Managing Contractors Effectively: How to Get the Best Results from Your Contractors

Under the new realities of today’s market, contractors are making up a growing proportion of the workforce, over 1 million to be exact. This means that employers are facing the mounting challenge of ensuring these workers continue to meet expectations and deliver excellent results for the duration of their engagement. This shift means that organisations across Australia are now placing greater focus on managing contractors effectively, developing stronger contractor management best practices, and refining their contractor onboarding processes so they can support a blended workforce with ease.

Contractors who feel isolated from (or less important than) the rest of the team are often less motivated, which can impact their job satisfaction, productivity and quality of work. Most employers are aware of the rudimentary strategies for integrating contractors into the organisational culture, such as having a consistent onboarding process, sharing the company values and maintaining frequent communication. However, cultivating the genuine sense of ownership, inclusion and purpose that will get the most from your workforce is more complex than that. Many organisations underestimate how significantly structured onboarding, clear expectations, and an open communication culture influence contractor performance and engagement.

So, what can you do to maximise the productivity and performance of your contractors? And how can you ensure your business is engaging contractors in Australia in a way that is compliant, consistent and culturally aligned?

Prioritise Cultural Fit When Hiring Contractors

Getting the most out of your contractors begins with hiring the right people to start with. This can help to improve collaboration, reduce costs and minimise onboarding and training time, particularly for organisations looking to cultivate a pool of contractors they work with regularly.

Contract workers who are a good cultural fit tend to have a more positive experience, work better with the rest of the team and are often more motivated. Ensuring cultural fit is now considered one of the most effective contractor management best practices, especially in industries such as IT, where project teams shift frequently, and delivery timelines are tight.

When recruiting contractors for your organisation, look for people with the right skills and attitude who understand your company values. There are a number of ways to determine fit during the hiring process, including video Q&As, online assessments, behavioural interviews, reference checking, arranging for the contractor to meet with the existing team and getting advice on the person’s fit from your recruitment consultant. Adding structure to this stage helps establish a repeatable contractor engagement process and sets expectations clearly from the beginning.

Beyond that, many employers are now building contractor talent pools, documenting preferred capability areas, and working closely with their recruitment partners to streamline the process of engaging quality contractors for future work.

Leverage the Right Tools and Technology to Support the Culture

No matter where your contractors are based, having the right tools and technology available is vital for enabling leaders to speak directly with the team and team members with each other. Not only can it support communication and connectivity, but it can help people feel heard and understood – an important aspect of making contract workers feel like they are really “part of the team.” Organisations that take a technology-first approach to managing contractors often find they reduce onboarding times and improve productivity, because tools are integrated into the contractor’s workflow from day one.

For example, employee survey platforms such as 15Five and Culture Amp give leaders instant feedback about the employee experience, whilst collaboration tools such as Asana, Microsoft Teams and Zoom help people work together, track and manage their tasks, share ideas, distribute up-to-the-minute information and analyse data in real time. These platforms are now considered essential for managing contractors effectively, particularly in hybrid or distributed teams across Australia.

Where possible, it can be beneficial to give everyone in the team access to at least some of the same tools, regardless of whether they are contract or permanent. This helps create an even playing field and ensures everyone has the opportunity to interact and contribute to the business. Many organisations also find that when the contractor onboarding process includes early access to these tools, contractors become productive faster and feel more aligned with existing workflows.

Err on the Side of Inclusion

Inclusivity is a vital element of keeping contractors motivated and engaged. Whenever possible, avoid things that separate contractors from permanent employees or make them feel less important, such as different email signatures or benefits. Obviously, there may be some information and privileges that cannot extend to contract workers, but making an effort to include them as much as you can will have a big impact on their sense of belonging.

Consider inviting them to whole-team meetings, bringing them to team events, keeping them informed about any new projects or procedures and forwarding them company updates and newsletters. Take the time to have regular catch-ups and ask for feedback to show that you value their input. Your recruitment agency will also check in regularly with both you and the contractor to obtain and share impartial feedback to improve your working relationship.

Inclusivity is one of the most impactful elements of contractor management best practices, because contractors who feel connected to the organisation’s purpose are more likely to deliver strong results, stay engaged throughout the full contract length and represent your business positively in the market.

It’s a good idea to have strong team-building practices in place, which can help contractors and permanent employees connect on a more personal level and build relationships (a particularly valuable activity for those who will be working closely together on projects over an extended period). 

Aim for consistent, low-key activities that allow everyone to be included, such as:

• Regular team lunches or drinks
• Virtual “pub quizzes” held over video
• Team competitions and recognition
• Informal meetings to encourage idea sharing

These simple practices help avoid “us vs them” dynamics and create a more unified, engaged team environment.

Build Teams that Allow People to Play to Their Strengths

To ensure contractors and permanent employees can work together harmoniously, it’s helpful to create an environment that allows everyone to use their strengths and add value to the organisation. After all, contractors are typically brought on to supply a specific skill set, and many of them choose to contract because they want to expose themselves to new projects and environments (in addition to maximising their earning potential). This means you have an opportunity to leverage their expertise to your advantage.

Where circumstances allow, try to be strategic about assembling project teams, selecting complementary skill sets from across the permanent and contract workforce, and clearly allocating responsibilities to minimise conflict. This will not only ensure you have the best possible talent to drive the project, but will reinforce your culture by showing that you value the unique qualities and perspectives that different team members bring.

Managers have an important part to play in this. They should lead by example in encouraging everyone to recognise contractors as complementary to the team, as well as taking on the majority share of the onboarding and support necessary to bring them up to speed. A strong contractor onboarding process led by engaged managers significantly reduces delays, improves clarity and sets contractors up for success.

FAQ: Managing Contractors in Australia

1. What is the most important part of managing contractors effectively?

Clear expectations and strong communication. Setting clear timelines, deliverables, check-in points, and cultural expectations from day one helps contractors stay aligned with business priorities.

2. What should be included in a contractor onboarding process?

Access to systems, an overview of the company’s values, introductions to key team members, clarity on responsibilities and tools, and guidance on communication channels. A structured onboarding process supports faster productivity.

3. How do I ensure contractors feel included without blurring compliance boundaries?

Invite them to team meetings, share relevant updates and provide access to collaboration tools. You can include contractors socially and professionally without extending employee-only benefits.

4. How can I engage contractors in Australia long-term?

Offer consistent work when possible, provide feedback, recognise contributions and build strong relationships with your recruitment partner so you can re-engage top performers for future projects.

5. What are the benefits of prioritising culture fit when engaging contractors?

Improved collaboration, reduced onboarding time, and stronger motivation. Contractors who align with your values integrate faster and contribute more effectively to projects.

Closing Thoughts

It’s important to remember that each contractor is likely to experience the workplace differently, and there is no one-size-fits-all strategy for getting the best from these workers. But by actively identifying ways to make contractors feel valued and included in your team, you can help to bring out the full potential of your workforce whilst driving successes internally. Organisations that invest in managing contractors effectively typically see stronger project outcomes, improved retention throughout the contract duration, and greater continuity across long-term initiatives.

If you’re looking to add skilled IT contractors to your team, contact the tech recruitment specialists at Emanate Technology to find out about the high-calibre talent we place across Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra and Melbourne.