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Tag: Freelancing Benefits

  • Best Practices For Finding And Hiring Freelancers

    Of all the different types of workplace flexibility out there, freelancing is perhaps the most flexible. One of the best decisions you can make in order to keep your business competitive and growing is to hire freelancers. It doesn’t matter if you’re starting as an entrepreneur, or want to scale your business, or just looking to migrate to a friendlier paradigm workplace within your business.

    For any type of business, there is a myriad of benefits of hiring freelancers. Let’s take a look at the best practices for hiring freelancers, what to avoid, how to find, where to find and the benefits of hiring them.

    Best Practices For Hiring Freelancers

    Don’ts of Hiring Freelancers

    3 Ways to Find Awesome Freelancers

    Top 4 Benefits Of Hiring Freelancers

    Conclusion
    FAQs

    Best Practices For Hiring Freelancers

    By bringing little changes to your hiring practices to assess remote talent, you can attract a wider pool of freelancers to choose from while simultaneously reducing operational costs.

    Here are the best practices to follow when hiring freelancers to support your business.

    Identify Best Platforms

    It’s not easy to find remote professionals with good references and the exact abilities that you need. You need to find a specialized platform that allows you to look for them by category. Browse their record with other clients and protect the investment you make in each hiring process.

    Best freelancing platforms to find and hire freelancers.
    Best freelancing platforms to find and hire freelancers.

    59% of businesses surveyed said they use a freelance platform to source talent. These platforms let businesses advertise opportunities, promote themselves and access freelancers in international markets. Sites like Freelancer, Fiverr, Upwork and Guru, specialist platforms like Commtract and The Freelance Collective vet freelancers before listing them.

    Share Your Big Picture

    Share your big picture with the freelancer, i.e. why you are hiring them and how will their work fit into your main project. This little insight helps them better understand your expectations, ask better questions, and most importantly deliver better results.

    Set Criteria And Filters Beforehand

    Hiring a freelancer is also a recruiting process and just like other processes, setting filters and appropriate criteria will help you save time and select the best profile. For example, you can include specific forms or notes in your proposal to see if the freelancer is paying attention or following instructions or has provable experience in similar projects.

    Optimise Your Payment Process

    Remember when you are paying an independent employee you are making an investment, and this should be congruent with the service you expect to receive. Offering a fair salary means you are conscious of the value that the freelancer’s work will have for your business, and that you can adjust the budget range in consequence.

    Best Payment Options For Freelancer
    Best Payment Options For Freelancer

    Knowing how to manage payments is key to attracting and retaining the right talent. More than 75% of businesses using freelancing platforms pay directly through the platform or use PayPal. When it comes to paying freelancers, the research found the following factors are most important to them:

    • Security (47%)
    • Speed in receiving payments (33%)
    • Ease of withdrawing money when paid (31%)
    • Fraud protection (22%)
    • Pricing (22%)

    Mobile Compatibility is Key

    Mobile payments, mobile apps and mobile communication continue to grow in importance and usage for freelancers. Having mobile tools and be able to make and receive payments play a crucial role in this gig economy.

    Align on Communication Preference

    Communication issues are the biggest reasons for failed freelance gigs. Before working with any external partner, share your communication preferences with them and ask them to do the same. For example, you can specify that an individual worker can send an email to reach you anytime, but you will only respond during standard business hours. Freelancers typically set their own schedules and may work after business hours or on weekends, or they may be in a different time zone. This way you both would know which time is perfect to contact each other.

    Give and Request Candid Feedback

    Freelancers thrive on feedback. Your job is not only to give them honest feedback on what you loved/did not love but also to ask them for their feedback on you. Very often, the freelancer’s experience allows them to make very useful suggestions to improve your projects or even to propose creative new strategies to keep growing. Take advantage of all that knowledge and seize it as much as you can.

    Things to know before hiring a freelancer

    Don’ts of Hiring Freelancers

    There are certain things that you need to avoid during your hiring process. Knowing these details will allow you to conduct the hiring process effectively and efficiently.

    Don’t Let The Lowest Price Be The Selection Criteria

    Freelancing saves a lot of money but that does not mean you should go for the cheapest one. It is important to have a collaborator who fits in your project budget but ensuring the quality of work is equally important. The skills and experience of the freelancer should be taken into consideration while deciding the rates.

    Don’t Look Away From The Guarantee Of A Job Done

    Check what and how these freelancers have worked before. Keep track of their work. Having an open communication channel helps build client-freelancer relationships. Make time to discuss work and issues so that you and the freelancers would be on the same page. Keeping track of the work and maintaining good communication with the freelancers improves the chances of getting quality work in time. Also, give them honest feedback. Your feedback is important. A happy client means a return business to them.

    Don’t Start Working Without Having Perfectly Clear Expectations From Each Other

    It is better to clear the expectations about work hours and payment right from the beginning. You should never accept or start working on a project unless you have provided every single specification to the freelancer. A good freelancer will ensure that they inform you about the specifications of the tool and project budget.

