The success of any organization is closely tied to the quality of its staff. Recruiting and hiring for an independent contractor is different than hiring for an employee. When hiring for an independent contractor, you should be focused on just assessing their background and experience to determine whether they have the skills to do the job and/or task effectively.
Hiring for an employee, in comparison, is generally more labour intensive. It requires finding someone who has the appropriate experience and background to do the role, but also someone who will work effectively with the team and will be an integral member to the organization’s ongoing success. Their “fit” within the team and commitment to the organization and its mission and values is important.
Remember, if the role of the independent contractor changes and they become an integral member of the team, delivering and executing on “core business” of the organization, the employment relationship should be re-considered and potentially a new employee role created. Recruitment and hiring should be re-done but this time as an employee versus an independent contractor.
The following section outlines the key steps and considerations in the independent contractor hiring process. It highlights processes that consider an equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) lens, as well as other best practices in finding and attracting quality candidates.
If you have additional questions or concerns, please consult your Engagement Partner.
PREPARE FOR RECRUITMENT
When hiring for an independent contractor position, the process may be more or less involved. As the agreement between an employer and an independent contractor does not have the same amount of risk and liability, depending on the project and/or job requirements, you may choose to skip some of these steps.
HIRING LEAD
Must:
- Identify one (1) person as the Hiring Lead who will be responsible for leading the recruitment process. They will be joined by one or two more people when in-person interviews are being conducted.
Best Practice:
- Select a Hiring Lead depending on the position to be filled. It may be a senior staff person, project lead, Executive Director, Board Chair, etc.
JOB DESCRIPTION OR REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFPs)
When hiring an independent contractor you can post for the position like a regular job posting, or you can submit a Request for Proposals (RFP). A RFP outlines the project deliverables you would like an independent contractor to complete and requests individuals to submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) that articulates how they would plan to achieve the project objectives, the cost and a list of references.
Must:
- Build a job description or request for proposals (RFP) that accurately describes the work, timeline, deliverables, skills required.
Consider:
- Consider including keywords that job seekers are using to search for independent contractor jobs, such as:
- “[Role name] contract basis”
- “Independent worker”
- “Contract basis”
- “Contractor”
EDI Best Practices:
- Use gender neutral pronouns. Avoid binary personal pronouns and instead use ‘they’ or ‘the candidate’.
- Be aware of ‘feminine’ versus ‘masculine’ words.
- Avoid extreme modifiers such as, ‘world class’ or ‘unparalleled’. These can discourage qualified candidates who may not self-identify with the terms or language used.
- Focus on the necessary requirements rather than the ‘nice to haves’ to give latitude to candidates with transferable skills.
- Communicate your commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion. Doing so will help signal to potential candidates that their personal identity and experience will be welcomed and supported.
Consider:
- Including as much detail as possible about the scope and scale of the job or deliverable required.
Resources:
HIRING TIMELINE
Must:
- Determine the hiring timeline using the steps outlined in this chapter. First, select an ideal start date. From that date, work backwards to determine a realistic timeline that provides adequate time for each step of the process to occur.
Best Practice:
- Allow two (2) weeks per step to keep hiring timeline on track.
Consider:
- Reviewing how long previous hiring searches [for the role being filled] have gone on for to support accurate development of your timeline.
POSTING THE JOB OR REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP)
Must:
- Take a strategic approach as to where you will post and how you will monitor both postings and applicant submissions.
- Consider the target pool of candidates, and look at posting on:
Consider:
- Consulting your Engagement Partner for additional suggestions and support where required.
- Reviewing where jobs have previously been posted [for the role being filled] to determine alternate avenues for reaching candidates.
REVIEW APPLICATIONS
When reviewing applications for an independent contractor position, the process may be more or less involved. As the agreement between an employer and an independent contractor does not have same amount of risk and liability, depending on the project and/or job requirements, you may choose to skip some steps.
Must:
- Review all applications. Eliminate applicants who do not meet the basic criteria or qualifications.
- Use the job description or request for proposals (RFP) to shortlist appropriate applicants to approximately 5 or 6 applicants for telephone interviews.
