Hire Freelancers

In today’s fast-paced economy, freelancers are making up more and more of the workforce. This increase is largely due to the fact that it’s a win-win situation for both employers and freelancers. Employers save money using independent contractors, and freelancers are able to enjoy more independence. Successfully hiring a freelancer is all about finding the right candidate for the job, hiring them with a clear understanding of the work to be performed, and completing the proper paperwork so that both parties are legally bound and protected.

Steps

Creating a Solid Job Posting

1. Draft a clear description of the job and the person you are seeking. You should start by drafting a clear description of the job you are seeking to have done and the qualifications the potential freelancer should have. A great job description will make it easier for you to post ads seeking freelancers, and describe what you are looking for when communicating with candidates.
2. Create a great title for the position. This may be the most important part of your job post. An interesting and catchy job title will intrigue people and they’ll want to find out more. It also shows how passionate you are about your company.
3. Craft an introduction that sells the position to a potential applicant. Start your job posting with a paragraph that gives exciting details about the job. Start with an introductory sentence that captures the potential freelancer’s attention. Rather than spell out a dry list of job requirements, give information on why you are passionate about your company and the opportunities and benefits that the position can provide.
   • Remember, a job posting is not a job description! A job posting is meant to capture an applicant’s attention.

Posting a Freelance Job Listing

1. Use a web-based freelancing platform to post a freelance job ad. Freelance platforms allow you search for candidates with specific skills. You can view the freelancer’s profiles, ratings, and reviews to help inform your decision. There are lots of platforms out there, and many are tailored to specific fields and industries, but some of the more popular ones include:
   • Fiverr lets you find freelancers for jobs with compensation beginning at $5 per job.
   • Upwork is an international freelancing platform.
   • Guru is a freelancing platform with several payment and hiring options.
   • Freelancer.com is a freelancing platform that skews towards tech, design, and web development projects.
   • Hubstaff Talent is a highly vetted freelancer platform for all sorts of jobs.
2. Use portfolio sites to view candidates’ previous work and post job ads. Portfolio sites are similar to freelancing platforms, but they also allow you to view your candidates’ previous work to help inform your decision. They are really great for finding creative professionals like artists, designers, developers, and writers. You can post job listings or search for people interested in freelance work.
3. Use social media platforms to find freelancers and to post job ads. Social media is an ever-present part of the modern world, and it’s a great tool for you to use to search for, communicate with, and further vet potential freelancers. Platforms like Facebook and LinkedIn have actual tools and features that allow you to post ads seeking freelancers. Platforms like Twitter and Reddit can be used to describe a project and find groups of people seeking freelance work.
   • Use your job description to post an ad seeking a freelancer or to describe the job you are looking to hire a freelancer for.
   • You can also use social media platforms to look at the personal profiles of potential hires to further inform your decision.
4. Post a freelance job ad on job boards or sites like Craigslist. There are many sites that are great for posting freelance job descriptions, and allow you to sit back and have potential hires contact you. Post a clear description of the job and what you are looking for in a potential freelancer including skills, education, experience, and compensation.
   • You can also advertise the freelance job in the classified ads of a print or online newspaper. This is great if you’re looking for a local hire.

Interviewing and Choosing a Freelancer

1. Review the applicants and schedule interviews with your top 5. After you receive responses to your post or listing for a freelancer, take some time to evaluate their responses, resumes, profiles, portfolios, and reviews. Reduce the list down to your top 5 candidates, send them a response, and request a time for an interview.
   • If you can’t meet them in-person, you can schedule a phone or video interview with them.
2. Draft a list of interview questions for your potential freelancers. You should prepare a list of interview questions that will give you insight into their abilities, education, and professional background. You should also ask questions about specific, but important aspects of the job. Ask how they would handle certain situations or conflicts or how they resolved specific issues in the past.
   • Ask questions about aspects of the job that are important to you. After all, you’re the one hiring and working with them!
3. Interview your top candidates and explain your expectations. The interview process gives you a chance to hear more about the candidate’s experience, skills, and expectations as well as allows you to see how well you think you can work with them. You should also discuss their previous jobs, and what they liked or disliked about them.
   • You can create a short test or assignment for them to complete that will demonstrate their ability to perform certain tasks.
4. Contact the candidate you have chosen and offer them the job. After you have completed your interviews, you should have an idea of who you want to hire for the freelance job. Reach out to that person and offer them the position. If they accept the offer, negotiate on a start date for the job if they are not able to start right away.
5. Complete an independent contractor agreement for the job. If you’re using a freelancer platform or site, you may not need to worry about filling out some of the contracts, tax forms, and payment information because they will have done that for you. But you may need to draft a freelance contract, or an independent contractor agreement to protect both you and your potential freelancer. The contract should provide clear descriptions of the work to be performed and the agreed compensation to be paid for the work.

References

See also

• Verify Your Credit Card on Freelancer
• Verify Your Identity on Elance
• Use the oDesk Team App
• Turn Off Chat Sounds on Freelancer
• Survive a Freelance Programmer's Life
• Start a Job on Odesk
• Request a Service on Redbeacon
• Report a Project on Freelancer
• Protect Your Ideas As a Freelancer
• Post a Task on TaskRabbit

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