You’ve decided to complete your project with the help of freelancers, which is a good way of getting it up and running fast, in high quality, and without needing full-time staff.
But hiring freelancers, though it is an extraordinary strategy, could be challenging especially if you need to find a couple of people from around the world.
Here are some tips and tricks on how to build and manage your remote team effectively, and reduce hassle to a minimum.
Cost is king
How do you hit the spot in terms of pricing? Though it is tempting to go for the lowest bidders, the best people usually have gathered experience and have adjusted their prices accordingly. So, even though it is not impossible to find great freelancers at the bottom of the price list, the true gems are usually in the middle of the pack.
Look for a compelling reputation, a high star rating, and a lot of projects completed in your main project skill. A true insider trick is to look for a high Repeat Hire rate. Anything above 20 percent is excellent and a good indication that the freelancer is a great team player.
Small, sure steps
Before you hire a freelancer for your project, it may be useful to run a small test project with them before going on to the big league, especially if you have a large-scale project in the books. You can post your project and gather bids, and then pick two to three ‘finalists’ for which you create a small ‘hire me’ project for.
The project should highlight the freelancer's skills needed for the project and should also give you an idea how they communicate, how they manage deadlines, etc. Alternatively, you can get a Recruiter upgrade to access a curated list of high caliber freelancers and receive assistance from people who work with them every day.
Coordination is key
Nowadays, there’s an endless list of tools that you can use to stay up to date with your project partners across different time zones around the world.
One low-cost variant is Trello, where you can collaborate with the freelancers remotely, and structure deadlines, deliverables, and give feedback easily via its simple, list-oriented interface.
If you want extended functions and a more holistic approach to project management, Basecamp offers a $99/month subscription to cover all your needs.
There's also the Freelancer Desktop App that lets you collaborate and communicate with your freelancers via its chat feature. It's also advisable that you ask your freelancers to use the app to track their time so that every hour will be billed accurately.
Regardless of the tools you choose, keeping a constant communication with your freelancers is essential for getting the output you need, when you need it.
Help is all around
If your project is huge that headaches are inevitable, maybe it is time to hire someone to help you manage it all. Many freelancers can do just that. Virtual assistants and project managers go through all the steps with the hired freelancers to keep your projects on track. Just tell them what you need to get done and when you need it, and they will be happy to put in all the coordination effort for you.
Communication is utterly important. Make sure you explain your expectations down to the last detail so that your newly minted team can deliver exactly what you want.
