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What are the benefits of hiring freelancers?

Can you trust freelancers on Upwork and Fiverr? We look into the pros and cons of working with freelancers in this article.

25 SEPTEMBER, 2024

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What Are the Pros and Cons of Hiring Freelancers?

The traditional workplace is changing. 78 per cent of companies now rely on freelancers rather than hiring full-time staff in 2023, according to Fiverr. With more people leaving nine-to-five jobs for self-employment and freelancing, the freelance talent pool is expanding. But does that mean you should invest in freelance talent instead of hiring an employee? Why do companies hire freelancers? What are the pros and cons of recruiting freelancers?

See also: Does Your Business Need A Blog?

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The Benefits of Freelance Employees

Lower costs

Training and maintaining full-time staff isn’t cheap. Between the salary, healthcare, benefits, and taxes, a lot goes into taking care of full-time workers. If you’re working with freelancers, however, you’ll only need to agree on a price and pay for the assigned work given. For entrepreneurs who are in the starting stages of a startup, freelancers allow small businesses to get talent and resources. Plus, they can avoid splurging on a monthly investment that they may not be able to afford in the long run.

Increased talent pool

You’re no longer limited to hiring just one person for the role. You’re also no longer limited to the talent pool within your area. Take advantage of freelancer sites such as Upwork and Fiverr, but choose your talent carefully to avoid low-quality work. Sites such as Linkedin also allow you to connect with industry professionals who may be open to work. You could also scope out your local coworking centres to meet freelancers in your area.

Unlimited flexibility

Got a deadline coming up that you need help with? There are hundreds and thousands of freelancers who are looking for work regularly at all hours of the day. With such a wide talent pool available, you’re bound to be able to find someone who is able to work according to your deadlines and schedules.

However, keep in mind that high-quality freelancers are often booked up weeks or even months in advance. This means that you should be prepared to either offer a higher rate than normal to stand out, or send over your work proposal ahead of time to avoid disappointment.

Lessened workload

If you’re an entrepreneur who is trying to wear all the hats in the company, consider giving off some of your work to a freelancer that you can trust. By freeing up some of your time, you’ll be able to achieve a better work-life balance and avoid burnout, which in turn may prevent you from creating work that you’re proud of.

The cons:

Inconsistent work

By working with freelancers, you also run into the chance of working with freelancers who do not deliver the quality of work that was initially promised, whether there are issues with the work deliverables, or if they submit work past the deadline. A lot of trial and error may need to happen in order to find a pool of quality freelancers that you can rely on.

Lack of commitment

Most freelancers tend to be managing several jobs and projects at the same time. Your project may not be a priority on their list, which may sometimes mean lowered work quality. If the work that you’re looking to task off requires training, this may also be tricky as you’ll be wasting time and energy on a freelancer you may not work with in the future.

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3 Tips to Consider When Hiring Freelancers

Explain deliverables clearly

The clearer the instructions you give, the less room there is for error. Setting clear deliveries with detailed expectations could minimise miscommunication. Have this set of instructions ready when briefing potential freelancers you’re interested in working with. That way, both parties know what they’re getting into before the contract begins.

Choose freelancers carefully

If you’re sourcing freelancers from online sites, take your time in reading through your messages and proposals. This way, you’ll be able to tell which freelancers took the time to research your project or are more knowledgeable about what you’re looking for. After you’ve noted down your list of potential freelancers, go through their skill sets, resumes and customer reviews to further narrow down your options.

Set early deadlines & Review work in detail

Try and advertise your task as early as possible so that you have plenty of time to review the work received in detail. It doesn’t matter if the freelancer states they’ve been working in the industry for decades on their resume—mistakes happen. Go through the work carefully to make sure it’s up to your standard.

So should you hire freelancers?

Whether or not you hire freelancers to help with your day-to-day tasks depends on each company and entrepreneur. Determine if the work that you need help with needs a lot of training and constant communication—if it does, perhaps you can consider a short-term or part-time contract with a freelancer to test the waters, or choose to hire a full-time staff entirely. Look through the pros and cons and see what makes sense for you and your company.