How to Hire Freelancers & Contractors in 2024 complete guide to outsourcing onboarding

Why Work with Freelancers

Let’s say you’re a startup who just earned their Series B investment funding. You have plenty of cash,
a great marketing and sales plan, and lofty goals to get your content engine up and running and
start ranking for your industry’s keywords. You may be instantly thinking you need to hire some junior
marketers and content creators and amping up social media efforts. You’ll also need a new website
and a splashy content and advertising campaign to announce a new product line coming out.

You quickly realize it takes time to hire the right people to grow with your company. However, you
need to get the ball rolling now. This is where the right freelancers can help you move fast, match
your company’s brand, and be innovative. In the scenario presented, a freelancer could update your
website, create tons of brand content and blog posts to keep things moving, post on social media,
and create an ad campaign with creative and content. Your company would save money in the long
run by giving you more time to hire the right people, and save money on benefits.

Freelancers Span Time Zones and Languages

Freelancers can be extremely beneficial for growing companies in a number of ways. Freelancers in local markets can help to localize content for sales representatives in both language and tone. If your company
is expanding to a new region, consider using local freelancers to start up social media and blogging efforts. They can also help to translate and repurpose existing content for your new markets.

Utilizing contract workers can be helpful to companies offering support or who require around the clock work for tight deadlines. Hire bloggers around the globe and get your project done in no time!

Here’s Why Freelancers Are Beneficial to Any Business:

• Save money
• Turn projects around quickly
• Get a fresh perspective
• Create cutting-edge marketing and content
• Use budget when you have it
• Experience with global projects
• Available in local markets
• Experience with specialty work
• Available outside of “normal” working hours

Working with Freelancers Provides More Opportunities

The flexibility of freelance work offers many people a job opportunity that would not exist for them in a traditional work environment.

42% of freelancers report that remote, contract positions are their only option for work as they can’t
work for a traditional employer due to childcare needs, health issues, and other lifestyle limitations.

Additionally, for 17% of freelancers in the gig economy, contract work is the only option due to a lack of other jobs in their area.

37% use freelance work to help fill gaps in their salary. No matter the reason, freelance workers are efficient,
provide quality work, and can become a great addition to your team from any part of the world.

How to Find Freelancers

Finding a great freelancer can be a challenge and many of the talented ones have busy schedules.
Luckily, there are a lot of websites and other ways to find freelance content creators, designers,
developers, engineers, and more. Sites like Upwork, Fiverr, Freelancer have reviews and ratings for
marketers, copywriters, designers, developers, artists, illustrators, translators, strategists, and plenty of
other abstract and unique skills.

For artists and illustrators, look through portfolios on Dribbble and reach out to those whose style
matches what you’re looking for. Make sure to check in with a specialist if you’ll be looking for
someone who will deliver a project in a format you’re unfamiliar with. For example, if you need printed
content materials like flyers, the format will differ from a web flyer. Research the best format for what
you’re looking for and search for freelancers who specialize in that software.

Freelancer Profile Examples

Searching for Freelancers Using Online Portfolios and Profiles

Sites like LinkedIn, Craigslist, and Guru offer options to both search for specialists and post projects for interested candidates to send you proposals. Depending on how much time you have, the type of work you’ll need, and how specialized your project is, it may make sense to post across all channels, then use vetting strategies to sort potential candidates and find the right person. Many teams will also
work with several freelancers and rotate projects as needed. When creating a post about the projects or freelancer you’re looking for, be clear about how often they can expect work the project scope and details, hourly rate, and due date.

When writing a post about a job you have, make sure to include the following:

• Project Details
• Inspiration, Design Notes,
• and as Much Detail as Possible
• Creativity or Personal
• Style if Your Project Allows
• Project Scope
• Skills Required/Preferred
• Software/Format
• Timeline
• Hourly Rate or Project Rate
• Potential for Future Work

When you write a job posting, be sure to include key terms that help distinguish the experience level
you’re looking for. For example, write “looking for experienced web developer for creation of custom WordPress website,” or “seeking junior copywriter for short form blog content.” This will help you attract the right freelancers for your project and budget.

Great Examples of Project Posts for Freelancers

Useful Sites to Find Freelancers and Post Jobs

• Upwork
• Fiverr
• Freelancer
• Dribbble
• LinkedIn
• Craigslist
• Guru
• Workhoppers
• FlexJobs
• 99designs

A final way to find great freelancers is to utilize word of mouth.

Ask your employees, friends, LinkedIn timeline, or on social media for freelancers who are available to work. Don’t worry about casting a wide net, in the next chapter, we’ll discuss how to vet and choose the right freelancers.

TIP

Don’t be afraid to look outside of your zip code. Many freelancers work in different parts of the world and may charge less than your local agencies or contract workers.

Freelancer Specialties

How to Hire the Right Freelancers

If you have a budget for a freelancer or a certain project, you can’t afford to have anything go wrong with
who you choose. Make sure to properly vet and qualify freelance candidates with a few quick checks.

