How Do I Work With Freelancers to Get the Results I Want?

There are five steps you can take when working with freelancers to get your project moving in the right direction. A solid framework can help you see the results you want for your project and your team.

When you aren’t used to working with freelancers, you can feel a bit like you’re walking blindfolded to get the final deliverable. How can you trust the work of a freelancer you’ve never met?

When you aren’t used to working with freelancers, you can feel a bit like you’re walking blindfolded to get the final deliverable. How can you trust the work of a freelancer you’ve never met?

Many teams start new partnerships with a paid test project —a small project that might be similar to the work to be done or even the first phase of your larger project. This can be a great opportunity to flex your collaboration skills and go beyond a freelancer’s proposal to see what they’re capable of.

After due diligence and careful consideration, at some point you have to have faith in your decision, remember that trust is a two-way street, and start moving forward. A plan that’s structured to help you get the results you want. This may include:

Ensuring a clear understanding of the project from the beginning Confirming mutual expectations
Polishing up your communication skills
Being quick to spot and act on potential problems

Let’s get started!

1. Give talent access to the information they need. A common challenge when you work with remote talent isn’t understanding what information they’ll need to do the work—it’s figuring out how to get it to them. How can you share internal information and data in a way that won’t leave your company exposed to unnecessary risk?

First, consider the level of risk involved. Data can generally be organized into five categories:

Sensitive
Confidential
Private
Proprietary
Public

For instance, the information required for a graphic design project may already be available, which means there’s little-to-no risk if it gets out to the public. However, a sales or customer service-related project may depend on internal customer data that’s much more sensitive and high risk. Sending it by email may not be an option.

Second, confirm your collaboration strategy. What’s the best way for the freelancer to contact you with questions or clarifications? Will they need access to your company’s virtual private network? If they need access to an internal system, how can you set them up with their own unique user ID? Talk to your IT team about collaboration tools and protocols that will meet your company’s security requirements.

2. Agree on your expectations Before your project begins, schedule a kickoff meeting to review details and set clear expectations. The goal: to confirm the requirements, timeline, and deliverables. You’ve likely already shared these details in your original job post , interview, and other correspondence. So use the opportunity to see if you’re on the same page by letting the freelancer take the lead.

Some of the finer points will still be up for discussion, but by Day One a freelancer should be able to explain the broad strokes, such as:

How they’ll approach the work The timeline and key dates you’ve shared […]

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