Product tip Tuesday: Onboarding contractors with BetterCloud

We all know the drill. Contractors are essential, but managing their access? That’s a different story. 

It’s a constant juggling act: getting them up and running quickly, ensuring they have the right tools, and then, crucially, revoking their access the moment their contract ends. Doing this manually is a recipe for security vulnerabilities and administrative overload.

Escape the onboarding labyrinth

Picture a typical contractor onboarding scenario. You’re scrambling to create accounts, assign licenses for software like G-Suite or Adobe Creative Cloud, add them to distribution lists, and maybe even provision a laptop. Each step involves multiple systems, different logins, and a lot of manual work. 

It’s tedious, time-consuming, and prone to errors. Did you remember to add them to the project Slack channel? What about access to that secure file share? The details can easily slip through the cracks.  What happens when you have multiple contractors starting at once? Bedlam.

No more contractor chaos: Enter BetterCloud

BetterCloud eases the tedious pain of onboarding and offboarding contractors by automating the entire process.  

When a new contractor’s information is entered into your HR system (like Paylocity, for example), BetterCloud can trigger a series of actions. It can automatically create user accounts in your identity provider (Azure AD, Okta, you name it), assign the appropriate software licenses, add them to relevant groups, and even provision devices.  No more manual account creation, no more chasing down managers for approvals.  It’s all handled automatically, consistently, and quickly.  This frees up your time to focus on more strategic initiatives, rather than getting bogged down in repetitive tasks.

Don’t forget to lock the backdoor

Offboarding is even more critical. A contractor’s access left active after their contract ends is a major security risk. Think about the sensitive data they might have access to. Manual offboarding is a struggle to put it lightly. You have to remember every system they had access to and revoke their privileges.  It’s easy to miss something, leaving a window open for potential breaches. It’s like leaving the back door of your network unlocked.

No loose ends: Automated offboarding security

BetterCloud automates offboarding just as effectively as onboarding.  When a contractor’s contract ends in your HR system, BetterCloud can automatically disable their accounts, revoke licenses, remove them from groups, and even wipe their devices.  It’s a clean, efficient, and, most importantly, secure process.  You can even schedule offboarding in advance, ensuring that access is revoked the moment their contract ends, without any manual intervention.

Reclaim your week by letting BetterCloud handle automating your contractor management

• Reduced administrative overhead: Gain hours back in your week, minimizing tedious manual tasks.
• Enhanced security: Automated offboarding minimizes the risk of orphaned accounts and unauthorized access.
• Improved contractor experience: Contractors gain access to the tools they need immediately, leading to faster ramp-up and increased efficiency.
• Clear audit trails: Maintain a clear record of who had access to what, and when.

Imagine this: You’re finally getting ready to go on vacation, a real one, where you don’t have to worry about work. But then you remember, a contractor’s contract is up while you’re gone. With manual offboarding, you’d be stressing about it the whole trip. With BetterCloud, you can schedule the offboarding in advance, knowing it’ll be handled automatically. You can actually relax on your vacation, knowing your network is secure.

Managing contractor access doesn’t have to be a constant hardship. Automation through BetterCloud can significantly improve security, free up your time, and make your life as an IT admin much easier. It’s about taking control of the contractor lifecycle, ensuring that access is granted and revoked efficiently and securely.