How To Hire Freelancers

How To Hire Freelancers
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Would you love to know how to hire freelancers? In recent times, freelancing is fast becoming a popular trend among employers, mostly due to the many advantages of working with freelancers.

If you are a business owner and are looking to get the best freelancers to execute projects for you and get the work done effectively, stay glued to this.

Let us quickly define who freelancers are; then, we can delve into how to get them and where you need to check exactly.

Who are Freelancers?

Simply put, freelancers are people, mostly skilled personnel, that are not employed by a company but work for themselves.

Paid jobs that are received by these people are usually on a contract basis.

Also, they are not actually considered as employees of the companies they work for.

Many top businesses are turning to freelancers to get many jobs done.

Of course, those jobs that do not require someone internal in the organization to handle are the jobs given out to freelancers.

Get a Freelancer from Fiverr today.

What can a Freelancer do for your Business?

Indeed, freelancing is now a go-to option for many top businesses and even start-ups.

However, it is worth noting that outsourcing or giving jobs out to freelancers is not for every industry.

However, there are still several activities or functions that can be given out on a freelance basis.

Here are a few of them:

Content Writing/Blogging

This was definitely going to be mentioned first, and rightly so.

Content writing needs experienced hands and skilled personnel.

Many good content writers are actually available for freelancing.

Also, writing good content consumes a lot of time, and it is best given out to freelancers.

Photography/Videography

If your business line requires that you take photographs of products or cover events sometimes, it might not be economical to hire an in-house photographer or videographer.

In such a situation, hiring a freelancer that only gets the job done whenever he/she has to is a wiser alternative.

Social Media Management

Trust us, keeping tabs with all your social media handles like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter can be draining and demanding.

You can give it out on a freelance agreement to those who are well trained in that area.

Therefore, you have more time on your hands to do other things.

Branding

Many businesses make the mistake of using cheap or free resources to brand their company.

While some will give you what you want, the best can only be gotten when handled by a professional.

Therefore, things like designing a logo, a letterhead, or business cards can be outsourced to freelancers.

Web Design/Programming

Yes, Youtube is always all over in your face, talking about online site builders, do it yourself, e.t.c.

To be candid, though, this part is best left to the professionals.

Consider freelancers.

For one thing, it saves time, and also you are sure you are getting it done the proper way.

Every Other Work that doesn’t Require the Presence

You can outsource every other work or function that doesn’t really require the physical presence of the personnel handling them to virtual freelancers.

Advantages of Hiring Freelancers

When you hire a freelancer to take care of some or all of the activities enumerated above, and others we didn’t mention, you are getting many benefits.

Here are a few of them:

It Saves Time

Time is arguably a business person’s greatest resource, and you know what they say about time; Once it’s lost, it cannot be gotten back.

When you give jobs out to freelancers, you are giving them to professionals in that particular field.

The time spent by such professionals is very little when compared to how much time you will spend when you do it yourself.

Moreover, if you also decide to learn those skills, it will take you a lot of time to perfect and perform with excellence.

If your time is valuable to you, which should be the case, then hire a freelancer.

It Saves Money

Does it sound counterintuitive to say that hiring a freelancer saves you money?

No, it doesn’t, and here is why.

Freelancers only charge you for the particular work or projects they do for you.

Whereas, when you hire a full-time employee, you have to pay them regardless of whether they do more or less in a particular month.

This would be counter-productive and lacks economic sense.

Especially so if the projects you employed them for are not done regularly and only seasonal.

When you hire freelancers to take care of most of these projects, you will definitely get good value for money.

Better Productivity

To bring this home, imagine you got a freelancer to take care of your social media needs.

You would agree that you will get more productivity from that area of marketing.

If you have to do it yourself or put that on another staff with a different job function, it’s not the same.

In all honesty, as a business owner, you have many things you have to think about at all times.

Adding a role that a freelancer can handle to it will be stressful.

Get that freelancer today and get things done more efficiently and effectively.

Save Office Space

It goes without saying that fewer people in the office means more space around.

With this space, you can set up more infrastructure and better utilize them.

This is because you have many of your workers working remotely as freelancers.

This will definitely also reduce your overhead, and in turn, you make more money as profits.

The Most Important Qualities of the Best Freelancers

It is important to note that you can’t just settle for anybody when hiring freelancers.

True, a lot of people have freelancing on their CVs and social media profiles.

However, that doesn’t necessarily make them great freelancers.

There are certain qualities and attributes that seasoned freelancers need to have, which you also must know.

Here are a few of them.

Great Time Management

This is arguably one of the most important qualities that the best freelancers should have, and the reason is clear.

Usually, you would want the projects you give out to freelancers to be delivered within a certain period of time.

Therefore, it would take a good time manager to get the job done correctly and deliver on time.

