Freelancer Management - Tips

I often have to deal with project management, the executors of which are freelancers. In the process, thoughts come to mind about improving such a management.

I would like to share with you the advice that I have compiled on the basis of my experience and which I use constantly.
The material will be useful to freelancers, customers, and project managers.



Traditionally, I note that all advice is controversial, subjective, in need of your critical assessment and processing. Comments and suggestions are welcome.

Stage of coordination and search for performers:

1. Write a clear technical task, continuously supplement and improve it from order to order and according to the comments of freelancers. Formulate the technical task in a separate document, and not in Skype / in the mail.
2. There may be negative reviews about a freelancer. Decide in advance whether you plan to cooperate with him or not. If you nevertheless volunteered to discuss the project, then get rid of all the negative perceptions of the freelancer from your head, only tune in to positive and fruitful cooperation. Otherwise, the negotiations will fail - your phrases will pass through with irony, suspicion and dictatorship.
3. Try to involve in the future acceptance of the project a person who himself carried out such orders. Mention this in conversations and in TK. The freelancer will think through the project and methods for solving the problem deeper and more thoroughly. After all, he understands that his unsuccessful decisions can be easily identified.
4. Continuously search for new freelancers by friends and acquaintances. Only the presence of a large number of freelancers can provide at least some guarantee of the availability of working hands at the moment when you need an artist. It is useful to arrange with freelancers in advance.

Communication:

1. A freelancer is not your subordinate, but an IP, that is, a business partner. This attitude promotes productive collaboration.
2. Because Freelancer is a business partner, then communicate with him accordingly - as an equal. Be interested in his opinion, ask for advice, feedback, comments.
3. Often call a freelancer by name, use the basic principles of communication with people (see the classic book by Dale Carnegie). Make friends with a freelancer.
4. Try your best to soften hard words. Look for soft synonyms. For example, replace the phrase “project comments” with “project comments.”
5. If during the discussion you need to distract for a long time - be sure to write about it. It's easy to write “get out." Show the freelancer that you don’t have the habit of “suddenly disappearing”.
6. Eliminate everything that can be regarded as “temporarily disappeared”, “disappeared it is not clear where,” or even a metaphor - “did he just get shot in the workplace?”.

The working process:

1. Keep your freelancer up to date. Even if he doesn’t ask, in the process often unsubscribe, when there will be acceptance of work, how much he should wait and so on. Clearly set deadlines for yourself and keep your promises. The freelancer will answer the same.
2. Be honest when describing problems and delays. But do not delve into the kitchen of your company, do not write long stories. This kitchen is not interesting for a freelancer.
3. Never delay payment. Pay as soon as acceptance is completed. The reason for the delay of the board is just something like “acceptance in the process”, “there are corrections” and so on. “I will be transferred soon”, “about to receive the money” - the freelancer is not interested in these nuances. In extreme cases, say, “I will translate it within an hour / day and so on.”
4. For part of the successful acceptance, pay part of the amount, even if the freelancer does not ask you about it. Make him enjoyable.
5. Always at the end of work ask the freelancer what he liked and what he didn’t like. Get feedback, give thanks, improve your management skills.
6. It would be nice to write a review to freelancers on freelance exchanges / in linkedIn, mention his participation in the project.
7. At the end of the work, always adjust the technical specifications. Create a checklist of key points that need to be checked. Thus, you will constantly improve management and reduce development costs.

In the near future I plan to publicly share the checklist, which I use to accept sites.
As well as a typical technical task. I believe that on the basis of these materials you will be able to generate your documents, this will significantly save your time.

I look forward to your comments, criticism and evaluation of this collection of tips.