Tips For Working With A Team Of Freelancers
Freelancers might be a terrific asset along with your in-house team of workers, whether you have just started a business or want to have a small, flexible team to work with. In addition, your organization will benefit from paying only for projects rather than being locked into a long-term contract; being able to explore different freelarncers with varied skills; hiring them, and firing them as per your requirement.
On the one hand, having freelancers is a blessing, but it can be a nightmare if you don’t manage them right. No doubt, it’s quite a challenge since freelancers aren’t the same as in-house employees; they don’t present in-person meetings, and you can’t simply change their priorities like in-house employees, and there are so many other factors influencing it. Hence, here we have listed down a few tips for you so that you can work with the team of freelancers effectively:
1.Establish clear objectives:
Once you have onboarded freelancers and you are all set to begin working with them, you first need to set clear and sound expectations for them. Whatever you expect them to do and the time commitment details so that all the terms and conditions are known to them from day one. Remember, the early stages of managing freelancers might be challenging since they are new to the work, so setting clear expectations is very critical.
For instance, if you expect them to give 10+ hours weekly along with two weekly deliverables and a weekly check-in, then freelancers may not be able to handle everything suddenly. So it would help if you prepared them mentally so that they have to give their best to meet the requirements.
2. Spend time onboarding and reviewing all processes:
Freelancers will utilize various tools and other processes, and they might ask you to make all these requirements part of the contract. Therefore, make an effort to integrate the methods of the freelancer individually into your own in order to keep things running smoothly.
Remember to get your work done. It would be best if you were flexible; both parties must take all possible measures to understand each other. In addition, other factors that you must consider are video call preferences, messaging, emails, and how the work would be delivered. Ensure that you know all before you take them on board. Also, in response, when you state your terms and conditions, consider the Concept Map Template, as it will help you in delivering your message clearly and concisely, avoiding future complications.
3. Confirm the fees structure:
Every freelancer has their own charges; the factors that may influence would be the location, where they live, and also the other tools they need or things they are required to do. For instance, they may charge you extra fees if the job requires more time to invest or adjustments. Therefore, ensure you understand what the cost is and why it is so, like what includes and excludes in the fees demanded before you begin working together.
Once you know everything, you can offer a better package as per the individual’s requirement while sticking to your own budget and expectations. In addition, clarifying everything will ensure that there are no misunderstandings once the project is underway that will lead you to a successful project.
4. Respect their time:
Freelancers are elite talents who choose to work for themselves. As a result, you must treat them like you value any other employee.
Respect the freelancer’s time to ensure a positive connection for both parties. Despite the fact that projects are intended to be completed on schedule, life is unpredictable for everyone. Things sometimes just come up suddenly in our lives, so try to be understanding, particularly when you have remote workers on board. Moreover, please try to clear their dues timely as they won’t take a second to leave you and switch to the other client since they are not your employees.
5. Outline the project details clearly:
To ensure that your new freelancer delivers what you require, explicitly explain the assignment and all the other expectations. The more informative and specific your blueprint is, the more likely you are to avoid confusion and would make the best result out of it. For instance, to ensure that the whole team of freelancers knows about the project’s details. Then, conduct a virtual meeting and present the whole plan using Google Slides Templates concisely yet informative.
By properly outlining the job, you can ensure that everyone is on the same page, eliminate guessing, and allow your freelancers to raise essential questions right away to clear their doubts. As a result, good quality work would be produced, giving you few or no corrections, and the turnaround time may even get shortened.
6. Communication must be dependable:
When you are working with a team of freelancers, keep in mind that they could be working from a different country, time zone, or even be a digital nomad. While some sites, like Fiverr and Upwork, provide chat facilities, it’s especially crucial to be sure the method you use is reliable.
If your organization has any team communication tool, then consider adding your freelancer to it. But, first, find out what the freelancer prefers. For example, they may only prefer communicating via email, which is typical. Also, remember that a freelancer would be working for several other clients simultaneously, so you need to open your mind and welcome them as business partners to get your work done. Finally, talk about how you plan to communicate instead of randomly messaging and expecting them to reply to you immediately.
7. Provide constructive feedback:
Freelancers are often responsive to constructive feedback, either good or bad, as it encourages them to produce their best work. However, remember it can be tough to comprehend what you genuinely require if you merely provide surface level input. Hence, provide helpful criticism on the project you’re working on. This could entail things like learning about your customers and brand. Doing so will help them with ongoing projects and also in the future.
