A few things to think about when hiring a wahve

Every so often a prospective client will approach WAHVE and ask – how should I work with a wahve if I decide to hire one? It struck me as an odd question the first time I heard it. After all, a wahve is a contracted employee who is eager to fulfill a role and contribute to the company they’ve been hired by.

But after discussing this topic a few times I have a much greater appreciation for the question. I thought it would be good to share the following for anyone else wondering:

• Interaction – interacting with a wahve will be like any other hire you make. There may be lots of contact initially for onboarding, training, team introductions, etc. Eventually, the level of interaction you or your team has with the wahve will be dictated by the type of work they are doing and how often it’s necessary to connect with them regarding new work, provide feedback on work completed, or update them on general team/company information.
• Workload – you know your company best. You most likely have a good idea of how long it should take someone to complete various tasks and projects. Wahves are an eager bunch and they desire to meet the same realistic expectations you’ve set for your employees doing similar work.
• Time off – yes, wahves will need time off. Perhaps unlike your employees, time off taken by a wahve is unpaid. Therefore, they may want to make up a missed hour or two so they can keep their general number of weekly hours at a steady amount. When they do need vacation time, they’ll want to know someone else in the office will help cover for them. This may be no different from how the employees in your office provide back up to each other when on vacation.
• Workflow – this may be the one area requiring special attention. Some clients haven’t had a remote worker or haven’t envisioned using one. How will you get work to the wahve? If files aren’t kept electronically or the agency management system is really just a very expensive desktop decoration, it will be almost impossible to use a wahve. The best workflows happen seamlessly via the use of management system’s activities, network drives, front end scanning, etc. Since you know your internal set up better than anyone, spend some time contemplating how workflows will be executed and the rest will often fall into place.

To boil it all down – it’s simple: work with a wahve just as you do with your employees. Include them in your calls, meetings, etc. Share your culture with them. Don’t forget to include them in announcements, updates, or team fun. Set regular check-in appointments with them just as you might your employees. Just because you may not run into them in the break room, doesn’t mean they wouldn’t like to get an email wishing them a good weekend.

WAHVE is here to help support you and your wahve. Our team isn’t just focused on finding the best vintage talent for you. In fact, we pride ourselves on assisting with a smooth onboarding of your wahve by offering initial IT support, relationship management, and ongoing check-ins. As for the rest, you really can’t go wrong if  you  keep all the above in mind!

Elizabeth Kordek, CPCU Senior Placement Specialist