How to Effectively Communicate with the People You've Hired

Written by: Eliza Medley

So you’ve been thinking of hiring a plumber to fix something in the house. You’ve surely looked for the best one around. You’ve researched the Internet, and you’ve asked around. You’ve seen enough options to make an informed choice regarding the team you’re about to hire. The biggest mistake we often make in such situations is when we check out once we hire a team. The truth is that you must stay involved with the project.

Provide Reliable Contact Methods

Before you even look into the ways of how to effectively communicate with the people you’ve hired, it’s essential to establish a reliable means of communication. Offering the right phone number, along with an email address and maybe a messenger account is critical for the times when you won’t be home to answer questions or make decisions.Depending on the complexity of the work that your contractor is about to execute, a smooth communication is imperative. So make sure you’ve got that thought out.“I worked for many roofing companies for several years, and I find that communication with the client is probably as important as using the right tools or materials. Once a project was halted for four days, since we couldn’t get a hold of the homeowner.” — Jess Fendir, writer at Writers Center.

Voice Your Concerns

You’ve surely already told the contractor about your problem before you met. However, it’s essential that you discuss even the most minute elements of your issue, before the professional will proceed to work.Furthermore, it’s not only about providing information — it’s also about collecting it. It’s essential that you ask all the questions that you feel like you don’t have an answer to and are generally necessary.

Educate Yourself On The Topic

Let’s imagine you’re getting your roof done, since you’ve had some leakage recently. It’s not mandatory, of course, but it is a great bonus to understand the general technicalities of the job. Why? Because a professional will provide you with information on what processes are happening at a particular time. Sometimes making some corrections and suggestions is essential when you’re getting your roof done.

How do you do that?

Write down the types of materials that your roofing team suggested using, then look them up on the Internet and maybe make a decision based on that. By being at least slightly initiated in the topic, you’ll be able to have a more efficient conversation with the contractors.It is essential to understand the basics of what a team of professionals is about to do, whatever it is. This way, you’ll be able to interact with them meaningfully, and also make some amendments to the plan.

Talk to Team Members Individually

Never hesitate to dedicate some time to have some one-on-one chats, if you’ve hired a team of professionals. Getting an opinion from each team member will help you gather more information about the complexity of your issue, and respectively be able to make a wiser decision when one needs to be made.“I like communicating with the entire team of professionals that I hire, since they all often vary in age and experience, but at the same time, they all have different approaches to things. This lets me understand the problem more thoroughly.” — says Josh Lorenzo, accountant at HR Software.

Distribute Information Wisely

We’re living in the age of technology, which means that we should explore the means of communication that it can offer. There are currently many apps that allow communicating with teams efficiently. Choosing an app to distribute information throughout the entire team is a great timesaver. This option is also great for managing some schedule-related issues. Here a few:

Crew

Flow

Google Hangouts

Mobilize

Slack

Conclusion

Communicating with the professionals you’ve hired isn’t necessarily a straightforward process. However, there is a simple path towards being on the same page with the person or team of workers.Make sure you provide them with a reliable contact method, where you can be reached at all times. Plus, be open about your concerns, there’s no shame in asking questions about the process. However, don’t hesitate to study the topic at least a bit.Have a chat with each of the members of the team. Even junior members of the group can provide you with some meaningful input on your issues. And finally, choose a good app that will allow you to communicate with the team members.