How to Hire a Freelancer

Why hire a freelancer?

Hiring a top freelancer allows you to work with an expert at a reduced cost. The right freelancer can hit the ground running with minimal training and complete both short-term and long-term tasks and projects with maximum flexibility, quick turnaround times, and low overhead.

Contributions of a great freelancer:

• Understand project briefs to produce accurate, high-quality work
• Handle multiple projects through to completion, consistently meeting tight deadlines
• Communicate effectively across multiple channels (email, Skype, online collaboration tools, etc.)
• Provide out-of-the-box, innovative solutions to meet project goals
• Help with time-sensitive projects or unexpected issues outside of normal working hours

Skills to look for in a great freelancer

Freelancers are often top experts in their field, providing specialized work to fill the skills gap at your company. To find a freelancer that matches your company’s needs, look for qualifications and work experience that reflect top freelancing skills, especially in the specific industry you’re hiring for.

Freelancer qualifications:

• Portfolio or samples of work
• Specialized skillset
• Knowledge of online collaboration tools, such as Asana or Trello
• Excellent communication skills
• Project management skills
• Flexibility and self-discipline

Writing a freelancer job description

A thoughtful description is important in finding qualified freelancer candidates. A freelancer job description should include a compelling summary of the role or project, a detailed list of duties and responsibilities, and the required and preferred skills for the position.

Keywords to include in your freelancer job description: 

• Digital nomad
• Contract
• Part-time
• Remote
• Independent contractor
• Short-term

Interviewing freelancer candidates

Hire the right freelancer for your business by asking targeted interview questions that will reveal a candidate’s ability to seamlessly transition to different projects, manage demanding workloads and deadlines, and communicate consistently and effectively across a wide variety of channels.

Topics for freelancer interview questions:

• Time management skills
• Past freelancing experience
• How they measure and communicate results
• Personal work process
• Freelance rates, fees, and payment schedules

See our list of interview questions for more examples.