09.09.24

The Essential Guide to Hiring Freelancers

Hiring a freelancer can be a game-changer for your project. Companies of all sizes hire freelancers who provide high-level services, flexible scheduling, and affordable prices. But hiring can be challenging and risky if you don’t know the best practices for recruiting and managing freelancers. Let's see what has to be considered when hiring a freelancer.

 

Why Hiring a Freelancer is so beneficial?

• Flexibility
  Finding someone who can work on a specific schedule will be easier because freelancers are frequently more accommodating with their time.
   
• Cost-effective
  Since you only pay for the precise work, you may cut costs of office space, salary, and perks. You don’t need to take care of insurance, sick leave, pension or other payments.
   
• Expertise
  Since freelancers frequently focus on particular niches, you can choose someone with the precise abilities needed for your project.
   
• Worldwide Talent Pool
  The greatest talent is available for hire anywhere in the world.

 

There are some drawbacks we should keep in mind as well.

• Independent contractors frequently oversee several projects, so working with them may involve decreased control over in-house staff.
   
• Their attention and availability may occasionally change without your ability to reach them. There can also be issues because of different time zones and communication approaches.

 

Where to Find Independent Contractors?

Choosing the right platform is an important part when searching for freelancers. Platforms work differently. Try to compare different marketplaces. Consider the way they work, features they provide.

1. Upwork

How It Works
Clients create job posts and wait for applicants or invite freelancers to apply immediately. Freelancers send their price proposals for any job around the globe. A client can choose any proposal and start a contract. The platform handles payments and provides hourly and fixed-price contracts.

Special Features 

• Different freelancer badges to separate top performers
• Enhanced search parameters to identify the ideal person.
• Rewards depending on performance.

 

2. Fiverr

How It Works
Fiverr is a gig-based platform where freelancers post certain services, or "gigs", for fixed costs starting from $5. Customers place orders. Fiverr prioritizes set pricing more than other sites, making it simple for customers to know the total price in advance.

Special Features

• Gig prices that are precise and set.
• Ability to buy gig upgrades or add-ons.
• Featured gigs for top-rated freelancers.

 

3. Freelancer.com

How it Works
Another big competitor in the freelancing economy. Clients post projects, and freelancers send their bids. The website allows for both traditional job advertisements and short-term hirings, in which an employer chooses the best submission among the submitted works by freelancers. The platform has an escrow mechanism guaranteeing the payment security for both parties. If something goes wrong, no one can get access to the money until reaching the agreement.

Special Features

• Contest-based job placements.
• Escrow payments system for mutual protection.
• Live chat feature that helps to reach better results. It is very important for an employee to see clearly what has to be done, to discuss analogs and ask questions regarding the project. 

 

4. Toptal

How It Works
Described as a platform for the top 3% of freelance workers, it is a premium marketplace. The platform thoroughly examines freelancers before accepting them, guaranteeing that there are only highly qualified individuals on board. Unlike other platforms, Toptal's approach involves clients working with the team to match them with the ideal professional based on their project needs.

Special Features

• A highly selective talent pool 
• Dedicated matching service
• No upfront cost until satisfied with the match

 

5. Djobzy

How It Works
Djobzy is the newest marketplace among the mentioned above with some unique features. It combines flexibility and broadness. It allows users to have both employee and employer profiles to post their jobs and apply for other’s. They also launched a calendar feature which allows booking services at particular times. Some services can have fixed prices, some are negotiable. As a service provider you can create and sell a combined service like delivery and cooking all together.   

Special Features

• They use AI algorithms to efficiently match freelancers with job posts based on skills and other related data
• Both local & remote job opportunities
• Calendar integration for service booking

Verifying Freelancers

OK, let’s say you’ve posted a job and got several applications. Now it is important to make the right choice. Here are a few techniques for checking a freelancer.

Reviews

One of the most revealing measures of a freelancer's dependability is working history. Prior clients leave public reviews on the platform so you can briefly check them. 

Verification Level

Most of the platforms have a verification mechanism in place. They review portfolios, prove skill by requesting certificates, or do identification checks. Higher verification level freelancers are much more reliable on the average.

Interview 

To evaluate their soft and hard skills, request a brief interview. Ask tech questions and their vision on how they could improve the project. Ask them how they fixed similar problems in the past. Try to stay in the professional sphere avoiding personal questions.

Bonus Tip. Hire for a small time the beginning 

A small, paid test work is a wonderful method to evaluate a freelancer's availability, reaction speed, and job quality. Make sure they produce what you need. See if they meet deadlines and communicate well. Consider the time difference when hiring freelancers overseas and select someone who can do the work inside your specified window of time or who is adaptable enough to work around your schedule.

 

Managing a group of freelancers

If you need to hire a team of freelancers then the strategy has to be specific. Please keep in mind:

- Set Clear Objectives
Ensure that your freelancers are aware of your exact expectations. Give precise instructions and establish timelines.

- Be Intensely Communicative.
Set up regular meetings. Daily is the best. This guarantees that all parties are in agreement.

- Meeting standard.
In every meeting ask each person if they want to add anything or if they have any question.

- Feedbacks.
It's important to provide feedback regularly. Inform them as soon as possible if something is wrong so they can fix it.

 

Tools for managing a group of freelancers

Project management tools

Trello, Asana, and Monday.com are a few examples of tools that let you assign tasks, monitor progress, and set deadlines. It's simple to keep everyone coordinated and in the loop using those.

Chat Tools

Microsoft Teams, Skype, and Slack are excellent platforms for communicating with freelancers. They provide the team with file sharing, screen sharing and enable real-time communication.

Meeting Tools

You can utilize programs like Zoom, Skype, Google Meet, or Microsoft Teams for online meetings. These tools facilitate real-time collaboration, screen sharing, and video conferences.

Lastly, building good relationships with your freelance employees.

It's good to keep it strictly professional, but that doesn't mean freelancers don't want to feel like a part of the team, even if they do like the freedom of flexibility. Team spirit works as a big motivation. Praise a good worker in front of others. Ask one freelancer to collaborate with another one. Create horizontal connections. Let them study with each other. 

If you cultivate a strong connection, they will have a great interest in delivering excellent results. Make a dream team to reach great success. Good luck.

See also: 30 Services a Virtual Assistant Can Get Paid For