ISA Webinar: Managing Your Independent Contractor Relationships – Jan 26, 2012

ChatQ1: Any words of advice or lessons learned?

  • Sheena Nugent: expertise that you might not have internally
  • Lori Maki: establish clear parameters on time commitment or your development could cost a small fortune
  • Dean Anderson: be clear about what is paid for what is not.
  • Sean Kavanagh: Ask for project quote rather than pay by hour.
  • Aimee Windmiller-Wood: Make certain they are completely versed in your product and service. Takes a long time to get some contractors speaking your language
  • Galina Jeffrey: clear allocation of time and deliverables
  • Resource Director: Clarity of expectations and scope up front
  • Michael Wilkinson: We include words that explain THEIR content remains their content. We have the right to use.
  • Sheila Rehrig: on-time commitment
  • Connie Bentley: Try your best to match the player to the play. Have a skills inventory of the inside and outside resources.
  • Resource Director: Frequent check-ins
  • Michael Patrick: Be sure to build in time into the schedule and cost for setting expectations, revisions, and related questions they have throughout the process.
  • Resource Director: Pay for deliverable not the hours worked
  • Galina Jeffrey: usually work with an internal person who is managing the project and has access to internal systems
  • Michael Patrick: multiple touch points that are live versus solely or primarily email is also important to us.
  • Galina Jeffrey: yes
  • Joe Trueblood: yes
  • Michael Patrick: Most of our contractors have a standing agreement that covers multiple projects over the year.
  • Beth: Absolutely
  • Aimee Windmiller-Wood: A work for hire is necessary
  • Connie Bentley: Ours have a standing agreement and each project has an S
  • Connie Bentley: Ours have a standing agreement and each project has an SOW

ChatQ2: Which strategy is better?

  • Paul Cummings: Sometimes scarcity makes the client want you even more
  • Beth: Better to be able to accommodate client's schedule
  • Joe Trueblood: the key is to be customer responsive while still being able to establish a timeline that works for both the customer and our company
  • Dean Anderson: The flow changes for us so whatever is authentically true is most appropriate.
  • Aimee Windmiller-Wood: I don't think playing hard to get is the right way to go, sometimes there seems to be a perfect storm of a week or series of days that many clients want
  • Connie Bentley: It’s better to be ready to deliver but customers understand when we ask them for two options.
  • Galina Jeffrey: a good strategy for closing business..."if you want these resources, then you need to sign"
  • Michael Wilkinson: Because we want to always be responsive to clients, we actually feel a little bad when we have to turn a client down for a specific date. So we purposely try to have much, much more capability than our client base would dictate.
  • Michael Patrick: Even with an open schedule we typically ask for time to review other client obligations; try to give specific, narrow range instead of wide open options.
  • dan roberts: Clients are pretty sophisticated today so you have to be careful...
  • Joe Trueblood: Playing games does not build trust and confidence

ChatQ3: Are you adding ICs? If yes, are you finding qualified resources?

  • Dean Anderson: Yes.
  • Michael Wilkinson: Early on we had to seek out ICs. For the most part they find us. But from time to time we do find we are short in a particular city.
  • Resource Director: Yes
  • Aimee Windmiller-Wood: Yes.
  • Michael Patrick: tough.
  • Connie Bentley: We are fortunate to have wonderful candidates in our network
  • Sean Kavanagh: yes. we have a specialized skill set and know where to look.
  • Steve Anderson: Yes, we are currently adding ICs. The difficulty is finding people who are both qualified and a good fit with our brand.
  • Galina Jeffrey: yes
  • dan roberts: The pool seems to be bigger given the number of people who have "retired" or lost jobs
  • Aimee Windmiller-Wood: I agree with Steve
  • Jeni Nichols: Yes, we offer open enrollment/facilitator training 4 times a year and get consultants from those
  • Beth: Yes we are adding; but vetting takes time and it doesn't happen quickly

ChatQ4: What’s the loaded cost of ramping up a new instructor in a new program?

