Especially at young companies, the contract-to-hire strategy is wildly popular, and for good reason. It can be 
difficult to truly assess a candidate based on a handful of interviews and some sort of homework assignment. Bringing the candidate in to work on an hourly basis saves you untold cash in the event of a bad hire, allows you to more adequately assess, and equally importantly, allows them to assess you. It's easy to forget that it's not enough for you to want to hire the candidate, as they have to be equally thrilled at the possibility of working with you. How many of your contract-to-hire opportunities are turning into hires? Here's a handful of ideas for converting contractors into engaged full timers.
Rally the Troops
Make sure you're encouraging your co-workers, including those not on the contractor's team, to introduce themselves and make them feel welcome. It's a nasty habit, but some team members might not want to bother chatting with someone who might only be around a week or two. Push your team to go out of their way in this regard, because at this point, everyone in your company is a recruiter.
Crack Open the Toolshed
Make sure your contractor has all the tools he or she needs to be successful. Whether it's multiple monitors, wireless accessories, or other workstation needs, it can serve to make your contractor feel valued and as though they're being taken seriously. If you're concerned about having to splash the cash, odds are you're going to need this equipment down the line anyway.
Similarly, leaving contractors off email threads, company chat clients, or other meetings will alienate the talent. As long as no sensitive information is being discussed, loop them in as much as possible.
Choose Projects Carefully
Try to coordinate with team leads to ensure your contractor is helping out with interesting projects. Obviously, they shouldn't be a part of your Skunkworks Projects, but if they feel stimulated right off the bat, they'll be far more likely to want to stick around. Put them on data entry detail and watch them leave after week 1.
What other strategies do you use to convert contractors? Leave a comment or tweet @EnteloRob!
