Independent Contractors – Team Work and Performance Management
Independent Contractors – Team work and Performance Management
Many organizations are open to various ways of acquiring resources for their projects; using existing employees, hiring new employees, hiring contract resources or perhaps outsource part or the entire project. Right resources are not always available to the PM within the organization and will often look to hire from outside. Moore (2007, p.6) informed that globalization, advances in communication and technology, and many baby boomers entering retirement age are some of the reasons why organizations do prefer to use independent contract resources especially for specific projects or certain organizational challenges. A PM acquires team members for a project; builds and develops shared goals, trust, interdependence, commitment and accountability among them to create a cohesive team that can achieve project goals. Trending use of independent resources has the following impact on team building; ❖ Takes time to build trust and gain mutual understanding with other team members who are company employees: Newly acquired independent contractors on a project are often not familiar with organization policies and project team members they are working with. Time will be needed to create and develop friendship with others, build trust and have mutual understanding with other team members. Unlike employees within the organization whom may have worked with other team members from previous projects or have a relationship with them from other organizational activities, a hired independent contractor will have to find the route to establishing one. Team building may take place slowly and difficult depending on behavioural disposition. ❖ Independent resources feel isolated and not seen as a member of the organization – reducing commitment: From my experience, hired independent resources are excluded from some project meetings, not paid overtime for extra hour worked, and sometimes not treated like team mates by
Many organizations are open to various ways of acquiring resources for their projects; using existing employees, hiring new employees, hiring contract resources or perhaps outsource part or the entire project. Right resources are not always available to the PM within the organization and will often look to hire from outside. Moore (2007, p.6) informed that globalization, advances in communication and technology, and many baby boomers entering retirement age are some of the reasons why organizations do prefer to use independent contract resources especially for specific projects or certain organizational challenges. A PM acquires team members for a project; builds and develops shared goals, trust, interdependence, commitment and accountability among them to create a cohesive team that can achieve project goals. Trending use of independent resources has the following impact on team building; ❖ Takes time to build trust and gain mutual understanding with other team members who are company employees: Newly acquired independent contractors on a project are often not familiar with organization policies and project team members they are working with. Time will be needed to create and develop friendship with others, build trust and have mutual understanding with other team members. Unlike employees within the organization whom may have worked with other team members from previous projects or have a relationship with them from other organizational activities, a hired independent contractor will have to find the route to establishing one. Team building may take place slowly and difficult depending on behavioural disposition. ❖ Independent resources feel isolated and not seen as a member of the organization – reducing commitment: From my experience, hired independent resources are excluded from some project meetings, not paid overtime for extra hour worked, and sometimes not treated like team mates by
References: Barley, S.R. & Kunda, G. (2004) ‘Gurus, Hired Guns and Warm Bodies’ [Online]. New Jersey; Princeton University Press. Available from: http://books.google.com/books?id=nWWAGnBDzJE (Accessed: November 19, 2011) Dunlap, M. & Girvin, D. M. (2009) ‘Independent Contractor or Employee’, University of Liverpool [Online]. Journal of Financial Planning; p.14-15. Available from: http://ehis.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.liv.ac.uk/ehost/ (Accessed: November 19, 2011) Guest, D. (2011) ‘Increasing Productivity through Team Building & Performance Management Work’ [Online]. Available from: http://www.davidguest.com.au/articles/team/how-team-building-performance-management-work-together-to-increase-productivity/ (Accessed: November 19, 2011) Klein, C., DiazGranados, D., Salas, E., Le, H., Burke, C.S., Lyons, R., Goodwin, G.F. (2009) ‘Does Team Building Work?’, University of Liverpool [Online]. Small Group Research, SAGE Journal Online; Vol.40 Issue 2, p.181-222. Available from: http://sgr.sagepub.com.ezproxy.liv.ac.uk/content/40/2/181.full.pdf+html (Accessed: November 19, 2011) Moore, A. (2007) ‘The Talent Shift: Align Your Business with the Future, Now’ [Online] Human Capital Institute White Paper, p.1-9. Available from: https://elearning.uol.ohecampus.com/bbcswebdav/xid-491473_4 (Accessed: November 19, 2011) Williams, M. (2006) ‘Mastering Leadership’, University of Liverpool [Online] p.132-146 London: Thorogood Publishing. Available from: http://site.ebrary.com.ezproxy.liv.ac.uk/lib/liverpool/docDetail.action?docID=10141072 (Accessed: November 19, 2011) Best regards, GP Usino