If you controlled how & when they did their jobs then you were their employer and they should have filled in a W-4 and you should have been withholding taxes on those checks ..... but if you didn't pay them a paycheck and withhold the required taxes and file the required payroll tax forms timely then you don't have W-2 employees.
Sounds like you have independent contractors who should have filled in a W-9 and you need to issue a 1099-misc if you paid them $600 or more.
FYI ... the deadline to issue either of these forms along with the required form 1096 to the IRS has passed ... filing these after 1/31/18 will get you a penalty letter from the IRS.