Best Practice:
- Upon initial review of cover letters and resumes, separate applicants into an A, B or C pool. If you have a strong A pool, carry only these applicants to the next step.
Consider:
- Sending a courtesy email to all candidates indicating you have received their application and will contact them only if they are selected for an interview.
INTERVIEW PROCESS
INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
Strong candidates for independent contractor positions will be confident answering questions regarding:
- Their ability to work independently and complete the required needs
- Work with a professional rapport and adherence to any confidentiality agreements
Must:
- Build a consistent list of questions to be used for all interviews, including telephone and in-person interviews.
- Use the Contractor Interview Guide to get started. Analyze the job description and/or RFP to build out additional role-specific or project-specific questions.
Best Practice:
- Consistently apply the same interview questions and structure to all candidates.
Consider:
- Consulting your Engagement Partner for additional suggestions and support where required.
- Reviewing questions previously used for hiring [for the role being filled] and revise as required.
Resources:
INTERVIEWS
Must:
- Determine who will conduct the in-person interviews. Provide the list of interview questions to interviewer(s).
- Notify unsuccessful candidates.
- Make a courtesy call or send an email to all candidates who participated in an in-person interview.
Best Practice:
- Ask a variety of questions to determine whether they have the skill and experience to do the job.
- Perform in-person interviews with a minimum of two (2) people from the organization present.
- Make notes during the interview for reference when assessing and making final decisions.
NEW HIRE
When hiring an independent contractor, the process may be more or less involved. As the agreement between an employer and an independent contractor does not have same amount of risk and liability, depending on the project and/or job requirements, you may choose to skip some steps.
REFERENCE CHECKS
Best Practice:
- Request at least three (3) references.
- Reach out to the references via email and set a time to connect. This helps avoid multiple unanswered phone calls.
Resources:
SECURING AN AGREEMENT
Must:
- Obtain any necessary approval for the hire.
- Finalize the terms of the agreement: cost, timeline or term, deliverables, etc.
- Call the preferred candidate and indicate your willingness to accept their proposal.
- Follow up the phone call with a contractor agreement, signed by an authorized signatory, via email.
PREPARE A CONTRACTOR AGREEMENT
Must:
- Draft a contractor agreement outlining the terms of the contractual arrangement: start date and/or timeline or term; project deliverables; cost and any other conditions to the agreement (confidentiality, project costs, etc.).
- Use the Sample Contractor Agreement to get started.
Best Practice:
- A contractor agreement must set out the responsibilities and obligations of the organization and the independent contractor during the period of employment. The contractor agreement will include:
- Work Status: this work will be completed by an independent contractor
- Term of Employment: on-going or fixed term
- Hours of Work (if applicable): hours of work and description of any flexible working options, such as working remotely; working evenings and/or weekends; etc.
- Services Provided: description of services and/or deliverables to be provided by independent contractor
- Compensation: description of payment (amount and method)
- Insurance: description of whether the independent contractor is required or not required to have insurance attributed to their services provide and whether the cost of the insurance will be and will not be reimbursed by the employer.
- Expenses (if applicable): description of whether the independent contractor’s travel or other expenses will or will not be covered by the employer
- Other Terms: reference to any other terms and conditions of the contract such as, requirement to abide by a confidentiality agreement, for example
- Termination Terms and Conditions: amount of written notice required; employer’s right to terminate, etc.
- Give the independent contractor a deadline to review and sign the offer (generally three (3) to five (5) business days).
Consider:
- Including other relevant documentation, as applicable, in the package to the preferred candidate for their review and signature such as:
Resources:
CRIMINAL RECORDS CLEARANCE
Must:
- If your organization requires a criminal records clearance for an independent contractor, a policy must exist to articulate the organization’s position and requirements.
Best Practice:
- A criminal records clearance is recommended if the independent contractor will have financial responsibilities on behalf of the organization.
EDI Best Practices:
- To support diversity and inclusion, some policies include statements that describe the organization’s acknowledgement that there can be stigma surrounding people’s criminal history. To avoid perpetuating shame, the organization may not consider crimes around drug offences, sex work, property offences, or poverty-related offences as relevant in determining a candidate’s suitability for a role.