Onboarding a new contractor shouldn't feel like a scavenger hunt through emails and spreadsheets. With Deel, inviting a contractor takes just a few clicks, and they handle most of the setup themselves.
This guide walks you through the exact invitation process, step by step.
Why the Invitation Process Matters
A smooth invite experience sets the tone for the entire working relationship. Contractors who struggle with onboarding often delay starting work, which costs you time and momentum.
Before You Start: What You'll Need
- The contractor's full name
- Their email address
- Their country of residence
- Basic details about the role or project
Step 1: Navigate to the People Tab
From your dashboard, click into People, then select Add New.
Step 2: Choose "Contractor"
You'll be asked whether you're adding an employee or a contractor. Select Contractor to continue down the correct path.
Step 3: Enter Their Basic Information
Fill in:
- Full legal name
- Email address
- Country
- Start date
Double-check the email. This is where their invitation link gets sent.
Step 4: Attach or Create a Contract
You have two options here:
- Use an existing contract template
- Create a new one on the spot (covered in detail in our contract creation guide)
Either way, the contract gets linked to their profile automatically.
Step 5: Send the Invitation
Click Send Invite.
The contractor receives an email containing:
- A link to create their Deel account
- Instructions to review and sign their contract
- A request to complete identity verification
What the Contractor Sees on Their End
Once they click the invite link, they're guided through:
- Account creation (just an email and password)
- Contract review and e-signature
- Bank or payment method setup
- Tax document submission (like a W-9 or W-8BEN depending on country)
This entire process usually takes them under fifteen minutes.
Step 6: Track Onboarding Progress
Back in your dashboard, the contractor's profile shows real-time status:
- Invited
- Account Created
- Contract Signed
- Payment Method Added
- Fully Onboarded
You'll get notified at each milestone, so you always know exactly where things stand.
What If They Haven't Responded?
Invitations can get buried in spam folders.
If a few days pass without action:
- Resend the invite directly from their profile
- Send a friendly reminder email yourself
- Double-check the email address was entered correctly
Bulk Inviting Multiple Contractors
Hiring more than one person at once?
Deel supports bulk uploads.
- Download the CSV template from the People tab
- Fill in contractor details row by row
- Upload the completed file
- Review and send invites in bulk
This is a massive time-saver for agencies or companies scaling quickly.
Setting Permissions Before Inviting
Before sending invites, consider:
- Will this contractor need to submit timesheets?
- Do they need access to specific project tools?
- Should they have visibility into team documents?
Configuring this beforehand avoids confusion later.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Sending invites with incorrect email addresses, which delays onboarding
- Forgetting to attach a contract before sending the invite
- Not following up when invites go unanswered for several days
Why This Process Beats Manual Onboarding
Without Deel, onboarding a contractor usually means emailing PDFs back and forth, chasing signatures, and manually collecting tax forms. Deel automates all of it into a single guided flow.
If you're ready to invite your first contractor, you can start the process here.
Final Thoughts
Inviting contractors should feel effortless, not like paperwork purgatory. With Deel's guided flow, your contractor does most of the work themselves, and you simply track their progress until they're fully onboarded.
Once you've sent your first few invites, this process becomes second nature, and you'll wonder how you ever managed it without automation.