{"id":17716,"date":"2013-07-22T21:01:00","date_gmt":"2013-07-22T13:01:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hongkiat.com\/blog\/?p=17716"},"modified":"2023-04-06T21:58:20","modified_gmt":"2023-04-06T13:58:20","slug":"hiring-freelance-contractors","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hongkiat.com\/blog\/hiring-freelance-contractors\/","title":{"rendered":"Hiring Freelance Contractors: 8 Things You Need to Know"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hiring a freelance contractor is a great way to save time, money, and connect with a talented digital specialist to get your job done. However, because the freelance marketplaces across the globe are filled with freelance contractors all tendering for a limited amount of jobs, you might get flooded with a large number of proposals<\/strong> for a given job. How are you to know which freelancer is the right contractor to hire?<\/p>\n

The tendering process in this case is run on a global scale (as opposed to a local scale) which can throw all sense of price point clarity out the window. To help out, the following 8 crucial things you should look for when hiring a freelancer<\/strong> will guide you in selecting your next contractor.<\/p>\n

#1. Check The Freelancer\u2019s Portfolio<\/h2>\n

Before you start pitting one freelancer against the next in terms of their price point, you\u2019ve got to know if the freelancer tendering for your job can actually \u2018walk the walk\u2019, and not just \u2018talk the talk\u2019. The only way you can legitimately do this is by seeing a portfolio of work.<\/p>\n

Read Also: <\/strong>7 Rules To Creating A Professional Portfolio Site<\/a><\/p>\n

If the freelancer has provided some links to some online examples of their work, great; however if you feel you need to see some more, don\u2019t hesitate to ask<\/strong>. If the freelancer is indeed keen on working for you, this should be no problem for them.<\/p>\n

The number #1 rule in hiring a freelancer online is if you can\u2019t see any work examples, then don\u2019t make the hire, especially if they\u2019re asking for upfront payment. You have to be comfortable that the freelancer can do the work you require.<\/p>\n

#2. Communication Frequency And Medium<\/h2>\n

It\u2019s really important to remember to set the ground rules for communication<\/a> with your freelancer. Whether it\u2019s by Skype, email, or a weekly phone call, either way, you need to be comfortable with the communication frequency and medium prior to starting any job.<\/p>\n

Read Also: <\/strong>Online Meeting And Web Conferencing Tools \u2013 Best Of<\/a><\/p>\n

Often you\u2019ll be working with freelancers who are not in your locale, it is important to set up a time and method where your freelancer and you can communicate freely. Be upfront with any concerns you may have<\/strong>. Most freelancers are very accommodating and may have solutions to your problems, particularly those they have experienced with prior clients.<\/p>\n

#3. Don\u2019t Automatically Pick The Cheapest Contractor<\/h2>\n

It can be so tempting to pick the cheapest option when selecting a freelancer but this can more often than not lead to disaster. It\u2019s not to say that each and every time, picking the cheapest contractor<\/a> won\u2019t work out, but be careful when considering an entry-level price point contractor as you do get what you pay for<\/strong> when hiring freelancers.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s important to remember that freelance marketplaces generally push the price point down<\/strong> anyway, so you will get good value for money regardless of who you hire. Just remember you are far better off choosing a contractor based on expertise and experience than price point<\/strong>, because generally, you will be doing well financially regardless of your choice.<\/p>\n

Do consider that the value of certain work<\/a> in your country may be higher than that of another country<\/strong>, so weigh this up in your decision-making process.<\/p>\n

#4. Ask For References<\/h2>\n

Just because you\u2019re not hiring a freelancer in the typical face-to-face scenario where you would receive a full CV<\/a> and do a reference check, does not mean you don\u2019t have the right to at least ask for some form of reference, or even contact a previous client<\/a> with the freelancer\u2019s permission.<\/p>\n

Again, you need to be comfortable in your hire. More often than not, once you do hire a freelancer for the first time, you tend to work with them multiple times especially if they did a good job. So take the time to ensure your hires are the ones that you want to go into long term<\/strong> working relationships with.<\/p>\n

#5. Get A Team Player<\/h2>\n

This can be a little tricky to determine, but if this is a requirement for you, i.e. your freelancer needs to interact with various members of your team, across complex items, then simply ask them. At the very least this will indicate to the freelancer that teamwork is important or a vital element<\/strong> to them succeeding as your candidate worthy of hire.<\/p>\n

#6. The All-Important Timeline Management<\/h2>\n

There\u2019s nothing worse than running a project <\/a>that misses numerous milestones for one reason or another. The best way to mitigate this is to be upfront with your expectations<\/strong> for the delivery of project milestones. This should be very clear in your job advertisement, and you should not bend on this at all when making your hire.<\/p>\n

However it is important to treat your freelancer with the same degree of due diligence<\/strong> as you would expect yourself by providing them with everything they need to meet their deadline so that both parties can live in harmony together.<\/p>\n

By being well-organized and providing a clear framework<\/strong> for the project, which may include external elements relevant to the freelancer\u2019s role on the project, you\u2019ll be ensuring that your freelance project runs on time and to schedule, keeping all relevant stakeholders happy.<\/p>\n

#7. Has It Been Done Before?<\/h2>\n

This really \u201csets the men apart from the boys\u201d. If you can find a freelancer who\u2019s worked in your industry or has done a comparable job for another client, this can go a long way to ensuring that your job will be completed to a high standard.<\/p>\n

Because the freelancer has already completed a job of similar nature, they will most likely be able to produce your work in a speedy and more developed state<\/strong> based on having already completed a \u201ctrial run\u201d. This can really help to narrow your search for a truly suitable freelancer particularly if they can show an example of said work.<\/p>\n

#8. Payment Terms Must Be Reasonable<\/h2>\n

I am always skeptical when I see a freelancer asking for large amounts of upfront payment prior to starting a job. Sure, project milestones are more than reasonable, especially if the project is lengthy, but to ask for payment prior to starting work rings alarm bells for me.<\/p>\n

Nevertheless, this is common in the freelancing industry, so you may<\/em> encounter this. This can and is often more than legitimate, so don\u2019t fear this. But, you do need to be happy with the terms of payment when making your hire.<\/p>\n

For a longer-term project, two or three milestones<\/strong> is a common scenario. This is something I believe works well, as it rewards the freelancer for the work they have done, and signals the next stage of work to come.<\/p>\n

Do try to sort these things out with your hire before you make an actual hire. This will ensure that things will be smoother in the long run and well into the completion of your project(s).<\/strong><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Discover the benefits of hiring freelance contractors for your business. Learn how to find and work with the best talent for your projects.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":282,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3410],"tags":[],"topic":[4523],"class_list":["entry-content","is-maxi"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nHiring Freelance Contractors: 8 Things You Need to Know - Hongkiat<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Discover the benefits of hiring freelance contractors for your business. 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