How to Manage Freelancers?

According to the business owner and CEO of DevriX – Mario Peshev : “Freelancers can be a great investment, as they allow businesses to take advantage of people’s expertise without any sort of long-term commitment regardless of the regularity of work.”

The ‘Gig Economy’ is on the rise, with 35% of the U.S. workforce now composed of freelancers. Working with freelancers isn’t anything new, but has seen a recent surge partially driven by the attraction and freedom it brings, partially by economic factors.

This growth, of course, is facilitated by technological advancements that allow you more easily to find and hire the right talent.

While it’s now easier than ever to access talented freelancers from around the world, the challenge of how to best manage them remains the same. Don’t let this scare you though! There are some best practices and tips that you can easily follow to ensure that you’re able to grow your business by utilizing freelancers.

Set Clear Expectations from the Get Go

Much of the success of your working relationship with freelancers is determined by this first step. Creating clear expectations in terms of the final product, periodic checkpoints along the way and ways in which you’ll stay in touch will help you avoid any misalignment or misunderstandings.

Your expectations should also include any personal work preferences you have. If your freelancer has a question, are you available to speak at any time of the day, or would you prefer a set time period? Do you like to speak directly, or are you a chat person? These are just a few questions that can help you set clear communications expectations.

This shouldn’t be a one-way process, however, with you dictating what the terms of engagement are. Instead, take the time to allow your freelancer to ask questions, seek clarity, and add any suggestions he/she may have. In short, try to make the process of structuring your work together one of ‘co-creation,’ which will in turn…

…Allow the Freelancer to Have a Say

One of the best reasons to work with freelancers is the expertise and experience they can bring to your business. This is especially important when you’re just starting out, as you most likely won’t have the means to hire full-time employees in each of the key areas of your business.

That’s why you should let the freelancer’s expertise work for you by giving them the freedom to co-create the tasks you hire them for. Of course, you know your business’ needs best, but freelancers will be able to offer a way of viewing this need, and its potential solution, from a different point of view.

In short, be clear with your expectations, but also ready to encourage your freelancers to share their opinion as well. This holds true for the structure of your collaboration as well as the final product. Once you’ve aligned on how you will work together and what the ultimate product looks like, it’s time to think about how to…

…Create Clear Communication Channels

Any effective management relationship you have depends on effective communication. Part of this is by setting expectations in terms of the frequency and type of communication, as mentioned above. Just as important though is having the right communication channels set up. One of the best approaches is utilizing Instant Messaging software.

The benefits of instant messaging are numerous, and in the case of your management of freelancers, it can create clear and effective communication channels through chat, sending and receiving files, and video calls. By using these features you will be able to stay in touch with your freelancer and create a digital workspace for collaboration.

Now you’re set up to effectively manage your freelancer. As the relationship progresses, and goals are met, it’s important to make sure that you…

…Recognize and Reward them appropriately

While freelancers are certainly used to a more loose working relationship, without strict HR policies around performance management, it’s still important to recognize and reward their hard work. Freelancers are humans too, and as such need recognition in order to stay motivated and know that they are meeting your expectations.

This doesn’t necessarily mean a financial reward, and in fact, you should focus first and foremost on providing positive feedback and encouragement. Of course, if you think it’s appropriate, you could provide financial compensation for exceptional work or finishing tasks ahead of deadlines.

In Conclusion

Working with freelancers is an effective way to access the talent you need in order to grow your business without major financial investments. However, in order to make the most of freelancers, you should have a clear plan for how to manage them.

Relying on the advice of those who have gone done this path is one of the best ways to approach this issue, as is making appropriate investments in tools and instruments that can help you along the way. This is especially important if you and your business are just setting out on your growth journey.

While the above tips can get you started, they’re certainly not an exhaustive list. Do you have any best practices that you use in your business?

Author Bio:

Georgi Todorov is a digital marketer. He recently started his own blog about digital marketing called DigitalNovas. His passion is to help startups grow and thrive in a competitive environment. Hit him up on  Linkedin or Twitter under @GeorgiTodorovBG.