The freelancing market is becoming more and more competitive as the coronavirus crises continue to change the world around us. Millions of experienced professionals are also noticing the benefits and freedom of remote work opportunities. In a time such as this, companies must compete to work with highly skilled and executive-level remote workers ready to assist the strategic, managerial, and environmental changes happening in the business world. However, it is necessary to keep in mind that working, managing, and delegating work to remote professionals with decades of work experience is a lot more intricate than hiring a freelancer as an optional resource for some extra help. This article discusses how to work with experienced freelancers and get the results you want.
The changed Business landscape
Even before the COVID19 crises, sources such as HBR and McKinsey were suggesting the global business environment was facing a chronic skills shortage. In addition, an article from Harvard Business review’s 2020 issue indicated that the rapid automation and digital transformation increased the talent issue for companies that would eventually lead to a strategy bottleneck. However, after the pandemic, tech experts are not the only ones in demand. Businesses are now looking for strategy consultants, growth experts, and executive-level management professionals to keep up and succeed in the post-pandemic, turbulent business world.
So, the question many are asking is how to find the right talent at the right time with the right skillset?
The situation created by the pandemic has led to a clear solution “turn towards specialized online talent platforms to find high caliber professionals.”
The crisis brought by the pandemic and the inevitability of remote work has increased the supply and demand of on-demand talent. It is estimated that over 2 million workers have entered the freelance economy due to COVID19. Niche and specialized online platforms like ConsultXperts are now connecting companies with professionals who have decades of experience in strategy, growth, and overall business survival and transformation.
Numerous companies are turning towards experienced freelancers, “This much has become as clear as day”, But this isn’t always an easy process-especially if you’re working with someone who may have been in the industry longer than your company has existed!
How to Work With Experienced Freelancers?
To help lead employers through this process, we have created a checklist for working with experienced freelancers. This list will help keep your business on track while also avoiding some of the common pitfalls that can arise from inexperience and poor communication.
Find the right talent platform.
Finding the right talent for your business is no easy task. With so many options to choose from, it can be hard to find a platform that will suit all of your needs as there is no one-size-fits-all solution for every business. The massive size of many well-known platforms has also made them harder to navigate, and finding the right freelancers has become time-consuming. One way to make this process easier is by using specialized online talent platforms designed with specific business needs in mind and offer tailored personalized features and services.
Experienced freelancers will cost more.
It is about time that companies stop looking at freelancers as cheaper alternatives. Professionals with decades of industry experience and the right skillsets will cost you more money, but they will guarantee results. If you do not want to compromise on the delivery of work and wish to hire a professional that will help you transform your business, help you grow, or lead you out of a crisis, make sure you can afford them.
Ask for help
Specialized talent platforms are not just for the ease of finding the right person. Platforms like ConsultXperts help you throughout the entire process of finding, hiring, and working with the right talent. If you are having difficulties finding the right person or collaborating with a freelancer, contact the platform you hire them from. Nowadays, niche talent marketplaces have designated teams ready to help you find the right professional while supporting you throughout the process of your project.
Clearly review your contract.
Make sure the contract is well-defined and clearly outlines all expectations. It’s also essential that you have a clear understanding of how much time you’ll need to allocate to the project, as well as which milestones can be taken care of on your own and which ones require more hands-on help from an expert. Experienced freelancers are often very easy to deal with as they are already used to the necessities of remote work. So it is always recommended to discuss your contract clearly with your chosen freelancer, and they might even help you clarify certain aspects of your contractual agreement.
Understand what’s happening behind the scenes
It is also important that you know what’s going on as far as negotiations between the client and freelancer go. It would be best if you had a good idea of whether or not you’re getting good value for your money. If you don’t like what you’re hearing, feel free to step in, have a discussion with the freelancer or even contact the platform you hired then from so issues can be resolved as early as possible.
Make sure the freelancer understands the goals you wish to achieve
It’s essential to make sure that your freelance talent understands precisely what your business is trying to achieve. Why are you hiring them? What problems are you hoping to solve? But it’s not enough to simply disseminate these goals verbally. You also need to make sure that this information has been integrated into the plan. Make sure you have regular meetings in which you can discuss whether or not your freelancers are on track and working at the right pace for a successful launch.
Have a clear idea of what you want the freelancer to do
It’s important that you come to the meeting prepared with a detailed list of exactly what you want your freelancer to do and how those tasks will be defined. This point is crucial if you are working with a well-experienced individual. Keep in mind that you are working with an expert that may have led numerous highly important industry projects before working with you. If you show up unprepared, it will reflect poorly on your company and your own expertise.
When initial questions are answered in a proper manner, things should move forward rather smoothly, so your freelancer has no reason to feel apprehensive about their work.
Be prepared for differences in opinion.
Sometimes it’s necessary to go over your plan to ensure all aspects have been covered and that everything is being accomplished. When working with an experienced freelancer hired for a leading position, company executives must be ready for a fresh perspective. Hiring freelancers for positions such as growth consultants and transformation experts requires you to understand they will ring you out of the box ideas, so you must keep an open mind and be ready for change.
Be patient and always focus on clear communication.
This isn’t easy for anyone, but it’s especially hard when working with someone new. Everyone has their own methods of accomplishing goals. But if you hire experienced freelancers, they will make sure everything goes according to the plan, and they are good at conveying any necessary hurdles or changes. Hence, you must always create clear and easy channels of communication and be adaptive. When freelancers are hired to manage or lead teams within your company, you must pay clear attention to their methods of delegating, managing, and working with everyone, as this can be helpful for future projects.
Final Thoughts
If you’re working with someone who has more than a decade of experience in the industry, you know that you’re getting a high-quality individual. However, this doesn’t mean that working with such an experienced freelancer will be an easy process. The key to success is understanding what his or her strengths are and complementing them with your own expertise so everyone’s targets can be met. And if there are any problems along the way, it’s important that you and the freelancer stick together and work out the issues together. This will not only give you a better understanding of how to work with this person in the future, but it will also ensure that your business is able to get the most out of their talents.
Freelancers offer numerous benefits for companies. They allow you to work with someone who has the experience and expertise that your company needs without having to invest time or money into training them. This means you can increase efficiency in areas where it matters most. If you’re looking for freelance talent, we have an extensive network of professionals with decades of industry experience supporting their skills on ConsultXperts – including growth consultants, strategists, marketing professionals, transformation specialists, HR managers, tech experts, and more! But before hiring any freelancer (or employee), make sure they are right for your business by considering their skillset.