When the projects start to pile up and your current team can’t handle all the work, it might be time to turn to freelancers for help. Whether it’s short-term or you are looking to utilize the full potential of freelancers, you are going to have to do it effectively.
Managing freelancers is not the same as managing an in-house team. That’s why many businesses use freelance management software to help them streamline time-consuming tasks such as recruiting and onboarding freelancers, tracking their work progress, timely payments, and so on.
Below, we offer you advice on how to manage your freelance workforce efficiently.
Organization Meets the Deadline
The main goal of any business is to complete tasks and meet deadlines. The right freelancers on the right project can have a drastic impact on the quality of the finished product and the time it took to complete it. Right management and communication between the employer and the freelancer are key to success.
As previously mentioned, most businesses that want productivity levels to soar do it through freelance management software that helps the organization become the easiest part by providing the employer with information about the availability, progress, services, and project progress of freelancers.
Utilize technology to your advantage and always choose software that offers more value to your business brand.
Set Expectations and Reasonable Deadlines
Be specific about the goals and the quality of work you want to receive from your freelancers. Be sure to inform them that subpar work will not be tolerated and missed deadlines will lead to consequences. Provide them with templates and examples of how you expect them to do their tasks. If there isn’t an absolute need to follow strict guidelines, you can let your freelancers use their creativity to the full extent and bring their style of work to a project.
Speaking of deadlines, good work requires time. Freelancers usually have a lot of projects going on and setting a last-minute deadline can mean working outside normal hours. Set reasonable deadlines and make sure that you keep yours so that a good example is set.
Make Communication Easier
Efficient and fast communication is key when you are managing freelancers. To create a safe and trusting environment easy communication must be established and for that reason, you are going to need a reliable communication channel, such as Slack. Communicating with your freelancers through direct messages can allow you to be more transparent and provide more constructive feedback.
Using a variety of channels can lead to missed notifications, which will then lead to missed deadlines. That’s why we advise you to focus on one channel and use it for all freelancers’ related communications.
Include Freelancers in Your Weekly Meetings
By holding weekly meetings, you can discuss upcoming projects with your freelancers and make them feel valued and part of the team. Give credit where credit is due and point out some areas that can be improved and offer advice on how to do that. If you land on freelancers that are worth keeping, make sure that you support them and acknowledge their hard work.
It goes without saying that you should treat your freelancers as you do your regular employees; make sure that they are paid on time and adapt to their needs as different freelancers require different things. A happy freelancer will put you at the top of their client list and will always provide you with quality work results.
Instruct Them to Track Their Time
You won’t be directly overseeing the work process of the freelancers and you can’t interact with them daily. So, it’s important to track their working time to ensure deadlines are met. With time tracking, you can see how well a freelancer is performing, or if they are stuck on a task, you can provide guidance or help. Having a clear overview of the performance of your freelancers can allow you to assign them tasks more efficiently as you have information about their working speed and urgent projects can be tackled better.
Final Thoughts
Short- or long-term, freelancers can become one of the key assets to your business’s success. Maintaining good relationships and providing regular guidance and feedback can make your freelancers more efficient. Make sure that the freelancers are treated as your regular employees because a satisfied freelancer yields more quality work.
