With as many as 53 million Americans working in an nontraditional job role like freelancing, according to
the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the chance of your business working with an independent contractor is
pretty high. Freelance contractors can offer your business the skills you are looking for without the
overhead of having them work in-house.
However, partnering with a freelancer takes some courage. They make their own hours, and much of the
communication you have with them will be through email or a messaging platform. The ability to knock
on their office door and have a quick chat isn’t as accessible, but they can provide a special skill set that
you may not be able to find with a full-time employee.
The good news of working with freelancers is, if you do it well the results can be stunningly effective for
your business. Freelancers can enable your business to grow faster and achieve success with lower
business risk. The effort you put into working with freelancers can pay off in business success.
Transcript
PowerPoint PresentationWith Freelancers Overview With as many as 53 million Americans working in an nontraditional job role like freelancing, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the chance of your business working with an independent contractor is pretty high. Freelance contractors can offer your business the skills you are looking for without the overhead of having them work in-house. However, partnering with a freelancer takes some courage. They make their own hours, and much of the communication you have with them will be through email or a messaging platform. The ability to knock on their office door and have a quick chat isn’t as accessible, but they can provide a special skill set that you may not be able to find with a full-time employee. Pros of hiring freelancers or subjects. If you're looking for an employee with highly specialized knowledge or abilities, a freelancer may be your best option. Freelancers often develop unique skills to distinguish themselves from others in their field. Freelancers can work on their own schedule. They don't need to have work availability that matches your company's schedule. A freelancer accomplishes their duties and assignments regardless of your company's schedule or their own outside obligations. employees. Businesses have lower operational costs when they recruit, onboard and retain freelancers. This is in part because they don't receive employee benefits, like insurance or paid time off. submitting their assignments. Unlike their work. This can make them more motivated to accomplish their tasks thoroughly and on time. Cons of hiring freelancers Freelancers may not always prioritize the assignments your company gives them. Since they typically work for multiple businesses, they may sometimes find it hard to make time for your assignments. Freelancers may not fit company guidelines or culture. Companies with specific guidelines or styles might find it challenging to find freelancers who match their culture or standards. Freelancers have less loyalty to your company. Since freelancers aren't salaried employees, they may have less loyalty to your business. This can make it more challenging to maintain long-term relationships with them. How to work with freelancers Consider your business's needs Before beginning your search for freelancers, think about what your company needs from its freelance workforce. Take into consideration factors like: • Financial capacity: Know ahead of time how much you can afford to pay freelancers for each task or assignment. Research the going rates in your area for the type of freelancer you hope to hire. • Quality: Think about the quality of work your business needs from its freelancers. • Style: Some businesses may need freelancers to adhere to their company's existing culture, aesthetic or approach. Be sure to look for those who have produced work in a style similar to what you hope to have them do for you. Relationship employer's and contractor's obligations to avoid misunderstanding, risk and lawsuits. The policy should include the contractor's hiring criteria, work scope, project duration, available company resources, level of access to company information, performance expectation, penalties for unsatisfactory performance, pay and benefits. Freelancers freelancers and contractors at any fraction of the way they do full-time employees. This becomes detrimental, as their work tends to lack the cultural nuance, the verbiage or the spirit of the company. Their output tends to feel more "templatized" than specialized to the company. It pays to spend some time culturally onboarding this population. Know the project requirements schedule. Make sure that you and your freelancer can communicate clearly about these project specifications. Having established expectations for project goals and deadlines can help ensure that the eventual results meet your business's needs. Familiarize yourself with the laws Learn both the local and national laws related to contractor employment. This can help ensure that both you and your freelancers produce quality work while adhering to these laws. It's also important to understand your business's tax obligations in relation to contract work. For example, your payroll team should know that they don't need to withhold taxes from a freelancer's wages. your company's assets. Make sure that your freelancer contracts specify that the work they complete belongs to your company. It's also a good idea to create data protection or cybersecurity systems that only give freelancers access to the company information they need to complete their specific assignments. This can help reduce the risk of a cyberattack on your business's valuable data. Make policies about contract work Ask your HR department to design a set of policies regarding contract work. Details in the policy may include hiring standards, expectations for the contractor's conduct and pay rates. Having clear HR policies that both you and your freelancers can review may help reduce miscommunications about the terms of their employment. Give your new freelancer a minor project for their first assignment. Choosing a smaller assignment makes it easier for another employee to revise or redo the project as needed. It also gives them opportunities to ask questions about the assignment or your company while handling a manageable workload. freelancers understand. The transition plan helps ensure your freelancers teach any work or knowledge necessary for other employees to know before their contract ends. For example, an IT freelancer may need to give another employee at your company a list of password or authentication systems they used to create cybersecurity infrastructure. Transition plans may involve the freelancer working closely with someone else from your company for a period or creating thorough documentation of their processes. Periodically evaluating a freelancer's ongoing work can help ensure that they ultimately provide satisfactory results or services. It also gives freelancers a chance to ask you questions or request company resources. Understand Implications Of Co-Employment employment law and what it means. Ensuring that your employees are not crossing the co- employment line with contractors or freelancers is key to ensuring no lawsuits against your organization. Co-employment lawsuits can be very expensive, while upfront training about what co- employment is and what you can and cannot do with contractors or freelancers will be much less so. Communicate frequently directions. A freelance employee should feel comfortable contacting you or asking questions as needed. Similarly, it's okay for you to check in on your freelancer regularly to ask them how they're doing, monitor their progress and provide any relevant updates on other project components. Teach freelancers about your company culture often influences the type or style of your services, products or processes. A freelancer may have an easier time completing their project in a way that aligns with your organization's aesthetic or approach if they understand your company culture. Teaching them about your company culture can also help facilitate or build stronger relationships between your freelancers and your regular employees. Use communication tools include instant messaging systems, emails, phones, video conferencing programs or file-sharing software. Since most freelancers don't work on the same schedule or in the same premises as your regular employees, communication tools can help ensure that you communicate regularly about their ongoing projects. Critique your freelancers' work regularly. Tell them what you appreciate about their work and give constructive advice on what they might alter or improve. Offering consistent feedback can help ensure they only need to make small revisions rather than redoing an entire project from the beginning. Conclusion The good news of working with freelancers is, if you do it well the results can be stunningly effective for your business. Freelancers can enable your business to grow faster and achieve success with lower business risk. The effort you put into working with freelancers can pay off in business success. Sources https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/how-to-work-with-freelancers https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbeshumanresourcescouncil/2018/07/19/11-essential-tips-for-working-