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How to hire reliable freelancers remotely

How do you bring reliable freelancers on board? You may ask! This guide will discuss 5 actionable tips to help you set up a competent virtual team.

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How do you bring reliable freelancers on board? You may ask! This guide will discuss 5 actionable tips to help you set up a competent virtual team.

Photo credit: Cottonbro

Offering freelance work opens up your candidate pool to the whole world, allowing you to find, hire, and retain the best talent. Many professionals are excited at the opportunity of working from the comfort of their homes or anywhere they’d like. This means you can attract competent applicants without necessarily investing in a typical office, bonuses like free food or lounge space. What’s more, virtual teams free up funds you could have otherwise spent on physical office space. But how do you bring reliable freelancers on board? You may ask! This guide will discuss 5 actionable tips to help you set up a competent virtual team.

1. Create an excellent job description

A job description is basically an ad – you’re marketing a position at your company to a specific group of people. So take your time and energy to prepare a job description that will draw the most competent candidates to your company. Your title should consist of the position’s main function along with its rank (if applicable). For instance, instead of searching for a “Sales Executive” go with looking for a “Senior Sales Executive.”

Clearly state the responsibilities of the person you’re looking for and use friendly, comprehensible language. Mention the skillset or educational level required, but don’t fill your requirements with lots of unreasonable expectations. Remember to also include something about your company’s culture. State whether the role will be part-time or full-time. Indicate the hours that’ll be perfect for you, particularly for a part-time arrangement.

2. Screen and list down potential freelancers

The moment you post your job description, many applications will start coming in. Keenly assess each of the applications and set aside those that meet your job requirements. Then gather information about these applicants to help you decide whether they’re the right fit for your company.

You can look at their blog, LinkedIn profile, or website. Do they have previous clients? How long have they worked with these clients? What kind of testimonials have they received for their past projects? These questions will help you conduct a comprehensive background check on your potential freelancers. To save your time, you can partner with an experienced international recruitment agency to help you identify the right people for your remote team, especially if you’re making inroads in new international markets.

3. Schedule an initial interview

Armed with a list of prospects to add to your virtual team, you can now set up an initial interview session. Other than learning more about the candidate’s personality and skills, the interview session will offer you a taste of how communicating with the potential freelancer will be like.

For a great interview session, go for video instead of text chat or voice only. Remember communication isn’t limited to just speaking and typing. Things like body movements, posture, facial expressions, and voice pitch during conversations matter a lot. By just monitoring these non-verbal cues, you can tell whether the candidate has what it takes to be part of your company.

4. Give them a test

With your list of prospects narrowed down by the interview, you can now test the abilities of the potential freelancers. Come up with a task related to the position you’re looking to fill and ask them to complete it. This test will help both you and the candidate determine whether you’re the perfect match for each other.

For instance, if you’re looking for a freelance social media manager, have them prepare a 300-word piece on a specific topic you’ll be handling on your social media account. Then pay attention to the amount of time they’ll take to complete the task and quality of their work. Bear in mind that many experienced freelancers expect a payment for the test tasks they complete for you.

5. Take advantage of  staffing services provider

If you’re building a virtual team for your global expansion, an established international recruitment agency will help you hire the right freelancers. The biggest upside of hiring through international staffing services is that they can connect you with people who understand the local language and culture of your target market. They also help you overcome the challenges related to hiring competent international freelancers.

Parting shot

There are so many competent freelancers out there who understand the value of remote working and are ready to deliver pure gold. But to find and hire them, you must do a thorough search, background check, and engaging interviews. 

Written by

Kelvin Mokaya


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