Good Self-Discipline

This is closely related to good time management, as it takes self-discipline to stay focused and on time.

The reason for this is that as a freelancer, they are not required to be present at the office; A place where they can be closely monitored.

Throughout the day, a lot of opportunities are opened to them to do other fun activities.

Activities like partying, meeting up with friends, playing games, or even sleeping.

It takes self-discipline to stay focused on the job and get it done as when due.

Flexibility

The best freelancers are not rigid but flexible, able to adapt to changes.

Certainly, because they work on a freelance basis, they get roles and projects that differ in type and requirements.

You would want to get a freelancer that understands this and flexible enough to adapt to those changes when they come.

Good Communication Skills

The greatest freelancers are also excellent communicators.

More often than not, you would need to pass on instructions and directives to these, and they need to understand and get it the first time.

As someone with good communication skills, he/she will understand your expectations right away and get to work.

They will also give feedback in clear and understandable terms for you as an employer.

Passion

Without the right passion for the job, a freelancer is set up to fail.

As a business owner, you wouldn’t want to hire a freelancer that would start great and then slack off with time because of a lack of passion.

Passion is the fuel needed to keep the driving wheels moving, and you will want to find out if the freelancer you are hiring has that in abundance to make a good investment.

Where to Check on How to Hire Freelancers 

Once you’ve determined the qualities to look for in the freelancers you plan to hire; the next thing is to consider where they can be found.

The internet is saturated with many platforms and websites that promise to give you freelancers for various duties at different rates.

While this is not bad in itself and remains an option, we strongly believe there are better ways to go about it.

Among other things, you are not really sure if you are getting the best when you hire through this medium.

Also, for many of these online platforms, the freelancers available might not be in your country or locality.

The implication of this is that there might be conflicting time zones, which could adversely affect smooth communication between you and the freelancer.

No doubt, this will affect productivity.

What about the issue of a language barrier?

Some of the freelancers you meet on these platforms, though good, might not speak your language as their first language.

In that case, it becomes difficult to communicate your goals and objectives with them.

How then can you get to hire the best freelancers?

The best way to hire freelancers is to run a proper recruitment process similar to when  you hire full-time employees.

That means you need to go down the recruitment agencies’ route and run assessments and interviews to pick the right ones.

One very good place to start is LinkedIn.

It is also easier to get your freelancer’s portfolio and CV on their profiles to know their qualifications and experience.

Another place you can source for freelancers is within your neighborhood.

Yes, the best freelancers might be a few blocks away from you.

Enter cybercafes; you might find them there, it’s not difficult to know them.

You can also ask around for recommendations.

Chances are you know many people with businesses who outsource some roles to freelancers, and they can recommend those to you.

Another very underrated avenue to meet great freelancers is meetup groups, either online or offline.

Therefore, do not underestimate networking power and start making good use of those Whatsapp, Facebook groups, and other social media platforms.

Steps to Take on How to Hire Freelancers 

Now you have come to the business end of things.

So far, you have been convinced on just why you need to hire freelancers, what type of freelancers to hire, and where to find them.

Now, let’s talk about the hiring process itself.

There are certain steps or guidelines you must follow to hire the best freelancers for job roles.

Define Clear Job Description and Scope of Work

The first step to take when you want to hire freelancers is defining the scope of work and setting the job description.

It goes without saying that if you want to get the best freelancer to do the job for you, you need to be very clear on what you want.

Avoid being vague or too general when pushing out your advert for freelancers, such that those interested do not know in specific terms the services you require.

It’s also worth noting that freelancers usually have the specific type of jobs they are good at and would want to do and the ones they don’t particularly want to do.

Therefore, having a clear work scope and a detailed job description will ensure you get the right persons to apply.

That being said, certain things must be included in your Job description, such as:
  • A description of your company and what you do.
  • The skills the freelancer needs to have.
  • What the duties and responsibilities of the person would be.
  • How much you are willing to pay.
  • Duration of time per day or per week that you need them to work for.
When you set out a clear Job description and scope of work, certain benefits come with it, such as:
  • You will ensure you are getting the right people to apply for the job.
  • Also, they will give you the best because the instructions are clear.
  • You will also save time, as they do not need to spend more time figuring out the work scope but rather on actually doing the work.
  • The freelancer will also give you the Job’s accurate valuation, not overcharge or undercharge, and then worry you for a pay rise later.

Decide your Budget

This is yet another crucial step in hiring freelancers, and that is making up your mind on how much you want to pay.

Before doing this, you will need to do your research to see how much freelancers in the field/experts charge per project, per hour or day, e.t.c.

Once you’ve done this, you can now include it in your budget and see if it fits in with your company’s short and long-term goals.

