Summit Blogs

5 YELLOW FLAGS WHEN SELECTING A CONTRACTOR FOR YOUR PROJECT/POSITION

2/21/2009 9:48:32 AM
by: Eddie Field

Many people actually give contractors less consideration as opposed to the thoroughness and attention of hiring a permanent employee. However, is this wise - especially when you consider the investment you are making in that individual?

1. Incomplete projects. Examine the résumé for a number of short-term projects (abnormally short immediately followed by an immediate hire). This situation may suggest a pattern of a lack of devotion to getting things done. Of course there is a "ramp up" time on any project. As a result of this ramp up time, you are making a considerable investment. Try to avoid having to backfill and ramp up a replacement. Careful consideration on the front end of selecting a contractor for your project can save you literally thousands of dollars.

2. Look for old skills. You may have identified a required technical skill and a candidate may have identified that they do have experience with that skill. Pay careful attention to how current that experience is. When you hire a contractor to install a dishwasher in your kitchen, you expect them to know how to install it then and there. You don't want them to have to "Google" large appliance installation. The same goes with your technical contractor. You are hiring your contractor to get accustomed to the specifics of the project and use the skills they already have and NOT to learn the technology required.

3. Communication skills. In this day and age of global economies and international project collaboration, the potential for inability to communicate within the entire team is great. Make certain the contractor has the necessary communication skills required to participate on the project. Now, if you need a "heads-down" contractor to work independently this will be less of an issue. However, very few if any work in a bubble. The communication hurdle may rear its ugly head in directions, requirements or code review phase.

4. Lone Ranger or Sherriff. Keep a sharp lookout for personality traits that may or may not work on the project. Do you need a team player? Look for a pattern of working alone. Perhaps you need a team player but the résumé is filled with leadership/management responsibilities. Either of these situations might present a significant challenge in your environment.

5. Personal experience vs. team experience. When you review résumés, be able to discern (or ask during an screen or interview) whether the projects contained on the résumé reflect the contractor's work or the work performed by the entire team. Look or listen for answers like, "We were responsible for ..." vs. "My role on the project was to ..." or "I was responsible for ...."

Do not make the mistake of carelessly bringing any contractor on board. Invest the time to carefully consider the candidates and you will probably see your investment reap BIG returns!