How consistent, compliant and engaging is your onboarding process for contingent workers?
Organizations understand the critical importance of effective employee onboarding. It is a key strategy for retaining and engaging employees. The Human Capital Institute revealed that a successful onboarding experience improves new-hire retention by 82% and productivity by 70%. It should be expected that the onboarding process for contingent workers and independent contractors is different from the traditional onboarding setup.
However, many organizations aren’t prepared and equipped to develop and manage an onboarding process that is relevant to the needs of external workers. Hiring international talent successfully is already a significant achievement but keeping them actively engaged and retaining them is another challenge that needs a standardized solution.
Common Onboarding Mistakes
Here are common risks involved with onboarding contingent workers:
- Applying the same onboarding process for internal and external employees.Independent contractors and remote workers may only work on temporary projects but they don’t necessarily need to be isolated from regular employees. It’s beneficial for the company to introduce the workplace values they adhere to and include socialization components between the external and permanent workers. There are projects where independent contractors will work with permanent employees. It’s important for the team to build a strong connection and collaboration to ensure success.
- Lack of role-specific onboarding orientation for different types of contingent workers.Contingent workers are hired for their specialized skillsets that can’t be provided by a company’s existing workforce. There should be specific onboarding processes and orientations for different job roles. Build a talent database based on skills, nature of roles, location and other criteria.
- Not maximizing technology solutionsOnboarding systems are designed to not only automate administrative processes but also monitor and track performance, manage onboarding activities and measure results through a single platform. Technology should be a part of the onboarding program where employees are given early access to use it whenever possible to be introduced to the company’s culture and compliance.
How CXC helps
CXC is recognized as an industry leader in contingent workforce management globally. As a trusted international HR outsourcing solutions provider, we have 30 years of experience in managing contingent workers and independent contractors, recruitment services, contractor onboarding services, global payroll, compliance and other HR-related matters.
- CXC has a contingent worker onboarding process designed to mitigate risk and optimize contractor productivity while ensuring the worker is familiar with the key aspects of your operation and culture.
- The onboarding process is supported by CXC’s proprietary technology systems and backed by a rigorous compliance vetting process to ensure all information is captured, recorded and fully auditable, with complete accuracy.
- Recognizing that the onboarding experience is critical to supporting new worker productivity, CXC delivers engaging new hire journeys, including personalized communication over mobile, email and video aligned to your HR strategy.
What are the best practices for onboarding a contingent workforce?
A well-planned onboarding program for external workers reduces exposure to risks such as attrition, low engagement and mistakes due to a lack of awareness of culture and employer brand. Here are five best practices for onboarding your contingent workforce.
- Develop a basic onboarding orientation for contingent workers that is similar to permanent employees, and add clear distinctions about the nature of roles, compensation and work schedules.
- Educate managers, departments and teams about the need to hire contingent workers, the process for hiring them and how it differs from hiring full-time employees.
- Strengthen inclusivity by making contingent workers and independent contractors feel welcomed and a part of the team. Include them in meetings and encourage collaboration by sharing information related to the project.
- Measure onboarding processes by soliciting feedback from your external workers – from freelancers to temp-to-hire workers and independent contractors about their overall experience. Use this gathered information to improve the organization’s onboarding program.
- Consider external resources to help strengthen your onboarding program for the contingent workforce. CXC is here to help you with contingent workforce management with compliance, efficiency and effective onboarding strategies.
CXC is a global HR outsourcing organization with 30 years of experience in workforce management. Our innovative and cost-effective solutions help companies gain a competitive advantage by improving efficiency while reducing risks.
Contact CXC today to start enabling your future workforce.
