The COVID-19 impact has not only disturbed the worldwide economy but has also shaken workforce retention. Work from home trend is the new normal. Companies are also developing new HR policies in employee hiring. Recruiting freelancers is no longer a random decision but a significant change that is cropping up in corporate firms, consultancy companies, etc.
What is the hiring process of a freelance consultant? How different is it from a conventional method of hiring people using a ‘bottom-up’ approach? With many smart business owners hiring a freelance Salesforce consultant to help them reach their business goals, it is time you enhanced your knowledge of it before adopting the same. Here are seven things to make a note of while recruiting an independent freelancer for your firm.
1. Experience Counts
Knowledge of your business is one thing; holding relevant experience is another. When hiring for a freelancer, look for someone who has experience in the specific task you have in mind. Check out the freelancer’s professional credentials and his/her expertise in web applications, content domain, data resourcing, compilation, execution, and logistics. Many freelancers may bid on multiple projects at the same time. It is on you to assess the right candidature based on the freelancer’s employment history and hiring rate. Ask for industry references from the applicants to cross-check their qualifications and proficiency for the job.
2. Communication Skills Matter
The freelancer you hire may belong to a different time zone and language skill. Check out your compatibility on these aspects before awarding the project to a freelancer. It is a possibility of different projects having a distinct set of communication requirements. This can create a misunderstanding because of a lack of understanding by the freelancer(s) or lapses in the project delivery. The candidate’s prior grip on the subject and involvement goes a long way in making their candidature smooth and flawless.
3. Look For Ratings and Reviews
Websites like Freelancer, Upwork make freelance hiring child’s play. However, hiring companies should qualify prospects based on star ratings and reviews. Ten reviews and a minimum of 4.5 stars are the ideal benchmarks to consider for freelancer hiring.
4. References:
While hiring a freelancer, make sure the company he/she has worked within your reference network is new and not late beyond six months. More time gap dampens the freelancer’s prospects of making it to the organization of his/her choice.
5. Pay Freelancer After Job Completion
One of the good things about working with a freelance consultant is the host of freelancing sites to look up to get the exact candidate. Choose a freelancer site that releases payment only after you have seen your assignment done to satisfaction. Avoid making an upfront payment to the freelancers. Your satisfaction as a client matters the most. Paying in advance can reduce the freelancer’s commitment to delivering the task on time.
6. Share Complete Details And Timeframe
When hiring a freelancer, put up the deliverables at the start of the contract. Mention on-job skills required, the project delivery time, and the quality benchmarks. Give a project outline to the freelancer and split it into parts for easy monitoring and check-back. Let there be open communication between the freelancer and the client during the project for better tracking and assessment. Schedule an online video conference with the freelancer once a week to plan any changes/amendments. Make sure the freelancer understands the project expectations in their entirety at the start of the project.
7. Proactivity Makes A Difference
Being proactive is one of the rarest skills to expect from a human resource. While hiring a freelancer, find out whether the freelancer understands the project and the big picture. Check out the candidate’s eagerness to chase a deadline and his method to deliver. Lack of enthusiasm on the candidate’s part is a hidden message to reject his/her candidature. The hunger to achieve things is the foremost skill that a freelancer must possess. No reason or excuse can come in the way to deliver. A freelancer’s questioning skills on a task drop a cue of his/her readiness to set benchmarks.
Bottom line
Before hiring a freelance consultant, know your need, budget, and scope of work. This will help you hire the right freelance talent. A freelancer’s hiring saves you the time and costs you put in for a full-time workforce. But do not make it a final decision. Weigh the pros and cons before hiring a freelancer. The freelancer you plan to rope in should have an open and positive mind to receive appreciation and flak during the working association. No target was ever achieved without going through the grind and slog of revisions and amendments.
Consult your network associates and pick their brains in this alternative method of workforce employment.
