4 Ways to Hire and Keep the Best Freelancers

Aside from omnipresent da Vincitypes, most entrepreneurs depend on freelancers.

Freelancers fill the gaps in your workforce on demand. They keep your business operational. Freelancing haseven becomea popular gateway to permanent positions. But consortingwith contractorscan be a pain.

You might spend weeks scouting out the perfect writers and graphic designers, only to have them opt out at the last second. Or brilliant talent you just landed may end up churning out uninspired bunk. The good news isyou can prevent that.

During my freelance career, I’ve discovered how business owners can save time, moneyand frustration while making the most of their freelance talent.

Follow these four steps to find and keep the highest performing freelancers for your business.

1.Hire specialists.

Ask your prospectivefreelancer:“Is this role your specialty?”

Make sure your prospect has specific experience for the job you have in mind, and don’t be lured in by general talent; you’ll pay for a less-than-premium service.

Because I’ve excelled as a writer, I’ve been asked to do freelance jobs where writing was a secondary focus. I rejected most of them. But there have been cases when the pay and perks seemed to make sense; I went forward with the process, only to bail when I knew I wouldn’t enjoy the work. It was a waste of time and money for both parties.

So hire specialists.

If you need social media work, make sure your prospect has a ferocious appetite for Facebook and Twitter. Dabblers won’t do. If you need editorial help, ask if the freelancer edits just for the fun. Scan her blog for the polished feel you’re looking for.

2.pick passionate people.

Ask your prospect:“Are you 100 percentpassionate about doing this work?”

If they aren’t, hold out for someone who is.Starting out, I took any freelance job I could get. But after a year, I realized that my best work came from assignments that I had a genuine passion for.

Then,I decided to be more selective with my assignments.My work quality soared. I exceeded my clients’ expectations, and I developed stronger relationships.

As a client, you’ll benefit from hiringpassionate talent.Google surely does.

Do your freelancers and yourself a favor by hiring the ones who are on fire for the workand who have a learner’s attitude. You might have to choose less experienced freelancers, butwith your guidance, their joy for the work will overcome any technical limitations.

You’ll profit from the inspired work.

3.pay more.

Ask your freelancer: "How much will you be happy working for?"

Most clients don’t care about happiness, which isessential, so it thrills freelancers to hear it asked. If you can’t afford the freelancer’s happy wage, and if you can’t negotiate anything to compensate, don’t be afraid to pass them up.

Your quality of work and their happiness are one in the same.

Unless you can meet 70 percentof what they normally charge, just pass. Sometimes a talented freelancer will be in payment limbo, looking for anything. But your business isn’t a charity.Ifthey won’t be happy, you won’t get their best work. Find someone else.

When you do settle on a happy price, bump up your offer between five percent and 10 percent. Your generosity will make the freelancer squeal with joy (I’ve actually squealed before),and it will inspire their best work.

Extra pay goes a long way in starting and maintaining a profitable freelance-client relationship.

4.Negotiate when more pay isn’t an option.

Ask your freelancer:“If more money isn’t an option, how else can we make you happy?”

58003 But just because a freelancer is beyond your cash budget doesn’t mean you can’t make her happy with perks.

Start negotiating perks.

Many businesses accrue airline points from bulk purchases. Those points are as good as cash for people, who love or needto travel a lot. The same goes for hotel points. You can blow away a potential freelancer by combining airline and hotel points for a vacation package -all while saving resources.

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Consider discounts and freebies on your goods and services as well. As a freelancer, I love working with companies that include goods in a deal.I end up loving the product.I become a fan, and I tell everyone I know to buy it. 每个人都赢了。

Here's the takeaway(s).

I’ve worked hard to become the right freelancer for my clients, and I’ve made a ton of mistakes along the way. 58003

If you want more success with your freelancers, follow these stepsin your hiring process.