  • Dean Anderson: Tough. Depends on program and facilitator's past experience with our work...and what training they've already had from us (and maybe paid for)
  • Steve Anderson:~$15K
  • Beth:$10-$15 grand
  • Sean Kavanagh:10-15K
  • Michael Patrick:$8-$12K
  • Michael Wilkinson: Our cost...not counting THEIR TIME $2400 + 24 hours @$100 for our facilitator training them... about $5K
  • dan roberts:$8-10k
  • Galina Jeffrey: somewhere between 10-15 depends on the length of program

ChatQ5: What changes have you made recently to improve your IC ramping process?

  • Paul Cummings: we put the training on video so they can learn in a portal
  • Michael Patrick: Rely more on personal referrals from the best ICs we have.
  • Connie Bentley: We’ve documented a process using best practices and have created a community of practice.
  • Dean Anderson: More structured and pointed training/certification per program.
  • Resource Director: Introduction of talent focused roles to support IC's
  • Michael Wilkinson: In the past, we just selected based on skills. One of our biggest learnings recently is the importance to interview for values just as strongly as we do for our full-time employees.
  • Sonja Gustafson 2:have a solid skill development plan
  • Aimee Windmiller-Wood: Training Videos, co-facilitate with top trainers
  • Galina Jeffrey: mix virtual with live
  • Jeni Nichols: created Facilitator Labs 2 times a year to build relationships, introduce new products and discuss business/sales issues
  • Beth: Put a single person in charge of screening and vetting candidates vs. leaving to when various people had the time

OPEN CHAT COMMENTS (throughout the webinar – many of these were made during Sean Kavanagh’s presentation as he did not use separate chat windows)

Connie Bentley: These are great...would love them for reference and to share with my folks

  • Steve Anderson: I agree. These reports would be helpful in communicating internally.
  • Michael Patrick: Just to Joe's comment, we find that slowing down responses give us a chance to think through what is on the calendar. I agree with no games.
  • Joe Trueblood: My intent was to say we need to have an honest conversation in the time it takes to complete a project successfully and using best practices. Therefore, it is not a situation of playing hard to get, but rather trying to have each client feel valued while allowing us to use our resources wisely. Maybe better said to ensure valid requirements are established per the scope of the project.
  • Michael Wilkinson: Or maybe NO travel is needed because the IC is local.
  • Michael Patrick: We might also use a new consultant as a support person during a session that the client pays a portion for additional support while we get them exposed to training.
  • Nanci Hendrickson: Is it how WE feel or how THEY feel?
  • Ron Gajewski: How they feel
  • Ron Gajewski: Or how we believe they feel....
  • Nanci Hendrickson: Thanks, Ron. That's what I thought...
  • Michael Wilkinson: Were the days annual? Or cumulative over their career with you?
  • Michael Wilkinson: Answered. Thanks.
  • Sheila Rehrig: these were cumulative
  • Michael Wilkinson: Would be interested in knowing the COGS % for the peer companies to compare with Ariel's 30%
  • Nanci Hendrickson: We are higher than that.
  • Ron Gajewski: ISA annual financial survey might be helpful...
  • Michael Wilkinson: Ours is a bit complicated...for training it is about 22%, for meeting facilitation it is 50%. Since we do a lot more training, the average is 26%
  • Michael Patrick: Sean and Ron, thanks for leading this; must leave now for a client meeting. best.
  • Connie Bentley: I have to depart on the hour. Thanks for this session. So sorry to miss the DDI session. I look forward to seeing all of the slides and chats.
  • Sheila Rehrig: Nice job, Sean!
  • Aimee Windmiller-Wood: Thanks Sean!
  • Beth: Well done!
  • Leah Levinger: Great job and very insightful

Chat Comments during Lori Maki’s presentation:

  • Aimee Windmiller-Wood: Are the compensated on a regular basis even though they are part time?
  • Beth: Hi Lori: do you issue W2s to your part timers now vs. a 1099?
  • Dean Anderson: Thanks everyone. Have to sign off now. Dean
  • Rosalind Sago: what performance evaluations do you do with ICs
  • Aimee Windmiller-Wood: Great question!
  • Aimee Windmiller-Wood: What do you do to maintain quality control?