3 Ways to Create Continuity When Working With Independent Contractors

Independent contractors are an essential part of the talent strategy for many organizations. When you find people who understand your company culture and deliver exceptional work, bringing them back for future projects just makes sense. However, maintaining continuity between engagements can be challenging, especially when contractors work with multiple clients or when there is a big time gap between projects.   

Below, we explore three practical approaches to help ensure smooth transitions and maintain consistent quality when rehiring independent talent.  

1. Create Comprehensive Project Documentation

One of the most effective ways to maintain continuity with independent contractors is through robust documentation. This goes beyond basic project briefs and extends to capturing processes, decision rationales, and institutional knowledge. 

For example, when a project concludes, work with the contractor to document not just what was delivered, but how it was accomplished. This should include workflows, access protocols, naming conventions, and other operational details that might otherwise be forgotten between engagements.  

A well-structured project close-out process might include: 

• A formal knowledge transfer session  
• Where the independent contractor recorded critical information  
• Templates for documenting processes specific to your organization  
• Archiving of all relevant files in a system the contractor can access during future engagements  
• Documentation of unresolved issues or items planned for future phases 

These steps help create a valuable reference that both managers and contractors can quickly review before beginning new projects. Documenting processes can greattly reduce start-up time and ensure consistency with past work. 

 2. Develop a Contractor Relationship Management System

While most independent contractors work with multiple clients, you can still foster ongoing relationships with them between engagements. Creating a structured relationship management system helps maintain these connections and builds institutional memory about each contractor’s strengths, preferences, and overall history with your company. 

An effective contractor relationship management approach includes: 

• Regular check-ins, even during inactive periods  
• A centralized database where you can track contractor specialties, previous project outcomes, and feedback  
• Periodic updates about relevant company developments or potential upcoming opportunities  
• Invitations to appropriate company events or training sessions  

Many companies find that designating a specific relationship manager for each contractor helps to improve continuity. A relationship manager maintains contact between projects and serves as the contractor’s main point of connection to your company. They can provide critical context when a new project begins and help navigate any organizational changes that have occurred in the interim. 

3. Establish Clear Onboarding and Offboarding Processes

The transitions into and out of projects represent critical moments for maintaining continuity. Developing standardized onboarding and offboarding processes specifically designed for returning independent contractors can significantly improve project continuity. 

An effective onboarding process for returning contractors should include: 

• Updates on organizational changes since their last engagement  
• Refreshers on security protocols and system access  
• Briefings on how current projects connect to their previous work  
• Introductions to new team members they’ll be collaborating with 

 Similarly, a thoughtful offboarding process prepares the ground for future engagements by: 

• Collecting detailed feedback on the current project  
• Discussing potential future opportunities and timeframes  
• Ensuring all documentation is complete and accessible  
• Maintaining necessary system access at appropriate levels for quick reactivation 

These structured transitions help returning contractors quickly reintegrate into your organization and maintain the context of their previous contributions. 

The Value of Continuity in Independent Contractor Relationships

When managed well, returning independent contractors can provide unique value that new members of your team simply cannot match. This source of talent brings institutional knowledge, familiarity with your processes, and an understanding of your organizational goals that typically take months to develop. 

By implementing these three strategies, your company can capitalize on previous investments in contractor relationships and create more efficient, productive engagements. The result is not just cost savings from reduced onboarding time, but higher quality work from professionals who truly understand your business. 

MBO’s Source of Talent solution offers convenient access to top independent contractors who have previously worked with your company before. Quickly filling projects with trusted and familiar talent can help your company realize significant advantages in both operational efficiency and work quality. The modest investment required to implement these practices typically pays dividends many times over in improved project outcomes.