3 Things Your Employees Need to Hear You Say When You Hire Outside Help

Sure, hiring a diverse team can bring on challenges. You might get multiple answers to a straightforward question, or cultural differences might cause people to butt heads. But don’t forget the bigger picture: An eclectic team shows up positively in the bottom line.

The best diverse teams also include outside help, to complement their internal employees. This is because outside consultants and contractors bring a fresh perspective to the mix. They tend to specialize in one skill set and are better equipped to deal with a business’ challenges.

They also show little fear when it comes to telling the truth.

But despite this boost, many employees feel afraid when they hear their boss is seeking outside help. They think, “I must be doing a bad job.” So if you want to build a community that thrives, your job as a leader is to break that assumption.

Here’s what you tell your team.

1. They’ll Make It Easier For You to Do Your Job

Employees never like to think that working with a stranger will make their job harder. Reassure them that, actually, the opposite is true. As the manager, you’re there to support employees’ success. Adding new talent should uplift the existing team members.

The bottom line? The resource you bring on should make your team’s job easier. And they should know that without a doubt.

2. They’ll Make Your Job More Secure

If employees don’t just fear they’ll have a harder job, they fear they may not even have a job at all.

The first sign of outside resources often sounds the alarms that people’s jobs are at stake. Consultants, they worry, are there to get rid of redundancies. Instead, comfort them with the reassurance that more success actually secures their jobs.

But here’s the thing, telling only goes so far. You have to show them.

For example, third-party production company Bravo Media knows what tools and techniques make powerful corporate video. Meanwhile, the internal employees of their clients can shed light on the actual services or products featured in that video. You need to uncover these sorts of truths and communicate them like crazy.

Ultimately, the best results come from the collaboration of internal and external resources.

3. They’ll Make It Easier For You to Advance in the Company

Okay, maybe employees are confident they won’t lose their jobs or have a harder job to do. That still leaves room for doubt that they can advance from their current position. What then?

As a leader, you must not only reassure your employees that outside help will give them more time and freedom to perform higher-stakes creative projects, you must demonstrate it.

As Donna Zanger told us in her recent interview, bringing in experts “allows the employees of a business to focus on what they do best.” If they are relieved of the tasks that bog them down, they’ll finally have room to grow.

In the end, they’ll create the position they want to occupy, rather than having it thrust upon them. And you, the leader, will reap rewards by the truckload. The company will be more profitable, the work more rewarding, the entire operation more streamlined, and everyone (internal and external) happy.

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