There is no doubt that the gig economy has grown significantly during this pandemic. Many people have lost their jobs, and most of them are opting to be self-employed, which is similar to becoming a freelancer. Freelancers offer a wide range of services for businesses at affordable prices. You can hire a scientist, a researcher, even an assistant as a one-off deal. You pay them for the work, and that’s it, but you can maintain the working relationship for future projects. Finding a freelancer is not hard. Finding the right one is the trick.
- Post the job on a freelancing website
There are many online platforms where you can hire professional freelancers in almost every career, from lawyers to celtx experts. The first thing you need to do is sign up on one of these platforms; let’s say Guru.com. You will be signing up as an employer. Once you are through with this step, you go ahead and post the vacancy. If you want to attract proposals from professionals, your job post has to look professional as well.
It should have a project title that states and briefly describe the role and service you are looking for. The project title should be followed by the project description, where you give the details of the work and the responsibilities of the freelancer. The job description is followed by the duration and the budget of the whole project. You must have clear timelines of how long the project will run and clearly state the application deadline. In the budget, you should have a reasonable estimate of the whole project’s cost and whether you will pay the freelancer hourly or a fixed rate.
- Shortlist freelancers
After posting the job, you will receive applications from qualified freelancers worldwide, but you need the best one. Shortlisting candidates is a great way to ensure that you end up with the best freelancer for your project. First, go through each proposal while assessing their experience. Most freelancing websites allow freelancers to attach their portfolios to their applications. Take your time to go over each one as you narrow down your list.
To shorten the list even further, go through the applicant’s profiles. Freelancers are required to create their professional profiles on all freelancing platforms. Aside from their proposals, you can click on their usernames and go straight to their public profiles. You can get a lot of information from a freelancer’s profile, such as their educational background, location, and work experience. If you are looking for someone who has a master’s degree, you can remove those who don’t have one.
Another thing you can look at is location and availability. Some employers prefer working with people from their country because they are in the same time zone. However, it is essential to keep an open mind when hiring freelancers.
Some freelancing websites have additional features that help you recruit freelancers. This recruiter tool works the same way as an HR firm, where you are matched with the best freelancers according to your project needs. The same is done for freelancers. They get matched with jobs they are likely to get so put that into consideration as you shortlist applicants. You can utilize this tool if you don’t have the time to do the shortlisting yourself.
- Interview
It’s now time to interview your top three freelancers to help you make the final decision. Before you decide on scheduling a video call with them, you can contact them directly through the freelancing platform. You can discuss the project further and get to know them professionally and personally. You can judge their knowledge of the project you want them to tackle along with other communication skills. You can also see how fast they respond to your questions or if they respond at all.
You can then decide whether you will schedule a call interview with all of them or just one. The first step is to pick a date and agree on a time with your freelancer. Ensure that you have all your questions ready. It is also vital that you give the freelancer a chance to ask you some questions. An audio or video call interview is similar to an in-person interview minus face to face. The interview process should arm you with enough information to make a decision.
Today, many entrepreneurs are starting their businesses with a virtual team of freelancers from assistants to graphic designers and even accountants. When you start a business, you might be forced to enter into partnerships that will cost you part of your business. If you don’t want to part with your company’s shares, then hiring freelancers is the best way to go. It is possible to maintain long-term working relationships with freelancers and still own 100% of your business.
