Over the past few years, freelancing has become such an ordinary concept that no one is surprised or doubtful. Companies actively trust remote employees to solve various tasks, receiving significant benefits in the form of savings, a huge selection of narrow specialists, and labor flexibility. Read- Opportunity Time: Changing Business Habits
But not always such cooperation goes smoothly. And often the reason for this is customer errors. The list of significant missteps that employers often make is as follows:
- Tight control of freelancer’s activities
- Lack of precise requirements and plan
- Constant moralizing in the course of work
- Savings on pay and pettiness
- Mis-sharing of the budget
- Making global edits to a voluminous project
- Time-consuming final reconciliation
For more on each of them, read on.
Table of Contents
What mistakes do customers make when dealing with remote freelancers?
You can also read: The Free Future: The Conscious Choice of Millions
When you decide to find a pro on the remote, you should not program yourself to fail. Yes, the union is a little bit complicated at a distance, but that doesn’t mean it will fail. Having gained the first experience working with a freelancer, you will understand the features and nuances of such interaction. And in the future, you will be able to build relationships with a freelancer more effectively, avoiding common mistakes.
Tight control of freelancer’s activities
Did you intentionally try to control the activities of the hired freelancer? Well, you should not. This is not a full-time employee who is working on a precise schedule. Freelancers chose his path because it needs freedom from office postulates. He chooses the time of activity, and you need to set the deadline for the project. In this case, the result is essential.
But the deadline should not be ignored. Its absence equally relaxes both you and the hired representative of the freelancing.
You can also read: How to find and maintain a work-life balance?
Lack of precise requirements and plan.
Orders, replete with blurred desires of customers, are found on the freelancing exchange with enviable regularity. Subsequently, this leads to an unsatisfied result and the search for the culprits.
It is not enough to want to have a site because competitors have it. It would be best if you were clear about what tasks it will solve and how to achieve this with design, content, and other tools. If you are unsure of your wishes, ask a freelancer to provide a brief to determine your priorities. With real professionals, it’s always at hand.
Constant moralizing in the course of work.
When you entrust a task to a freelancer, don’t try to teach him how to do his job. That’s not why you hired him.
The main thing is to find a suitable specialist, whom you can entrust the work without moral teaching and poking nose. And here, great help will be the freelancing exchange, where all users have a personal rating, portfolio, and customer feedback.
Another critical point is the right task. To not waste time on adjustments and fixes, develop the most detailed technical task with all the essential nuances.
You can also read: How to organize remote work of employees?
Savings on pay and pettiness.
Do not think that employees on freelance can do work cheaper than office staff. If you want to get a high-quality result, be prepared to estimate it in a decent amount. Good professionals are more expensive, regardless of whether they work freelance or in the state.
When the savings are due to financial difficulties, consider collaborating with the performers newcomers to whom your project may be the first in a remote field. But that doesn’t mean they’re going to do it badly. There is a chance to rejoice in a decent result for a bit of money.
Mis-sharing of the budget.
It is often in the development of a large project that the priorities are misallocated in the areas, leading to an irrational financial assessment of the stages of work. For example, a lot of money is planned to be invested in promotion while creating the site and its filling – minimal investment. Or save the cost of writing text that plays the role of targeted advertising.
Think about every step of the planned campaign or entrust the budget allocation to an expert who understands this area well.
You can also read: Lazy to work: How to get rid of this condition?
Making global edits to a voluminous project.
Remote work, like any other, is complete without making specific changes to the execution process. However, we are talking about a small number of edits, not a complete reworking of the creation. If there was a second option, it means that either you found a wrong specialist or wrongly made up TK, or you do not know what you want. The only way out is to break big tasks into mini-blocks. It’s easier to control the process, fix it if you need to, and understand where to go next. Appreciate your time – your own and your freelancer.
Time-consuming final reconciliation.
There are often situations when a company has a project that a freelancer trusts. After all, you hire a remote employee because no one in the office can professionally handle a particular task. So why do you think that “evaluators” have enough knowledge to coordinate the result? The “like-dislike” approach is not the best way to create a quality product to solve business problems.
It is right to think in terms of the target audience. You can learn them in two ways – research or time. The first option involves obtaining information before the project starts, and the second – after its launch. It’s up to you to do it effectively right away or then remodel.
You can also read: How to be productive while working as a freelancer?
Issues to be resolved before you start working together
At the start of cooperation, it is essential to discuss all the future project details. First of all, clarify whether all TK points are clear to the executor? If he has offered, do not come together to cut them off because you can not consider all the specifics of the work. Ask:
- How can I set you up for a better job?
- What else do I need?
- What can we do differently?
- What difficulties have you encountered in such projects?
Identify the problem, but don’t suggest a solution. Allow the pros to offer options to help see his thoughts and willingness to work on the task.
When talking about the timing of the result, indicate specific dates and maybe times. Consider the opinion of the contractor involved. If he’s not sure he’ll make it, he might need to revise the deadline. Or find a more elegant professional.
Don’t leave a financial question for later. Immediately discuss the amount of payment for the task. Does it include edits? Ideally, use the Safe Deal on the stock exchange to reassure yourself and the executor.
You can also read: How to hire a reliable and professional freelancer?
Stay in touch to respond quickly to the contractor’s questions and clarifications. Do not limit yourself to emails, be sure to find each other in a messenger or Skype. If there are no clarifications, do not hesitate to be interested in the process of completing the job, but do not overdo it with attention.
Remember that successful cooperation is a two-way street. Be loyal when there are minor changes that do not affect the appearance, function, or quality of the project, and in turn, a freelancer will be loyal to you if it needs a little extra help.
What’s the freelancer’s profile?
Selecting candidates to perform the job, carefully read their profiles on the stock exchange. The first thing to look at is the specialization of a freelancer. Does it fit the task you need to complete? So you will screen out multi-stationers and amateurs.
Then it would be best if you got acquainted with the portfolio of a freelancer. If there are many different works, perhaps in front of you, an intermediary or a studio representative. But the presence of projects similar to yours is a positive sign. And in general, assess whether you like the creations of the remoter. Being on the same wavelength is the key to successful cooperation.
You can also read: Must-have tools for Freelancers
Get into the feedback of other employers. Read them to understand the strengths of this artist. Positive reviews do not guarantee that the profile of this ace is in front of you. Sometimes you can know that the specialist performs the work at an acceptable level and takes it cheaply.
Pay attention to personal information. The contractor’s demand is unlikely to hide the actual name and surname. In addition, the avatar will place a real photo, not a fake image.
How to work successfully with a freelancer?
Having decided to be involved in a remote contractor team, treat him as an ordinary employee with specific nuances. Don’t include a “boss” mode that only works effectively with people with a fixed monthly salary. Try to be not a manager but a partner and a mentor. Motivate, stimulate, encourage, and trust a hired freelancer.
It may not be the first time this will require some effort and preparation. Still, you will get a reliable, qualified employee with whom you can successfully cooperate to achieve higher business success in the long run.
You can also read: How to Organize sales in a remote format?
To cooperate with a freelancer, specific rules should be adhered to:
- If possible, enter into a treaty detailing the obligations and rights of both parties.
- To form trust by making a safe transaction on the service guarantees the executor and the employer.
- Carefully study the profile of the specialist and his professional portfolio before entrusting him with the implementation of the project.
A good alliance with a freelancer is not a myth, but the reality is formed by properly organized and well-established communication channels.
