impossible. If you are a larger agency, you may find it challenging to navigate through large volumes of contractors and lose track of who has yet to receive feedback.
For this reason, at Timesheet Portal, we’ve integrated a mailing tool within our recruitment software. It provides you with an inbox that separates clients and contractors. Then, you can narrow down the contractor contact list by their placement status.
To achieve the best results, you should provide contractors with regular, constructive feedback. This not only leads to better performance and satisfaction but also contributes to strong, long-term relationships.
Fostering a trust-driven relationship with the contractor is beneficial for both parties. You provide them an opportunity to improve by being honest and empathetic. In return, they make an effort to reciprocate by exceeding expectations. Collaborating over an extended period nurtures better rapport and leads to greater alignment.
Would you like to learn more about improving your contract management processes? Book a demo, and we’ll introduce you to many options you didn’t know you had.