Competency Assessment Procedures for Contractors

How competent are your contractors?

Hiring contractors to perform tasks essential to an organization's needs can be costly. When organizations decide to employ contractors, organizational administrators need to know if the work can be completed on time, within budget and by competent workers. Competency assessment procedures are required before and after tasks are completed, to ensure organizational funds are wisely spent on contractors.

Analyze Prior Experiences

Based on fully detailed requirements of a job description, employers should review a contractor's prior work experience and how skills have developed in the contractor's work history. This includes reviewing any volunteer activities in which the contractor may have participated, because skills learned in the process of volunteering may also be beneficial to an employer. It is also important to confirm the type and number of organizational affiliations a contractor has, to gain more understanding of a contractor's competency in his field.

Review Level of Education

Employers have the right to review the educational background of contractors. Search for educational credentials on the resume, and confirm the contractor's acquired credentials by calling the registrar office at the colleges or universities listed. Employers may also ask contractors about courses taken or subject matter learned in school. In situations whereas employers may want to hire a contractor part-time with the intention to later hire the contractor full-time, employers need to know that a contractor has the mental capacity to perform well and advance in the workplace.

Distribute a Self-Evaluation

Employers must review all knowledge and skill requirements for all tasks that must be completed for a contractor's job in order to develop an assessment form, if the human resources department does not have an existing contractor assessment form. An employer can send a contractor this self-evaluation in an email--with the contractor returning the form by email after completion--or request that the contractor complete the form just before an interview. Contractors must accurately complete the form for an employer to determine how well the contractor believes he is suited for a particular job. The self-evaluation form is rated based upon the level of competency--basic to expert--that a contractor has for software skills, project management skills and all skills that relate to a specific job. An employer may also request work samples for jobs that require writing or computer skills.

Check References

Call past employers, confirm the contractor's role in the work place and ask about her quality of work. You may also confirm dates of employment and ask whether or not the employer will hire the contractor again; however, you may not ask

Check Health and Safety Knowledge

Ask contractors about previous work accidents, if this information applies to the available position.

Offer Training

Provide training for contractors about job expectations and safety and health concerns. This can be done through e-learning courses on the web or computer-based training saved on discs. This type of training is usually developed when performance issues exist in an organization, by instructional designers and educators within human resources. During the developmental stage of e-learning, software such as Articulate, Adobe Presenter and Captivate permit entry of quiz questions for assessment of what the contractor has learned. In addition, a manager should rate the competency level of a contractor every three months or after a project is completed, based upon the level of skill used during job performance.

References

• HSE: Use of Contractors, A Joint Responsibility