If you’re like most business owners, you’re probably managing a hybrid team. A hybrid team is a mix of full-time employees and contractors. The benefits of hiring contractors are many: they’re more affordable, can be brought on quickly, and can be let go easily. But managing a hybrid team can be challenging. This blog post will give you six tips for managing a hybrid team successfully!
- Know What You’re Looking For
It may seem trivial, but knowing what you’re looking for in a candidate is important in the hiring process. Knowing exactly what you want will help prevent someone from slipping through the cracks just because they meet most of your requirements. It’s also helpful to write down specific examples, especially if it’s a skill that can be self-taught. For example, let’s say you need someone good with numbers. Rather than saying, “I need someone good at math,” write down a list of skills and abilities a person would need to succeed in the role.
- Create a System for Evaluating Candidates
Once you have a list of skills and abilities, create a rubric for evaluating those skills. The system should be clear-cut so there is no confusion about how the candidate was evaluated. It should also explain why they were or weren’t selected for an interview. Additionally, it should serve as a template for hiring future employees for the same role.
- Conduct an Interview
We know you’re probably tired of conducting interviews, but they are still necessary! If you genuinely want to find out if someone is a good fit for your organization, then it’s important to do more than just talk with them. Besides asking questions about their experience and skills, try to feel their personality. This will be helpful down the road if you want to bring them on as a contractor, and it also helps ensure they’ll mesh well with your team.
- Have Them Take Some Tests
This is extremely important. If the role requires specific skills or abilities, then have candidates complete tests that will help you understand their level of expertise. In the end, it’s better to know that a candidate doesn’t have certain skills or abilities than to find out after they’ve started working for you!
- Assess Their Strengths and Weaknesses
It’s essential that you not just rely on test results when determining whether to hire someone. After you’ve determined their level of expertise, try to learn about their personality. We all have strengths and weaknesses, so it’s important to see how they fit in with your organization. If their skills are lacking, can they work well within the team? That will play a large role in their success.
- Find Ways to Keep Them Motivated
A lot of the time, people are hired as contractors, but they perform like full-time employees. This can be both good and bad for you as the employer. It’s beneficial because it helps make up for shortfalls in your organization.