    3 Ways to Find Awesome Freelancers

    You can scour the internet to find high-quality freelancers, but there are more reliable (and productive) ways to find the best freelancers and consultants for your needs. These three methods lead you to talented freelancers without the hassle:

    Ask For Referral

    Your professional and personal networks are the best places to find freelancers. Start by asking your coworkers, former colleagues, and industry contacts for referrals. Chances are, they will do the work for you and pass along some talented folks.

    Reach Out To Local Trade Organisation

    Freelancers love to connect through their own networks. Instead of using a freelance site, reach out to a local trade organization to find top-notch talent. If you need a freelance writer, email the head of a writer’s group in your city — the same goes for developers, designers, consultants, bookkeepers. You could look into Meetups as well!

    Check Out Secret Hive

    Most companies don’t know about the best online resource for finding amazing freelancers — it floats just under the radar. The Freelancer Union’s Hives are the go-to spot for independent contractors for all things freelance. Post your project on their Work Hive, and watch as the responses flood into your email.

    Best Ways To Outsource Your Jobs to Freelancers | Freelancing Jobs
    What does outsourcing essentially mean? It means that there are certain tasks inyour company that for certain reasons you and your current employees are unableto do. So you give that work to someone else who is not a part of the maincompany. It’s not as simple as it looks. But it is best to outso…
    StartupTalkyPiyush Mishra

    Top 4 Benefits Of Hiring Freelancers

    Benefits of Hiring Freelancer
    Benefits of Hiring Freelancer

    Savings

    Hiring by project or by hours instead of having a permanent employee allows you to save a lot in hiring costs and fixed salaries. It also encourages to work by goals, which is the most efficient way to work. One of the most obvious reasons why businesses are hiring freelance developers is that it is very cost-effective to do so.

    On top of paying annual salaries to full-time developers, you also have to pay for legally required benefits, insurance, paid leave, retirement and savings, supplemental pay (overtime and premium), and much more. Unless you’re hiring remote developers, there are also overhead and general & administrative costs.

    Flexibility

    Freelancers move like fish in the sea in a commercial environment characterized by change and constant evolution. They work on simultaneous projects; they have a more diverse experience and they can offer a wider and more assertive vision of the solutions that your company needs.

    Whether you’re a startup founder or an engineering manager, being able to hire quickly and as-needed is one of the most attractive reasons to work with freelance developers. Imagine this: the IT project manager calls the entire development team into the meeting room and lays down a close-to-impossible timeline for your project. You have three people on the team but you’ve just been asked to deliver five people’s work. This is where freelancers can help you. You can hire them just for this project and then free them. This provides a lot of flexibility.

    Global Market And Access To Talent

    Thanks to online freelance platforms, businesses can now hire the best freelance developers from around the world for their projects. Furthermore, businesses located in more expensive areas of the world can easily hire quality freelance developers at a much lower cost. By hiring freelance developers, you wouldn’t have to worry about visas or relocating someone. Not only you can find freelance developers who are ready to work immediately, but you can also hire domain experts, saving time and money.

    Specialisation

    There has been a growth of freelancers in the business because the industry is demanding more specialized talent. Let’s say you’re trying to find a web developer well-versed in Go because it scales nicely and can handle high concurrent performance issues. Even though Go is an awesome programming language, there is a relatively small pool of developers skilled in it, especially if you’re limiting the search to specific locations.

    Hiring a freelance web developer who specializes in Go would be significantly easier. Maybe you’re not looking for something as niche as a Go developer. Let’s say you want to develop an Android app. Even though the developer you are currently working with is somewhat familiar with mobile development, he or she may not be an expert in Android development. A freelance developer who specializes in developing Android apps will definitely deliver better results.

    What can you use freelancers for?

    While freelancers offer a range of unique and specialist skills, businesses are most likely to use them for technical and creative projects. The most popular freelancing skills are:

    Most Popular Freelancing Skills
    Most Popular Freelancing Skills

    Conclusion

    Giving importance to the above-mentioned information when hiring a freelancer will ensure a good experience for both and it will ensure the addition of a valuable ally to your team.

    FAQs

    What are the best practices to follow when hiring freelancers?

    Here are the best practices to follow when hiring freelancers to support your business.

    • Identify the best platform.
    • Share your big picture.
    • Set criteria and filters beforehand.
    • Optimize your payment process.
    • Mobile compatibility is key.
    • Align on communication preferences.
    • Give and request candid feedback.

    What is the best way to find and hire a freelancer?

    There are many websites and freelancing platforms where you can find a freelancer who has the exact skillset that you are looking for. Some of them are:

    • LinkedIn.
    • AngelList.
    • Upwork.
    • Freelancer.
    • Fiverr.
    • Indeed.
    • Profinder by LinkedIn.
    • Toptal.
    • Contently.

    Which freelancing jobs are most in-demand?

    The most popular freelancing skills are:

    • Web design.
    • Programming.
    • Graphic design/illustration.
    • Web/mobile development.
    • Web marketing and sales.
    • Accounting.
    • Data entry and internet research.