While you decide on your budget, it is worth noting that several factors influence how much a freelancer would charge for a job.

Factors such as the location of the freelancer and also the experience.

Of course, you wouldn’t expect a freelancer that is just starting to charge the same as one who is already an expert in his field.

Source for the Freelancers to Hire

You’ve concluded plans on the scope of work and job description and decided your budget for the work.

The next thing to do is the source for these freelancers.

This is no easy task, as you do not just want to settle for anybody, but you want to get the best and the very best.

Some of the places to source for freelancers have already been considered above.

These include: checking around within your community and with your network, asking them to recommend good ones to you.

You can also go on LinkedIn to see experts in their fields, simply by looking at their bios and profiles.

You can also use hiring platforms, where you get to see different freelancers in that field, including their portfolios, reviews, and feedback from previous clients.

Get a Freelancer from Fiverr today.

You can also post a job on job posting sites, and get these to apply, just as they would when applying for full-time employment.

Of course, you can also use the community groups and networking to get them.

Arrange for Assessments 

After using the procedures itemized above to the source for the best freelancers out there, you don’t just settle for anyone; you also need to assess them.

Here are the necessary steps to take when assessing the prospective freelancer.

Review Portfolio and CV

One of the documents you need to request when sourcing for freelancers is a CV.

This is a great place to start.

It gives you insight into the relevant education, skills, and experiences that the applicant has.

Also, you should request a portfolio of past work of the freelancer.

You should also check the quality of work done in the past.

Every serious freelancer should be able to provide such documents when asked for them.

Schedule an Interview

Yes, it is not just enough to make a decision based on a CV and portfolio.

Some people today makeup experiences and also hire people to help them write compelling CVs.

Therefore, you need to have a hands-on conversation with the freelancer and hear firsthand what he/she has to offer.

Thankfully, there are many digital platforms where interviews can be done now, such that you do not need to be with the person face to face to do this.

This will come in beneficial given that some of the best freelancers for a particular job might not live in your locality or state.

How to Hire Freelancers – What to Ask in an Interview

There are certain things you need to ask when interviewing to hire freelancers.

Some of these are:

  • Ask about their experience in freelancing. This is very important to know if you are getting an expert or beginner.
  • Questions on time management skills are also very essential. Remember to ask them for particular situations when they’ve demonstrated this.
  • How do they measure results and progress made? This question is also fundamental to ask during interviews to hire freelancers.
  • Another very important question area to consider is to find out what rate of the freelancer is and the payment structure he/she works with.
  • What’s your work process like? This question will give you an insight into how they better arrange their schedule to ensure they deliver when due.
  • You should also request to see samples of their past work to assess their skill and expertise level.
  • Tell me about a time you have had to miss a deadline? This particular question will let you know if they are trustworthy and how they handle unexpected events.

Hiring the Freelancer

So, you’ve conducted your assessment, and you’ve found the right person for the job.

The next thing is to hire a freelancer.

Well, this is not as easy as it sounds, as certain technicalities must be put into consideration to make it a seamless process.

First, you want to determine what level of freedom you are giving to the freelancer.

Also, how much influence would they have in the company?

There are certain documents and information that mustn’t be open to such contract workers.

Therefore, it is best to limit access to tools and documents that will help them dispense their duties effectively.

Sign a Contract Agreement 

This is a very important step, as this might make or break your relationship with the freelancer and affect your business.

It is always recommended to sign a form of agreement.

This states that the freelancer would get a particular work done at a certain time and will get paid for it.

Interestingly, you also don’t need to see them physically to get that done, as this can be done digitally/online.

Also, a non-disclosure agreement can be signed.

This helps to protect your company from the freelancer leaking your information to your competitors.

Templates for these agreements can be found online.

Managing your Freelancers 

Hiring a freelancer is one thing, managing and maintaining them is a different thing.

If you are fortunate enough to get very good freelancers to work with, which you should, if you follow our recommendations, be sure to hold them.

Ensure you stay in touch with them.

It is also not out of place to try out different freelancers for the same project.

Over time, you can build a big network of freelancers that you can call on at any time to get the work done.

What more? You can even start sourcing freelancers to other businesses.

Talk about a new business opportunity right there.

Conclusion on How to Hire Freelancers

It’s been quite an insightful article so far on how to hire freelancers; you would agree.

No doubt, you have seen the basic and important guidelines and steps to follow if you are to get the best freelancers.

You have learned the importance of having freelancers work for you.

You have also seen the type of duties they can perform and where exactly to check for them.

More so, you have also seen what to look for in those who say they are freelancers.

This is so you are not just settling for less than you deserve.

Go out there, apply these guidelines and get the best freelancers available to take your business to greater heights.

Get a Freelancer from Fiverr today.

See also: how to hire a bookkeeper for your business.