Practical Guide to Managing International Contractors

As a business owner, you always need to find a way to stay ahead of the curve.

One of the best ways to achieve that is to rely on international contractors and their extensive skill sets. Reports indicate that more and more businesses are adopting this way of operation as it’s a win-win for both employers and workers. According to statistics, more than 70% of small businesses use freelancers, and half of those have stated that they have enlisted freelancers sporadically.

However, there’s one major drawback to hiring international freelancers and contractors, and that’s managing them effectively. Given that they are not in your office, you can’t just pop in and see whether the project you tasked them with is on track. So, you have to find the right way to ensure everything gets done correctly and on schedule.

We will provide a practical guide to help you get the most out of your contractor relationships. You'll learn everything about managing international contractors and keeping them happy and productive.

Use a Contractor Management System

Investing in contractor management software solutions is becoming more and more important for businesses that hire contractors, regardless of their size or industry. It provides a powerful suite of organizational tools, onboarding capabilities, invoice creation, payment processing, and detailed reporting to make managing your freelance workforce a breeze.

The benefits of using a freelance management system are many, but here are just a handful of them: 

• Streamlined onboarding process. With the right contractor management software, businesses can easily manage employee onboarding with automated setup processes such as verifications, tax forms, contracts, and bank info, all of which can be completed in minutes. 

• Invoice tracking. Invoices can easily be created and tracked within the platform to ensure your contractors are always paid on time. This feature also provides detailed reports on payments received so that businesses know exactly when they will receive their payments. 

• Enhanced collaboration. With freelance management systems, you can easily assign tasks, track contractors’ availability, and organize your freelance workforce. This helps enhance collaboration and create an efficient workflow for quick decision-making without compromising quality. 

Establish Solid Relationship 

Successful management stems from effective communication. You have to know the people you are working with in order to motivate them to manage their stress levels and ensure that they always have solid output.

It can be quite difficult to establish relationships with contractors as most are there to do their job, be compensated, and move on to the next project. However, working with contractors you got to know will save you a lot of time elaborating on how you want projects completed.

If possible, always use the same contractors with whom you have established a solid relationship and only work with contractors willing to share your vision, at least while they are on your payroll.

Be Transparent About What Has to Be Done

Organizing remote teams can be a challenging task, but with the right expectations and guidelines in place, it can be successful. To ensure both team cohesion and productivity, managers must provide clear instructions on processes and communication while also setting specific goals and objectives for each team member. This will help to keep everyone on track and allow progress to be monitored regularly.

A great way to stay connected with remote workers is to create opportunities for casual, social communication, such as virtual happy hours or team-building activities. This not only allows employees to form relationships with one another but also helps establish a sense of community among virtual team members. 

Additionally, managers should set designated hours when the team is expected to be available for communication, enabling everyone to remain organized yet still have flexibility in their schedules. Establishing these expectations from the start ensures that your freelance workforce is organized and productive, which is necessary for a successful remote arrangement.

Set Them up for Success

If the contractors that work for you have access to all the right tools and data, you can rest assured that they will provide you with solid quality end products. So provide them with access to the right technology and offer them ongoing support so that even if they are contractors, they feel as if they are part of a team that strives to deliver something better than the competition.

Keep up with the latest business tech trends, and be always on the lookout for software solutions that can help you operate much better.

Bottom Line

Working with international freelancers and independent contractors is the way of the future. If you want to do it right, follow the tips we outlined for you above, and you will see success shortly after adopting them. Don’t forget to set up the right onboarding process, as you want to get all contractors up to speed with the way of your business. Use solid software to help you streamline all processes and watch as your business grows.