How to Manage Remote Freelancers and Independent Contractors

Freelancer Management: How to manage a remote team of freelancers and independent contractual workers.

In the last few years, the way of managing teams in workplaces has changed. Organizations have started relying on freelancers or independent contractual workers to perform different responsibilities. This has led to companies relying on remote work and having their team members all across the globe.

Demand For Freelancers

The demand for freelancers has been growing over the last few years. A 2020 report indicates that 36 % of the total workforce in the United States alone did freelancing work in the past year. Moreover, company leaders are now relying on independent contractual workers to perform skill-based work. A Gartner report suggests that 74 % of CFOs are planning to shift at least 5 % of on-site employees to permanent remote positions post-Covid 19.

Additionally, developing countries including India, Pakistan, and the Philippines have seen a surge of freelancers. There are many benefits that can be derived from hiring freelancers and independent contractors. Remote workers, with the required skills, may add new ways of doing things that can prove beneficial to the success of your business. Hiring remote workers also allow companies to save money on overhead. Because of the challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, now is the time to consider hiring remote employees.

How to Hire Freelancers

Hire and Manage Freelancers

Here are five tips for hiring freelancers that will allow you to find the best talent and manage them effectively.

1. Post jobs on online marketplaces

One option is to visit online marketplaces that connect millions of experts with freelance jobs. To find the best talent, you can post the job description on the actual job sites, or you may seek the help of recruitment staff. You can easily find prospective applicants because many freelancers and independent contractors are looking for new projects. Upwork and Fiverr are leading marketplaces that connect a freelancer and employer with each other. However, as they are third-party service providers, freelancers, as well as employers, have to pay a charge for accessing their services.

The second option is to approach freelancers through their websites. Many skilled freelancers display their portfolio of past achievements and work through their personalized websites. You can directly approach and hire them for contractual work without any third-party intermediaries.

2. Create a clear job description

To attract top talent, be sure to specify details that will help candidates decide whether they are qualified for the position. Clearly define the skills that you are looking for along with details including the expected amount of hours that the job will take. Furthermore, also give a range of fixed amount or the hourly amount that you are willing to pay. Explain your company’s objective and policies for them to have a better view of what to expect. This will help contractual workers to have a clear view of requirements and avoid any misunderstanding later on.

3. Conduct virtual interviews

After you have done the initial screening and you have selected your top picks, invite the top candidates for a face-to-face interview. Video calls are a good way to know the applicants better. Meeting this way will help you gauge the ability of the person who will be working with you. Also, this process will determine if the freelancers possess other skills needed for remote work, such as responsiveness, flexibility, and punctuality.

4. Give them a test assignment

If you think you will need more information to see how an applicant performs, consider assigning him/her a test assignment. By doing so, you can evaluate how the freelancer will perform, communicate, and deliver. Of course, the test must be short since it is only a test project.

5. Pay your remote workers on time

In order to attract and keep the freelancers that you hired, make sure to pay them on time and in full. One of the key aspects that you need to keep in mind is that it is highly likely that the freelancer may belong to another country. Hence, it is necessary to use a tool that allows you to conduct cross-border payments to your remote freelancers in an affordable and effective manner.

Manage Payment Solutions of Freelancers

XanPay is one such payment solution that facilitates you with cross-border payments. You can seamlessly conduct payments with low transaction fees and within a short period of 3-5 days time. Moreover, an advantage that you can leverage with XanPay is that it allows you to conduct local payments in preferred fiat currencies through multiple payment options. For instance, you can pay in Singaporean Dollars through PAYNOW to your freelancer, residing in India, with INR (Rupees) through UPI. XanPay will automatically make the conversion on both ends.

How to Manage Freelancers

Online meeting tools are important for interviewing and onboarding freelancers. They are also very useful for keeping in touch and communicating in real time. Here is a list of the best online meeting and freelancer tools.

1. Skype

Skype is a popular free online tool to communicate with a remote team of freelancers wherever they are in the world. Make free voice and video calls, share files, share your screen, or send instant messages.

2. Zoom

The popularity of Zoom exploded because of the COVID-19 pandemic. With Zoom, users can hold online video conferences with 100 plus people. This application has a video recording capability. It is free to use for meetings for up to 40 minutes. You need to pay if you require more than that.

3. Google Meet

Formerly Hangouts Meet, this application uses the same protection that Google uses to secure information and safeguard privacy. Guests can join a video conference using any web browser from their computer. On mobile devices, you can join meetings by using the Google Meet app.

Bottom Line

Freelancing has been steadily growing in recent years, and the COVID-19 pandemic has propelled it further. With more highly skilled freelancers making themselves available for remote work, small and medium-sized businesses have a greater chance to find the best talent possible. Just keep in mind that managing freelancers properly and using the right freelancer tools can help you achieve the desired results.