The rise of freelancers working with corporate entities across the world has become an effective way for entrepreneurs to reduce workload for internal employees. Freelancers can dedicate their time to working with other clients without being locked into employment with one company. Entrepreneurs can reduce the cost of hiring employees onsite in addition to lowering the expense of paying out bonuses, vacation, a raise, and employee benefits.
A freelancer is not an employee and, in some cases, these individuals work as sole proprietors.
Freelancers are passive candidates, and with the help of passive candidate recruiting, you can hire top talent. If your company is considering the idea of finding freelancers to work on-site or from home, there are effective ways to find top talent.
How to Find Top Freelancers
Freelance Websites
As a freelancer, freelance websites are a reliable source to find clients that are small, medium, or large organizations. I highly recommend that you use sites like Upwork to add job opportunities to allow freelancers with a variety of skills to bid on the posting to hire for assignments. You can communicate with freelancers on the website and deal with disputes through the site if an issue arises.
Social Media
A general search with the hashtag #freelancer #writer #graphicdesigner or #photographer can be used in social media platforms to search for professionals. I recommend that you pay less attention to the number of followers a freelancer has because followers can be purchased. Focus on the quality of work and if the person has experience working with high profile companies in your industry.
Job Postings
You can find freelancers the traditional way by searching for talent on sites like Indeed or Glassdoor. It is limited compared to using a freelance website because you cannot pay freelancers or assign work through these general job sites. It is only used to post a new freelance opportunity or search through resumes of job seekers.
According to a CEB Global assessment report, “62% of respondents indicate use of personality assessments for pre-hire.” If the job requires the freelancer to work in-house, an HR personality assessment can be used to learn about the applicant’s workplace requirements and expectations in an employer.
Craigslist or Kijiji
I post my services as a freelancer on Kijiji, and most calls are from small to medium-sized businesses in my area in search of a writer. As someone from your organization communicates with a freelancer on an online advertisement, I recommend requesting online published samples, a website, a LinkedIn profile, and a phone number to determine the quality of their work.
How to Screen Freelancers
It’s always a good idea to put freelancers through some sort of screening process before entering into a working relationship with them. Look for freelancer with a portfolio website with writing samples that exhibits their work, a LinkedIn page with their experience, or a link to an online resume. You can also request that the freelancer complete an assignment that is paid or unpaid. Some freelancers will request a fee to complete a test sample to cover their time, which is common for companies to do in the freelance industry. Testing a person’s skills can help reduce the time, money, and effort in hiring the wrong individual.
Freelance Contracts
A freelance contract can have a period of one month to 3 months. It must outline the pay rate, hours needed for the project, how to deal with low quality work, and who the freelancer needs to communicate with during the project. A freelance contract must include these additional points:
- Legal stipulations
- Volume of work
- Work expectations
- Termination details
- Date of the first day of work
If you need further assistance, I recommend speaking with a lawyer to ensure the contract is within guidelines of your state. There are generic contracts on the internet, but it might not apply to your situation.
Conclusion
The best way to find freelancers will depend on the scope of the project. Freelance websites are ideal because you can maintain a trail of communication on the site and the site owner can help dispute situations. If you believe normal communication by email or telephone will suffice, using a site like Indeed to post a job is a helpful platform. Remember to test the skills of freelancers before committing to hiring them for an assignment. A freelance contract that is suited for your business and location will help with maintaining records for both your company and the freelancer. Good luck!
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