So, you want to hire a freelancer? We’re here to teach you the ins-and-outs of freelance talent and how to make your experience as seamless as possible.
Freelancer vs. Agency
There are many benefits to hiring a freelancer over an agency. In fact, we wrote all about ‘The Top Five Reasons to Hire a Freelancer Over an Agency’ on our blog, The Spin where you are probably reading this. You can read all about it right here! But Indeed.com sums it up even more by saying, “Hiring a freelancer allows you to work with an expert at a reduced cost. The right freelancer can hit the ground running with minimal training and complete both short-term and long-term tasks and projects with maximum flexibility, quick turnaround times and low overhead.” And if that is not a big enough reason to sway you, there are even more reasons stated in the article by Indeed.com.
How to Find Freelancers
Finding a freelancer is easier than you think. Nowadays, there is so much useful information on the internet and how to hire people is one of those things. You can find freelancers through LinkedIn and other portfolio sites such as Dribbble, Behance, even Pinterest. There are also online job boards and some people will even post to Facebook for their friends and family to see. That goes into the most crucial and probably easiest way to find a freelancer: word of mouth. You never know who you can find through your co-worker, family friend, or best friend's cousin. Lastly, you can search on different freelancing platforms and talk with freelancers. There you can review proposals and find the perfect fit. Publicist is a great way to do this!
Writing the Right Job Description
Defining your project and what it entails is crucial to finding the best talent possible. We wrote all about how to explain your project in three easy steps on The Spin. You can check it out here. But the most important details that need to be included in a freelance job description are, scope of work (what is the job), hours per week, if this job is remote or not, short term or long term (define the duration of your project), and lastly, the budget. Without those details, the freelancer will not have enough information before applying.
How to Ensure Success
To achieve success, you must work at it and freelancers do just that. They want to be hired again and they want to do a good job at whatever they were hired for. In order to make this a success you should make sure a couple things are said. Firstly, it is important to set goals for both the freelancers and the business on what needs to be executed. These goals can be daily, weekly, monthly, etc… Secondly, make sure that you are checking -n on the person freelancing for you. You should make time for them and be readily available whenever needed. Lastly, make them feel like they are part of the team. They are helping run the ship, so act like it! Also, avoid micromanaging at all costs.