Hiring remote freelancers is very attractive to employers in a labor market wrought with shortages. With costs on the rise worldwide, using remote independent contractors, or freelancers can help businesses save money. Because of these and other reasons, the gig economy has grown. Freelance careers have become more normalized over the past few years.
As organizations bring on more freelancers to complete projects, it’s helpful to learn tips for managing freelance work remotely.
Today, we’re discussing 7 of the best practices you can use when managing freelance workers to help you complete projects remotely.
Contents
Best Practices When Using Freelance Workers
Classify them accurately
Provide clear expectations
Request sample work
Create a Contract
Contracts can do so much to help create a business relationship. An ideal contract helps protect both the organization and the worker. A contract should outline in writing exactly what you both can reasonably expect from your agreement. Because it’s in writing, both parties can refer to the contract if any disputes about their tasks and expectations arise during a project. For example, if a worker misses a deadline or your organization requests work outside of the contract’s expectations, the contract can help clarify or resolve the conflict.
Contracts keep everything legitimate and safe and can help maintain a positive working relationship between workers and clients.
Ensure alignment on project scope and timelines
Your contract with your freelance workers likely outlines the project scope and timelines. Either way, it’s important for both parties to understand what kind of work the project requires—and how much. Whether your new hire is a full-time freelancer or works gigs part-time to make extra money, they need to know how to manage their time when providing work for you. Understanding the scope of their work and expected deadlines can help them figure out whether your projects can fit into their schedule. For example, when hiring a freelance writer, it could be helpful for them to understand that you might require additional drafts after they submit their work. This way, they can schedule a time to provide them for you.
Understand their skills
One of the more important aspects of hiring a freelancer is understanding exactly what skills they provide. If you know what they can (or can’t) do well, you can understand what projects you should assign to them. You might have several talented freelance journalists that provide articles for your website or blog, but it’s helpful for you to know which provide the best character profiles, the best entertainment reports, or the best political insight. You might have one marketing freelance worker who more strongly understands social media and one who works better with SEO.
Understanding the skills specific to each freelance worker helps you save time and ensures you receive the best quality work for each project.
