Freelancers are an excellent resource for small business owners that want to take on more clients without the extra expense that comes with hiring full-time staff. Self-employed freelancers are paid on a per-job basis, and bringing them on board can minimize some of the risks and resources that are required for new hires. With that said, you still want to make sure you hire talent that can deliver on their promises. Here are six tips for hiring freelancers that’ll help ensure you get the best person for the job.

1. Do A Test Run

Hiring someone solely based on their past work is one of the biggest mistakes people make when bringing on freelancers. You never know if they had help with the work that’s featured on their portfolio or if the skills they currently possess are suitable for a particular task. To make sure you end up with a freelancer that can deliver on their promises, make a sample hire and see for yourself if they live up to your expectations.

2. Ask for References

It’s always a good idea to do your due diligence when hiring freelancers you’ll be working with for an extended period of time. Asking for references and reaching out to them is the best way to get a sense of how they’ve performed on previous projects.

3. Don’t Go With the Cheapest Option

If a price seems too good to be true, it probably is, and this sentiment definitely applies to freelance rates. As tempting as it may be to cut costs, you’re always going to be better off paying more for quality work instead of wasting time trying to fix something that wasn’t done correctly.

4. Have An Agreement for the Project At Hand

Freelancers can only deliver on a project if the specifics are laid out for them, and it’s important that you come to an agreement early on in the hiring process. Establishing timelines, deliverables expected, and payment schedules before you get a freelancer to sign on the dotted line is the best way to make sure both parties have a positive experience.

5. Familiarize Yourself With the Freelancer’s Timeline

There’s a high probability that the freelancer you’re going to be working with has more than one employer, and asking them about their timeline is the only way to make sure deadlines will be met. Keep your expectations realistic and check on them regularly to see how the project is coming along if you do decide to hire them.

6. Make Use of Freelancer Job Boards

Freelance job boards like Freelancer, Freelance Writing Jobs, and ProBlogger are all great platforms that allow you to post jobs that’ll be seen by some of the best talent out there. Making use of these job boards also increases the pool of candidates you can choose from and makes the vetting process that much easier!

At Project Spaces, we have our very own job board where companies looking to grow can post job opportunities for both freelancers and full-time employees. Our founder-friendly Toronto coworking community is also a great resource to use if you want to expand your team and get in touch with freelancers that you can rely on. Book a tour of our coworking spaces today and start your search for freelancers off on the right foot!