The whole world is shifting toward a new corporate culture. Companies are embracing new ways of working, including hiring freelancers instead of permanent employees. Freelancing not only helps freelancers enjoy the lifestyle they want, but it also saves companies a lot of money, as they’re not required to pay freelancers any benefits.
Hiring freelancers can be challenging, especially because many companies do not know which freelancers they need to hire. As these individuals would be working remotely, it’s essential to understand you have chosen the right candidate.
Therefore, here are five smart tips to help you hire the best freelancers.
1. Know what you are going to outsource
Before you hire a freelancer, you need to clearly understand what you will be outsourcing.
Many companies are often clueless about their requirements which later leads to conflicts. That is why you need to create concise documentation of what you need when you need it and how much money you will spend on it. That way, it will be easier to find the right freelancers for your work.
There are two types of tasks that a freelancer can do. You can hire a freelancer to perform repetitive tasks such as data entry, social media posting, or dealing with customer complaints.
Alternatively, you can also hire a freelancer for complicated jobs that your in-house team cannot handle, or when you need additional professional expertise. If you aren’t sure which work you need to outsource, discuss with the concerned department head to understand their requirements.
2. Make a list of required skills and qualifications
Once you finalize what work needs to be outsourced, you need to create a list of required skills and qualifications. It will ensure you don’t have to train them extensively to do the work and get the job done in time.
Almost every task requires specific skills and qualifications. Make sure you confirm the skills and qualifications by asking the supporting documents to justify their claim.
You can also look for candidates who have detailed knowledge of specific software programs and methodologies like Six Sigma. It entirely depends on the nature of the task and the amount of expertise required.
3. Have a freelancer onboarding process in place
Depending on the project’s duration, the freelancer can work with the company on a one-time project or a long-term basis. Whatever the nature of work, you need to have an onboarding process before hiring freelancers. Once you hire freelancers, you need to train them and track their progress.
There are several ways to create a freelancer onboarding process. You can create an onboarding process on your project management tools and share the dashboard with concerned individuals. That way, you can clearly understand the work progress and even the payment status.
4. Do not decide based purely on the cost
Freelancers generally work hourly unless other terms are finalized with the concerned parties. Many businesses use their freelancing rate to filter the candidates that fit their budget. But sometimes, the rate may not be the right indicator of their expertise.
You might need to exceed your budget to hire the right candidate who is perfect for the work. You might also find freelancers who charge less, but have subpar work experience. All in all, make sure you don’t make your decision based solely on the cost.
5. Form appropriate contracts
Both freelancers and companies often overlook freelancer contracts. It’s important to understand that this contract acts as an objective party in the case of a conflict. The contract protects the terms made initially.
A contract can consist of details about the skills required, project deliverables, payment terms, duration of the project, etc. Form an agreement and follow the terms for successful completion of the project.
Freelancing is the future of the corporate world, and it is here to stay. That is why more than 30 million freelancers agree that they are in it for the long haul. Find the right freelancer, discuss the terms and get your job done.