Data suggests that the cost of keeping an employee on your payroll is about 1.25 to 1.4 times that employee's salary. Because you don't need to pay for extras, such as health insurance or paid time off, hiring freelancers instead of employees can be a way for your business to save money on labor costs. Plus, remote work options mean you can find skilled people across the globe. These tips can help you build a happy, productive team of freelance workers.
Some jobs are better suited to remote work than others. In general, jobs that primarily involve talking on the phone or working on the computer are good candidates for remote work. Jobs in this category include customer service, technical support, webpage design and maintenance, writing, marketing, and sales.
Since you can't just walk over to their desk, establishing rules and procedures for communicating with freelance workers is essential. Set regular meeting times to touch base with your staff and build a sense of team. Consider using video conferencing software so that your team can see each other's faces. Create a written policy that details when and how you expect remote workers to communicate with you and each other and what they can expect from you.
You will probably need to exchange many documents with your remote team. You can make this process more efficient by using a PDF merging tool to combine your documents into one searchable file. Once combined, you can reorder your content in whatever way works best for you.
Paying your freelance workers on time and in a way that is convenient for them is important for keeping your team happy. The most traditional method is to mail checks or deposit funds directly into the worker's bank account. However, when dealing with people from a faraway country like the Philippines, it may be costly and inefficient to do this.
An inexpensive and reliable money transfer service, such as Remitly, could be a better option. With this service, you can have the money delivered to workers' homes, deposited in their bank or mobile money account, or sent to a Philippine location where they can pick it up.
Clearly communicating your expectations is another important part of keeping freelancers happy. Start on the right foot by writing a detailed job posting. Include a description of the task or project, the skills and experience you want, the deadline, information about your company, and the amount you plan to pay.
Once you have the basics of working with a remote team down, you need to find some freelance workers to hire. Online job sites, such as Upwork, Freelancer, Guru, and Fiverr, are a good place to start. One of the benefits of using the Fiverr platform is that you can evaluate potential candidates by looking at portfolio samples and comparing their client ratings, years active, experience, and cost with other candidates. You may also want to investigate job boards that are specific to particular countries, such as Filipino Freelancers in the Philippines.
Working with a remote freelance team frees you up to draw on talent from around the world. However, it can be difficult to keep everyone happy and working efficiently. Keep the lines of communication open and adjust your strategy as needed and you will get there.
