Hiring a Freelancer: Things You Need to Consider

Whether you are running a one-person business, or a large company full of various teams, you will want to hire a freelancer at some point to help support your client's needs.

Hiring a freelancer is an excellent alternative to employing a new staff member full-time. Freelancing in the UK is slowly on the rise, so you are sure to find freelancers that suit the needs of your job.

This article will offer insights into hiring the perfect freelancer for your business and what steps you need to take.

The Benefits of Hiring a Freelancer

When you hire freelancers for your business, there are many benefits that they will bring to your business.

1. If you hire a freelancer who has experience in their field, they will have a substantial amount of knowledge to share with your business and employees

2. As an employer, you do not have to offer holiday or sick pay; you can state this in the job description post. Therefore, when business owners hire a freelancer, it can be much less costly than hiring a full-time employee.

3. You only have to pay freelancers for the projects they work on rather than paying a person a full-time wage.

4. Freelancers work independently for a living, so they do not require much management.

5. You don't have to worry about paying employer insurance if you run a small company and hire a freelancer.

The Disadvantages of Hiring Freelancers

As with anything, there are also disadvantages related to hiring freelancers. It would be best to consider these disadvantages as they will help you find someone online on platforms like Upwork that provide the quality you need.

Here are the disadvantages of hiring a freelancer:

1. Freelancers will only do the job they are hired for, whereas employees can get asked to work on other tasks when needed.

2. Expect the price to rise if you want to hire an experienced freelancer with an extensive portfolio.

3. You are still responsible for their health and safety if they work on your premises.

4. Freelancing means working various jobs for several companies, so their resources might not always be available.

5. A freelancer tends to work remotely, so you must trust they will do the task in the time or rate of pay they are charging you.

Where Can You Find A Qualified Freelancer?

Freelancer marketplaces

If you need to hire a freelancer, then you need to find the right freelancer marketplace. Several marketplaces online feature hundreds of freelancers, with some of the biggest names including PeoplePerHour and Upwork.

Large marketplaces are an excellent place to start your search as it allows you to access a wide range of freelancers.

Your Network

Another option you should consider is reaching out to the pool of people in your network to see if anyone could recommend someone with the right writing tools and skills to manage your requirements.

Social media

Business owners that want to hire freelancers might also want to consider social media to find the right person to hire for their job. It might be LinkedIn, Facebook, or Instagram, but each platform could help you find the right freelance person for your job.

Choosing the Right Freelancer

Hiring a freelancer is similar to hiring an employee. Regardless of whether your business is large or small, you will need to ensure that you find freelancers that can execute the project effectively. You need to have a shortlist process to discover the correct freelancer for your company.

Interview freelancers

First of all, I would advise you to head out to multiple marketplaces to understand the going rate for freelancers with the skillset you need.

Contact several, and see who comes back to you. Once a few candidates have responded, it is worth getting an interview with them to garner if they can help with your project or not.

Briefing Your Freelancer

When you have chosen your freelancer, it is time to create a brief for them to follow. A brief lets your freelancer understand the expectations and requirements of the job and ensures everyone is on the same page.

Paying Your Freelancers

Another aspect you need to consider is how and when you will pay your freelancer for their work. Luckily, there are various methods you can use, so you can choose the one that best suits your needs.

Perhaps you want to split the payment across a series of days or weeks based on how long the project will take. Or maybe you want your freelancers to invoice for their work.

If you are using a larger freelance marketplace like Upwork, you agree that every contract and payment will go through that website when you sign up. This process helps the freelancer gets paid and protects you to ensure you receive the work you paid for.

Getting the Most Out of Your Freelancers

Finally, you must develop a strong working relationship with any freelancer you work with, as this will benefit both of you. For starters, it will allow you to get the most out of your chosen freelance and ensure the work you get from them is the best possible.

Also, if you develop a strong relationship with your freelancer, you will be able to use them for future work as well.

Here are some tips to get the most out of any freelancer you work with.

Communicate

Communication is essential regardless of whether you have a specific requirement or amends.

Stick to the brief

You need to accept that you will get the work you asked for. You should never ask freelancers to do extra work that isn't included in the brief or that they are not getting paid for.

Payments

Once you have agreed on a payment date and time, you must stick to it. If a freelancer does not get paid on time, it can cause many issues for them, so be sure to keep them happy by always paying on time.

Offer feedback and reviews

As with any independent business owner, a good freelancer will love to receive feedback or a review of their work to help them improve in the future.

Hire A Freelancer With Talent: Summary and Key Takeaways

Now you have all the details and sites you need to find the ideal candidate for your freelance needs. Now you need to evaluate your budget, estimate how much your work may cost, and find the right platform to find a freelancer that can offer the right services.

If you are seeking an experienced freelancer writer with plenty of SEO and Ghost-writing experience, get in touch with me! You can email me at graeme.whiles@gmail.com or via WhatsApp on +447885630411.