The qualities that make a good contractor are just as much to do with personality and personal qualities as it has to do with their work-related skills. The high quality work related skills are essential, but so are other qualities.
1. Flexibility – A contractor needs to be able to suss out the differences in work styles and work conditions on different site- recognize different cultures and appreciate different unspoken company “rules” and ways of working. Any that do not have this level of self and group awareness are going to find themselves sticking out like a spare thumb.
2. Has the ability to get on with people and make successful working relationships. This does not mean that contractors need to be extrovert, life and soul of the party types, just pleasant and self directing.
3. Can help people without talking down to them or criticizing their ways of working- a contractor will inevitably over time develop knowledge of many ways to doing things and can be able to share this information, it needs to be done with some sensitivity. If folks don’t want to know about different ways of working, don’t force it on them.
4. Collects a list of clients and successful projects and will be able to approach them for work at times as well as get referrals from them to other companies. A database of potential clients will be built up over time a hedge against down time.