• Read any reviews or ratings you can find online
• Check them out on LinkedIn or social media to find out if they have any certifications or degrees
• Review their portfolio and do a quick Google search
• Assign a test project
• Have a project plan prepared

Make sure you have a clear vision for what you want with timelines, budget, and deliverables in mind
before you begin your search so you can find the right person for the task. Use reputable freelancing
sites and be sure to use contracts to protect yourself and your clients.

Request Work Samples and Portfolios

Ask freelance candidates for relevant work samples and portfolios. Work samples are a good way to determine skills and see what they present as their best work. An up-to-date, professional portfolio is a good sign that the freelancer is professional and consistently working. You can also see personality, style, and get an idea of how this person may jive with you and your team. Don’t be afraid of creativity!

Assigning a Test Project to Potential Freelancers

The first time working with a freelancer, a project can be a great way to see how they adapt to your brand and style, the quality of their work, and how much guidance and coaching they need. Create a test project that is representative of the specific project or types of assignments you’d be using a freelancer for. Try to keep a test project around 3-4 hours max and be very clear whether or not it is paid or unpaid. Encourage potential candidates to be creative and put their own flair on the assignment, while staying within your
brand’s guidelines, voice, and tone. For developers and designers, be conscious of the amount of time your test project will take. If you are assigning an ebook for example, cap it at 2-3 pages to get a sense for their skills and turnaround times without bogging them down if you don’t end up choosing them.

You Get What You Pay For

When considering several freelancers with similar qualifications on a freelance website, be wary of going for the cheapest option. Talented freelancers are often willing to negotiate if you are a good client and can
offer more work in the future. Many will offer volume discounts, monthly retainers, and repeat customer rates.

“A mistake many people make is to be too cheap when paying a few
bucks more will get you access to top-tier talent. Paying a higher rate
means you’re getting the best out of tens of thousands of freelancers,
many of whom have rates that they’ve worked hard to establish.”

Ben Young, CEO, Nudge

How to Manage Your Relationships With Existing Freelancers

Once you’ve hired a freelancer (or a few) that you can trust and like working with, make sure to keep up
a good relationship. Freelancers are non-commital by nature and with the rapidly evolving freelance
economy, they have more options for clients than you have for quality freelancers. According to some
projections, the majority of the workforce will be made up of freelancers by 2027.

Here’s how to keep great relationships with freelancers, make the best use of both of your times, and
get projects delivered quickly:

• Create project briefs and scopes
• Include the following when you send project details:
• Brand guidelines or your brand style guide
• Tone and copywriting guidelines
• Font files, logos, and any other relevant image files
• Set up a kickoff meeting
• Request a list of turnaround times and
• expected hours for common projects
• Give plenty of lead time
• Send a heads up if you’ll have work coming
• Act as a referral and send them work

Give + Request Feedback Frequently When Working with Freelancers

When working with freelancers over time, it’s important to give feedback and constructive
critiques on the work provided. Rather than not using a freelancer again because of minor
choices they made or coachable mistakes, try assigning another project after giving them
thorough feedback and see how they do. It is much more financially prudent to retrain an
existing employee than to hire a new one, and the same goes for contract workers.

Legal and Tax Considerations When Working with Freelancers

When using a contract worker, it’s important to consider how they may be a liability for
your company. Send out a contract and a Non Disclosure Agreement (NDA) to all new
freelancers. More often than not, freelancers will have access to some confidential or
sensitive information. Talk to your legal department about what you’ll need before
you can begin work with a freelancer, and think about whether or not you’ll be able to
hire someone from outside of the country you’re in. Don’t forget about taxes, too! Will
you need a 1099 form or W-9 from contract employees? Review some quick legal and tax
tips when working with freelancers below

Legal + Tax Tips for Companies Hiring Freelancers

• Businesses don’t need to withhold taxes from freelancer
• wages for those classified as independent contractors or
• freelancers. (source: allBusiness)
• Here’s a quick test to determine if someone is an
• independent contractor.
• If your business has clients, have contractors sign a noncompetition agreement so they don’t solicit work from
• your clients while working with you. (source: allBusiness)
• If you’ve paid a freelancer more than $600 for services
• for your business, you’ll need to fill out a 1099 tax form
• to report their pay to the IRS.
• When you fill out the 1099 tax form, you’ll also need to
• request a W-9 form to obtain taxpayer information for
• the independent contractors or freelancers.
• Have all freelancers who will have access to or be using
• confidential or sensitive company information fill out a
• non-disclosure agreement (NDA.)

Conclusion

Whether you need a freelancer for a logo, content campaign, radio commercial, or social media strategy, there are 57.3 million freelancers in the U.S. looking for work. Freelancers are useful during rapid growth periods, for small teams with limited content resources, or for businesses just getting started who need to get set up with an online presence. Working with contractors can offer opportunities to experiment with design or create unique videos without the burden of hiring a full time employee. Interested in working as a freelancer? Check out HubSpot’s Ultimate Guide to Freelancing.