HOW TO HIRE GREAT FREELANCERS

There’s nothing better than bringing on new clients and growing your book of business, but there comes a point when your team alone is stretched beyond capacity. If bringing on new full-time employees isn’t an option, using freelancers is the ideal way to fill in the gaps. 

Whether it’s for a one-off project or on a retainer basis, knowing where to find your first freelancers can be a challenge. We’re here to walk you through some of our top tips for hiring great freelancers that you’ll want to work with time and time again.

SET YOUR BUDGET BEFORE STARTING THE SEARCH

Before you can even begin looking for a freelancer to work with, you need to have a clear idea of how much you can pay them. Unlike traditional salaried roles where compensation may stay fairly even across your industry, there can be a significant range in what different freelancers charge depending on their years of experience, former client portfolio, and even location.

To save time for everyone, it’s best to go into a search with a budget in mind. Some freelancers still charge by the hour, but most are switching over to either day rates or per-project rates. For newer freelancers, you can expect to pay around $40-60 per hour, while veterans in highly sought after fields can be in the $500-800 per hour range. 

Don’t forget that, as freelancers aren’t employees; they’re paying their own taxes and benefits so their rates will typically be higher than the equivalent of an in-house employee. When you’re comparing rates, look for other freelancers with similar backgrounds and expertise, rather than working out a rate based on your internal team’s pay.

UNDERSTAND THE PROJECT SCOPE

To get a better understanding of what hiring great freelancers will cost, take the time to create a description of deliverables that you expect from them. This should include specific tasks that they’ll be responsible for, how many hours a week/month you’ll need them, and what your budget is.

Be as specific as you can be when noting your deliverables. For example, if you’re looking for a copywriter, a good project description would look like this:

Looking for an experienced writer in B2B SaaS to write a 1,800-2,000 word article on the role of automation in the marketing software industry. Target audience are in-house digital marketers for companies of 200+ employees.

This not only helps you to narrow your focus when looking for the right freelancer, but also helps those applying for the post to understand exactly what you’re looking for and rule themselves out before contacting you if they’re not a good fit. Like with setting a budget ahead of time, this is all about saving you time and finding a great freelancer as quickly as possible.

LOOK WITHIN YOUR OWN NETWORK

Once it’s time to actually start your search, the best place to begin is with people you already know and their connections. Even in the age of SEO, social media, and email marketing, the majority of business for most freelancers still comes from referrals. 

Ask your colleagues, industry partners, and even competitors if they’ve used any freelancers recently who they would happily recommend. Try to stick to people within your business network rather than personal, the people who have lived experience of working with an individual. Unless your aunt’s neighbor’s babysitter has a standout resume of client work when you take a look at their website, you’re more likely to find a reliable freelancer within your professional community.

There is an alternative approach here. If you’re willing to take a risk with a newer freelancer (and if you don’t have the budget for a tried-and-tested professional), get in touch with professors at your alma mater to see if they have a student that they could recommend. This may not be the best course of action for every type of freelance project, but for design or writing work, this could be a great avenue to explore.

ASSESS THEIR SKILLSET

When you think you’ve found the perfect person for the job, ask to see their resume or client portfolio, along with examples of their previous work. This is particularly helpful when you’re working with freelancers like designers, as they all have their own unique style and expertise, so you want to be certain that the vision you have matches their capabilities.

If their previous experience doesn’t quite line up with your industry or the type of work you’re after, ask if they’d be willing to work on a test project with you. This could be something smaller in scope to the project you’re hoping they’ll work on with you, or even a portion of that project to get started. 

The most important point to remember here is to have some budget set aside for this, perhaps for 2 or 3 different freelancers that you’re considering. Never expect someone to complete any work for you, whether as part of a test assignment or a project, for free. They’re giving you their time, skills, and a tangible product at the end, so they need to be fairly compensated for their efforts. 

Once you’ve found the right freelancer, it’s time to bring them on board! 

Start working with marketing freelancers who understand you and your business. Get in touch to find out how we can help you.