Susanna Balashova
Marketing manager, story writer
Market trends have shown that more companies both small and big are recruiting freelancers to help with growth and other needs of the business. You need to keep in mind that working with a freelancer is quite different from hiring someone in-house due to the nature of the relationships.
First, most freelancers work remotely. And this requires a specific set of skills and mindset. It’s also easy for each party to cancel the freelance relationship at any point. Most freelance engagements are usually pursued by specialized help or short-term projects. This makes sense when you consider that organizations hire freelancers because they need someone skilled and experienced in the area they are being hired for.
Most freelancers are used to working with different clients and managing their workload at their own time. Little management is needed to get the task done. If you’ve been thinking of hiring your first freelancer, here are ten important questions that you need to ask.
10 important questions while employing your first freelancer. Source: pexels.com
1. Why do you freelance?
According to assignment writers, freelancing requires a hustler mentality and a genuine love for what you do. You want a freelancer who shows up to work because they are passionate about the project. Someone may start freelancing to spend quality time with their children at home, look after an elderly parent, or travel.
Ask your candidates to explain why they chose to freelance. If they got into it for the flexibility and freedom associated with it or because they fell in love with the work, they’ll probably remain active for years. You don’t want to work with someone who’s freelancing because they don’t have any other option. People who don’t love their work are not easy to work with.
2. How long have you been freelancing?
You should not ignore new freelancers since they can be properly equipped for the job at hand and managing projects. However, it’s still important for you to know the experience that a freelancer has had working with different clients. The more experienced a freelancer is, the higher the likelihood that they have a process in place for how they do their work. And this is extremely important.
3. Which projects have you worked on?
You’ve probably reviewed your candidate’s portfolio and are familiar with what he or she has worked on. However, it’s still important for you to ask them about their history. Pay close attention to how they describe their projects. Are they focused on the results they achieved? Listen attentively and take note of what they are excited about. You’ll get to know whether they are passionate about working on your projects with you.
4. What results did you achieve for a specific campaign?
As a freelancer talks about the projects and clients that he or she has worked with, request them to share the results that they achieved. Lots of people have worked on different campaigns. However, it’s only those who managed to achieve the set objectives are considered the best in the field. Giving them time to talk about their experience will help in determining if they can achieve the results you want.
5. How do you measure results?
How does the freelancer set KPIs? Knowing how a freelancer sets benchmarks will help you have a clear picture of what they’ll prioritize while working on your project.
6. How do you communicate results?
Freelancers need to communicate their values. You need a freelancer who can describe his or her results and how or why something is not working and what they want to do in the future. This is one of the main reasons behind hiring a freelancer. While not every freelancer will have access to different kinds of metrics depending on the job, you should ask them to describe how they’ll handle your project.
7. What do you do when you miss a deadline?
This question will help you find out how effective your candidate is at communicating. A good freelancer will communicate clearly about deadlines. Bad things happen. And they are going to miss deadlines from time to time. You need to work with someone honest about their abilities. Communication is a crucial component of remote work. You need someone who can speak comfortably and confidently.
8. Has any of your previous clients ever ended a relationship abruptly?
Before asking for references, the freelancer needs to talk about the relationships that haven’t been successful in the past. Do not judge the client since you never know what expectations they had. Instead, focus on the freelancer’s explanation. You want to work with someone who can learn from his past experiences.
9. What are your hobbies?
Even a freelancer enjoys working on projects, you need to know their interests outside of work. Hiring a freelancer is not like hiring a full-time employee. Therefore, you need to know the person you’ll be working with.
10. Which tools do you use?
The tools that a freelancer uses greatly determine their productivity and performance. Your freelancer should use the best tools available to get the job done.
Conclusion
The process of hiring the right freelancer can be a pain in the ass. However, with these ten questions, your work will be simplified. Don’t forget to look at the testimonials, reviews, ratings, and referrals.
Susanna Balashova is a creative magician at assignment writing help. She turns dreary work things to be interesting and effective, as well as likes creating her own world within some fanfic sketches. Reach out to her on Twitter or Linkedin.
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