  • The Pros and Cons Of Becoming a Freelancer

    Freelancing is a growing industry. Day by day many people are becoming a freelancer to enjoy their life and to be free. There are so many things which you can explore as a freelancer. This is the era of online marketing and everything is moving into digital so it’s our time to change. As a freelancer, you get the opportunity to work from your own space. You just need a good smartphone and a laptop or PC and an in-demand skillset to become a freelancer. If you have a skill or solution that you can sell in the marketplace you are all set to go.

    Truth being acknowledged; everything comes with its own set of merits and challenges and freelancing is no different. At the end of the day, it is always ‘what suits you and what doesn’t. So if you are planning to quit your job and turn freelancing into a full-time career, and this little thought quietly crept into your mind, take a look at this article and find out for yourself. Below we have listed some of the pros and cons of freelancing.

    The Pros of Freelancing

    Pros of Freelancing
    Pros of Freelancing

    You Get to Be Your Boss

    What can be better than not having a boss standing at your desk all day? The big ‘pro’ here is that the freelancing market in India allows you to learn to make independent choices, manage your affairs and decide what is to be risked and what not. You are your manager, lawyer, supervisor and financier. Freedom is both addictive and self-exploratory.

    Choosing Your Work

    One reason why more and more people in India are switching to freelancing is the monotonous nature of the regular desk jobs. Not all projects are interesting or a skill-enhancing experience. One of the major pros, hence, is that being a freelancer, you get to choose what projects to work on and what people to work with. Freelancing gives one the freedom to explore, try new work genres, adopt new techniques and keep learning as you progress further. Every project is a fresh challenge.

    Flexible Work Hours

    You can work anytime and anywhere as long as the results are great. That is all the client cares about. This is especially a boon for young parents or especially those people who can’t leave their house or work under a rigid schedule.

    Unlike 9 to 5ers, you get to prioritize your daily tasks, work in your own time and manage your schedule as per your needs.

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    Explore New Work Genres

    This is probably the best of all the freelancing ‘pros’. With its versatile work schedule and open business culture, Freelancing lets you experience work cultures from across the globe, build networks with people from all over the world and explore new work genres. Freelancing is simply the best way to earn while getting a chance to constantly improve your skills and add more feathers to your hat.

    Travel While Earning Money

    Many people are choosing this field because it offers you to travel the world at the same time you can also make money. This also helps freelancers to build a network and get more clients. Of course! You can also travel the world if you are in the corporate field but you will not get the freedom.

    Learn New Skills

    Freelancing means using your skills to make money. When you get any work there are so many new problems or tasks that you will discover, you have to learn new and unknown skills to complete that specific task. This one of the most interesting part of freelancing because you can explore more new talents you have.

    There are so many websites available which offers online courses for freelancers to improve more and learn new skills. You can also become a part freelancers community to build your network and become a better freelancer.

    Also read:

    The Cons Of Becoming a Freelancer

    Cons of Freelancing
    Cons of Freelancing

    Working Alone

    This sounds wrong since one of the major reasons why you had quit your job was your desire to work independently, and alone. Turns out it doesn’t hurt to have a team, behind your back, who support you when an assignment is becoming too hard and keep updating you with their feedbacks as you progress.

    Unless your profits are great, you can’t even hire an assistant and once you accept an assignment, there is no backing out. You are all alone in this, and without the securities, a regular job would provide.

    The Empty Desk Syndrome

    One of the major cons that come with freelancing is an erratic work-flow. Owing to the dicey nature of the freelance culture, sometimes you have more work than you could have asked for and other times your hours run at an empty stretch. Ask any veteran freelancer and you will get to hear a vaguely similar story.

    With time, you eventually get used to the irregularity of paychecks and schedules. The first brush with the empty desk syndrome, however, is the hardest.

    Managing Your Private and Professional Lives is Hard

    If anything, your stature as a freelancer blurs the line of distinction between your private and personal lives. Sure, the independence and the flexible work hours are nothing less of a piece of cake. And yet, if not managed well, it doesn’t take long for your professional life to start getting disturbed owing to the randomness of work schedules.

    Also read:

    Not Getting Paid for Work

    Being a freelancer also means not getting paid sometimes. This practice is notoriously common in the freelancing community. As you gain experience you eventually learn to protect yourself from non-paying clients. But in the interim, you might even find yourself running after your client to pay you for what you deserve.

    Also, you get paid after the project is finished. So if a certain project requires 3 months, it translates to two months without a paycheck. This can be hard, particularly if you are running tight on budget.

    No Fixed Income

    As a freelancer, you won’t get fixed income because it’s really hard to get regular work. Compared to a full-time job in freelancing there is no security that you will get regular work from clients. Even many freelancers are leaving this platform because of this problem. To sum up, for survival you can’t depend on freelancing if you are a beginner.

    Time Management

    As a freelancer, you work as per your schedule and this is the most difficult part of freelancing. Because a lot of time it will happen that while working on an assignment someday you will be energetic and the other day you will not be in a mood to work. While you are working as a freelancer you are not in an office and you don’t have any boss, so you have to manage your time on your own.

    Also read:

    Conclusion

    Freelancing in India can be fun and risky; enlightening and daring; oddly peaceful and yet stressful at the same time. The question is, as is with a lot of things, how well you manage it with your inherent skills? Stay put and eventually you will discover your own merits to stay or flaws to leave.