Freelancers fill many gaps for businesses and provide numerous advantages, but an organization must be well prepared to work with and manage remote workers to access all the benefits they offer. In the previous article, we discussed the necessary protocols all businesses and entrepreneurs should follow when hiring freelancers. Along with this, it is essential for employers to stay focused on what work needs to be done, and to avoid the common mistakes and pitfalls when hiring freelancers, which can result in disastrous situations. 

There are a few scenarios you must circumvent before hiring freelance consultants and while working with them. 

1.    You don’t have all the basics worked out, and the end goal is unclear. 

As beneficial as it may be to hire an expert freelancer, you must avoid being unclear about what you want. Remote workers are some of the most flexible and efficient professionals, but they are not mind-readers. Having an indecisive client with ambiguous expectations who fails to convey the scope and vision of the project can be frustrating for freelancers. You don’t need to have all the details in order, but it is crucial that you have a general idea of what you expect from the outsourced job. 

Before hiring consultants work out why you need them, how they can benefit your business, and what you expect them to accomplish. Remember, they will operate according to the guidelines you provide, so establish clear ground rules to expect the best results. 

2.   Constantly changing the requirements or making out of the scope requests.

The unpredictability of a business environment is unavoidable, but the contract you make with your hired consultant must remain consistent. It is acceptable to ask for minor changes if unpredictable situations arise but stay focused on the agreed deliverables. If you continue changing your requirements, it will only confuse the freelancer, and you might not get the results you expect. 

Moreover, always remember, as a client it requires a considerable amount of time and dedication for freelancers to handle the workload. Avoid making out of the scope requests as this will only slow them down, and you might not get your work delivered on time. Additionally, it is also against the agreement to ask for additional or unrelated work. Committing to the decided requirements will build trust and maintain a positive relationship between you and your consultant. 

3.    Urgency and Distrust

Agreeing on the time required for the job is essential, and you must respect the decided deadline. Keep in mind that you might not be the only client for your hired freelancer, and it is unethical to treat the work as a fire drill. While it is obligatory for the person you have hired to appropriately manage their workload and meet all deadlines, it is equally important for you to set and adhere to the expectations and time limits you have agreed upon. Unlike full-time employees, freelancers cannot be available for you at all times; hence it creates an unhealthy and unproductive environment to rush them in to completing the work before the time limit. 

Secondly, you must remember that you are hiring an experienced professional and not an intern who needs to be supervised. Hiring a freelancer means that you are acknowledging their skills and granting them the autonomy to do the work for you. All experienced consultants understand that some adjustments for projects are always needed, but their work execution does not require your supervision. Remember, it is one of the perks of hiring freelancers; they are qualified to work independently. 

4.    Hiring a freelancer at the last minute

The worst time to hire a remote worker is when you need one the most. Despite the fact that the gig economy has a vast talent pool and you can find freelancers to do any kinds of jobs, looking for someone when you have a pressing deadline or an urgent project might not be the best decision. Firstly, you won’t have enough time to carefully select the right candidate, but more importantly, no matter how experienced a freelancer is, they will need some time to understand the scope of the work and examine the needs of your company. 

Specialized platforms such as Consult Xperts give you access to experienced and capable freelance consultants, and also take care of all the additional activities from finding the right candidate for the job to handling payments. However, you must steer clear of the common mistakes companies make while choosing to work with freelancers and provide a reasonable amount of time to select the most suitable expert for your job.