Freelancing, a modality of independent work, offers numerous opportunities to hire qualified, diverse, and inclusive talent in 2022.
Freelancing marketplaces, such as Fiverr, PeoplePerHour, and Upwork, have become essential resources to get remote employers. Nonetheless, hiring through freelancing platforms offers advantages and disadvantages that you may want to know.
We’ll tell you everything about hiring remote talent through freelancing marketplaces.
What are Freelancing Platforms?
Freelancing marketplaces are platforms where you can hire remote workers known as “freelancers.” Typically, these freelancers are from worldwide and have different expertise and skills. Therefore, freelancing marketplaces, such as Fiverr, PeoplePerHour, and Upwork, simultaneously operate as recruitment and employment platforms.
One recurrent question among employers, known as “clients” and employees or “freelancers,” is payment security. But what happens when a freelancer doesn’t manage to deliver a product or a service? And what happens when a client is reluctant to pay a freelancer?
Platforms generally secure payments through an Escrow system. By utilizing this system, the platforms retain the money. As an employer, you‘ll be able to pay a freelancer only if you authorize the platform. In addition, if the client doesn’t want to pay, freelancers can present a dispute and get the money for their work.
Generally, freelancer platforms are used by recruiters to hire virtual assistants. Likewise, you can use freelance marketplaces to recruit call center representatives. Do you want to have more ideas about what job positions you can hire through Fiverr, PeoplePerHour, and Upwork? We suggest you check this page.
We recommend you watch this video to learn the what kind of challenges freelancers face when using freelancer platforms such as Fiverr, PeoplePerHour, and Upwork.
Pros of Hiring on Fiverr, PeoplePerHour, and Upwork
Hiring through freelancing platforms reports several benefits. We recap these benefits for you:
Save costs: you can save costs by hiring freelancers through Fiverr, PeoplePerHour, and Upwork. You can expect to save, even at a higher hourly rate, up to 30% annually. Also, you don’t need to pay for social security. Since a freelancer is a remote employee, you will also reduce expenses related to offices.
Risk reduction: employers’ risk is reduced since freelancers are not properly employees. They assume responsibility for their social security. If their performance is not optimum, you can close the contract with them on these platforms, leave a review, and continue hiring your ideal freelancer.
Access and quality: you’ll access the most qualified talent globally. Furthermore, freelancer treats their work as a business in a strict sense. As a result, you’re relating to serious business people who will offer you high-quality work.
In this video, you can learn how to hire the right freelancer for your business.
Cons of Hiring on Fiverr, PeoplePerHour, and Upwork
Hiring cons through freelancer platforms also have disadvantages that you may want to know:
Overworked freelancers: an independent freelancer is always trying to expand their businesses. So, it’s expected that a freelancer has numerous jobs. For instance, an experienced freelancer can deal with thirty to forty clients monthly alone.
To handle the workload, they incorporate outsourcing strategies in their businesses. Therefore, when you hire an experienced freelancer, you relate not with a person but with a growing company.
In inexperienced freelancers, multitasking, overworking, and burnout are every day. In this case, be sure you’re hiring the right freelancer. In addition, it would be helpful to check their experience and skills, mainly time management, effective communication, problem-solving, and customer service.
Freelancers don’t admit supervision: unless you hire an employee through Upwork, a time tracker feature that allows you to check how your freelancer is advancing on your project, freelancers don’t admit supervision.
Since they work mainly for projects, it’s assumed that they have complete autonomy to develop tasks and complete projects. Therefore, if you need to hire a person that needs to be supervised by you, it’s better to hire a remote employee.
A freelancer is rarely engaged with your company: Unless you hire experienced freelancers who understand how important it is to align themselves with your values and interests, you’ll see that regular freelancers avoid engaging with you or your company.
The primary purpose of a freelancer is to keep you as a client since they’re expanding their business. If you want engaged people in your business, hiring a remote employee is better.
Tips to Hire Freelancers Through Upwork, Fiverr, and PeoplePerHour
Upwork, Fiverr, and PeoplePerHour are great online platforms connecting businesses and individuals with talented freelancers from all over the world. Here are a few tips for how to get the most out of these services.
Define your project scope and budget upfront
This will help you attract the right candidates and avoid any misunderstandings down the road. First, define the project’s scope and set a budget you’re comfortable with.
Also, research different freelancers and find the right one for the job. In addition, when you contact freelancers, communicate with them and, if you hire them, pay them on time and in full. Lastly, follow up with them after completing the project to ensure satisfaction.
If you need a tutorial to better understand PeoplePerHour, we recommend you watch this video.
Take some time to browse profiles and reviews before making your final selection
When looking for a freelancer to hire through Upwork or PeoplePerHour, it’s important to take the time to browse through profiles and reviews before making your final selection. This will help you find the right candidate for the job and avoid any misunderstandings down the road.
Send your freelancer a detailed proposal outlining the project requirements and your proposed budget
When contacting a freelancer about a project, be sure to send them a detailed proposal outlining the project requirements and your proposed budget. This will help them understand the project more clearly and avoid any misunderstandings down the road.
Be clear about deadlines and communication expectations from the outset
It’s important to agree on a schedule for check-ins with freelancers and progress reports so that everyone is on the same page. This will help ensure that the project is completed on time and to everyone’s satisfaction.
You may want to consider setting up a schedule for check-ins halfway through the project and then again at the end. Additionally, be sure to send freelancers regular progress reports to keep track of their progress and ensure they are on track.
Pay attention to the quality of the work being delivered; if it’s not up to scratch, don’t be afraid to ask for revisions or even consider finding someone else.
At the end of the project, leave a review for your freelancer
When you’re finished with your project, be sure to leave a review for your freelancer. This will help them improve their skills and attract more clients in the future.
When writing your review, be honest and constructive. If the work wasn’t up to scratch, let the freelancer know so they can improve next time. However, be sure to also praise them for any aspects of the project you like.
This will help the freelancer better understand what they did well and where they need to improve.
Bottom Line
In conclusion, hiring freelancers through online platforms such as Fiverr, PeoplePerHour, and Upwork can be a great way to get high-quality work done at a fraction of the cost. However, it is important to be aware of the pros and cons of each platform before making a decision about which one to use. Additionally, there are some tips that can help make the process of hiring freelancers through these platforms easier and more efficient.
Infographic: Pros and Cons of Hiring on Frelance Marketplaces
See Full Infographic in Visually.