Outsourcing to freelancers is a proven strategy because of the many benefits it gives small and big companies. A freelancer has all the skills you are looking for minus the costs of hiring someone full-time. However, just like your in-house employees they go through bouts of unproductivity or creative blocks. As a manager, you need to bring out the best in them not only to help your business, but also for the career growth of the freelancer you hired.
Read on about how to work with freelancers and get the most out of them.
Discuss Your Big Picture
Freelancers are professionals; they want to know how their services will benefit your company. Share the big picture of the project you’ll award to them. Give them details about each phase and their objectives. Doing so allows them to see how the finished product or service will appear. This enables them to determine the scope of work and the skills they need to use to achieve your goals. This also gives them a blueprint whenever they hit a creative block or encounter a problem along the timeline.
Streamline Contact Points
You know that hiring freelancers has some challenges, but you’ll make it easier for all parties involved when you establish contact points. This can be through Skype, messenger, Zoom, Google Meet, email or other forms, whichever is the one you use often. This allows the freelancer to separate their work from their life outside of it. They’ll know where to expect messages about the project and the time those will arrive.
Reliable Payment Platform and Schedule
Freelancers also take a risk when they take on a client’s project. Reduce that risk by agreeing on a payment platform and schedule. They’ll feel less motivated to do the tasks you give them when their pay arrives late and follows an unreliable schedule. Implement gamification when rewarding your freelancer. This incentivizes good performance and adds a wrinkle to an otherwise mundane approach to bonuses and salaries.
Share Company Values
When you hire a freelancer, you’re bringing in someone with a different perspective. This injects creativity in your company’s problem solving and branding. However, you still want to be consistent. To achieve this goal, share your company values with your team of freelancers. This provides them with insights as to how they’ll market your products, develop strategies and implement product launches.
These are some of the ideas on how to get the best effort from your hired freelancers. Implement these to get the results you want and achieve your project objectives. Contact us here at Robookkeeper, if you need virtual accountants and bookkeepers. We can connect you with first-rate virtual employees that get the job done.
