Managing freelancers doesn’t entail the same experience as managing a team of full-time staff. While the former can be cost-effective for your company, the downside is that it can be twice as hard to maintain. This is especially true when it comes to remote work in the Philippines. 

In this article, we give you some tips on managing freelancers, and how you can optimize your workplace management practices for a more effective experience. 

Tips for Managing Freelancers Effectively 

When working with freelancers, you commission the services of people you likely haven’t met face-to-face prior to hiring. You will also have to coordinate with them remotely. Even harder, most freelancers have full-time jobs that they need to prioritize. Truly, managing freelancers is no walk in the park.

By following these seven best practices, you can better streamline your workflow and make it easier for you to maintain ties with freelance talents.

1. Build relationships with your freelancers

While freelancers aren’t part of your core team, this doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t take the time to get to know them better. In fact, your freelancers should be treated like business partners. 

Taking the time to get to know your freelancers will help you better integrate them into your workflow. It will also give you a better understanding of why they do what they do. In addition to this, building relationships will likely improve their performance and work output.

2. Clearly define project details when managing freelancers.

Don’t expect freelancers to understand your company’s workflow—that’s not part of their job. 

That is why you should instead put everything in writing, with as much detail as necessary.

When commissioning freelance work, you should prepare comprehensive project briefs that will explain the key details and help them gauge your expectations. Don’t limit the details to project duration, expected deadlines, and objectives. It would be best to leave no stone unturned to avoid confusion when managing freelancers.

3. Avoid micromanaging freelancers

People usually venture into freelancing because of the autonomy it provides. That is why you should be flexible when it comes to managing freelancers. Remember that you’re not their only client, so give them ample time to get the work done. 

It’s best to consult them about the turnaround time before setting it in stone. As long as you keep communication lines open, you can expect your project to be completed as promised. 

4. Provide feedback

Because they’re not your employees, there’s no need for a formal review when managing freelancers. However, that doesn’t mean you should forgo giving feedback altogether. 

Consider sharing your insights with freelancers to help them improve their craft. Positive reinforcement can also motivate them to deliver good performance continuously. 

5. Consider time tracking.

It’s not common to track your freelance talents’ time. However, if you’re paying by the hour, this may be an essential step.

It can be time-consuming on their part to document their own work hours, especially if they cater to other clients. To add, it certainly will require huge trust on your end. Fortunately, tools like Capataz can make time tracking easy for you and your freelancers. Through this, you don’t have to manually check in with them to make sure they finish the work on time. 

6. Invest in project management tools.

Just as with any project, managing freelancers can be made easier and more efficient. One of the best ways to improve how you do business with outsourced talent is to invest in the proper tools.

By getting a work order app like Capataz, you can be more organized with how you conduct freelance talent management. Not only does it allow you to track your freelance team’s time, but it can also simplify the overall process. Project briefs can be processed as templated work orders that are stored in a centralized system. Leave feedback on each completed project for their reference. If you don’t want to shuffle through too many spreadsheets, Capataz is the way to go.

Managing Freelancers, Done Right with Capataz

Without doing these best practices, outsourcing work can do more harm than good. After all, you commission freelancers to allow your full-time staff to focus on more crucial tasks. If your freelance management fails, what even is the point of hiring outside talent?

Investing in tools like Capataz, however, you can make managing freelancers much easier. By using Capataz, you can simplify everything you need to coordinate with your freelance team. Through paperless work processes, work order management,  and remote time tracking, you can expect better performance, quality, and efficiency from your team. With Capataz, you can make sure you’re getting your money’s worth. Contact our team to schedule a free demo.