hire a freelancer

7 Must-Know Tips Before You Hire a Freelancer For Your Startup

by Fawnia Clarissa

You’re here. You have this fantastic startup idea, and you can’t wait to realize it. But, like any other startups, funding would be a great problem if you can’t manage what you have at the moment. With limited funds, what do you do? Get an office? Hire workers? But what about their insurance? Monthly wage? Other spending? Would your capital cover these? Sadly, many people have failed to see an easy way-out : hire a freelancer. But what thing you should keep in mind when you hire a freelancer? Hiring a freelancer is a bit tricky if you are not familiar on how to do so. There are thousands of freelancers out there, some skilled, some certified, some have worked for a long time, and on the other hand, some are not. When you hire a freelancer, basically you are seeking for the same qualities you would like to see in your full-time workers. You want to see their dedication, their skill, as well as their passion and interest in your startup as well. You surely don’t want to hire just any freelancer, since this will affect your startup business in the long run. To help you, check these 7 tips that you should know before you hire a freelancer for your startup :

  1. MAKE A LIST OF QUESTIONS : Hiring a freelancer  doesn’t mean you don’t get to interview them. This is a common mistake made by many employers. Before deciding which freelancer should be awarded, make sure you know exactly their skills and area of expertise. Use tactful questions, and make sure that you read their answers carefully to see if they know what’s required of them and their capabilities. Remember, once you award the project to a certain freelancer, both of you are bound in a contract and failure to commit to the contract may cause future problems.
  2. MAKE SURE THEY CAN DO FREQUENT CHANGES Startups are logically more demanding than established companies, so you want to make sure that the hired freelancer are open to do frequent changes or revisions when you see the need to do so. Some freelancers are reluctant to do so, and the final result may not be satisfactory or up to your standard. Ask them beforehand, if they are able to make such changes.
  3. DOCUMENT EVERYTHING CLEARLY Prior to starting, make sure you have a list of things you need your freelancer to do. This will help the hired freelancer to work better and faster. Also, prospective freelancers can adjust their bid according to your request.
  1. COMMUNICATE AND COLLABORATE Two-ways communication between you and the freelancer is vital and should not be taken lightly. Use applications such as Slack, Trello, Asana, or WhatsApp to connect with global freelancers.
  2. PAY ATTENTION TO THEIR RESUME Freelancers that you hire must be able to deliver quality works, and this is why you need to pay close attention to their resume. Certifications, training, or diploma that are relevant will help you to see if they are the freelancer you’re looking for.
  3. DON’T BE BIASED It’s very easy to be biased; choosing freelancers that come from your own country or hometown. This may blind you from better freelancers that are applying. Get rid of such biases or prejudices, and judge them solely based on their skill and qualifications, not where do they come from or whether they’re male or female.
  4. USE TRUSTWORTHY WEBSITES Hire a freelancer only on platforms that guarantee you will get what you pay for. Websites like Truelancer has helped thousands of clients and freelancers to meet and form working relationship under protection. To benefit entirely, sign up at Truelancer here, post a project, and start browsing for qualified freelancers!