According to Forbes, “there are 53 million freelancers in America today. By 2020, 50% of the U.S. workforce will be freelancers.”
As a startup hiring people, there are some ways to make this process less painful, more streamlined and that ensure you get what you expected and what you paid for.
Probably one of the most useful skills is knowing how to filter resumes. Consequently, you’ll save yourself a lot of headache.
If you’re not careful or knowledgeable, you’ll end up wasting time and money. As a result, you could end up with inferior products and angry customers.
Years ago I hired a programmer in Serbia. He seemed qualified, however, the product I got back was a mess. I asked him what happened and he admitted that he subcontracted it to another programmer in Russia. That’s just one of the many stories I have from working with contracts for so long.
If you get the right people, it can be great. I’ve been working with some of the same people online for many years, but it took a lot of trial and error to find the best people.
In this episode, we cover the process we’ve developed over 10 years of working with freelancers around the world.
Timestamp:
0:00 – Considerations for hiring freelancers like accountants?
1:08 – The good and bad
1:20 – Criteria when choosing a freelancer: ratings, geography
4:00 – Set them up to succeed using penalties & incentives with deadlines
6:05 – When to hire in your hometown vs. internationally
6:30 – Drawbacks of working internationally
7:00 – Building local relationships
Additional reading:
Forbes: “The Rise of the Freelancer”
HuffPost: “What the Rise of the Freelance Economy Means for the Future of Work”