Our economy has been so up and so down that many who had steady jobs lost them.  In a pursuit to discover who they were again, steady their finances and truly redefine the work area, there is an influx of freelance workers.

Every former employee has an entire plethora of skills sets they can bring into the workforce.  Using the skills they have, and seeking employment that fits these skills, they gain income and stability in their lives while in turn, helping out companies that have downsized, and are in need of employees, just not full time. 

Rather than hiring terms, many employers are taking the chance on using that vast, deep ’till’ of finding a freelancer out there to fill the current void in their company.  In many cases, freelancers are the answer to the employer, but as with every choice made in life, there are 2 sides to the coin.  Lavishly live life out loud and learn the pros and cons of hiring a freelancer and figure out if this is the best decision for your company.

REALLY A FREELANCER

Remember when you went to college and you were going to go into marketing? Somewhere along the way, you ended up in sales and you did damn good at it.  The skill set you have from formal training is marketing, the skill set you have from your old job is sales, and meshing the two makes you a viable freelancer, if you can find the right work.  Perhaps you’d be great at selling online, or maybe creating content for emails that are used for selling? No matter what job you find, your 2 skill sets are unique to you and can be used to source the right freelance position.

The Flip Side 

On the positive side of things, when an awesome worker, who really wants to make a go of things in their own life is matched up with the right company, it’s like fire being set from a strike of a match to gasoline, very INTENSE and awesome.  For many working, FREELANCING allows them to more appropriately balance life and work while being their own boss.

The HR Department has to make very clear decisions about each ‘freelancer’ they bring on because done well, you have the gasoline on fire revolution and done poorly and you have the Titanic hitting the iceberg.  The choice may take the time to show how wrong it was, and it may be a while until it sinks all together, but it will happen and along the way, there will be issues.

The Pros 

LESS COST 

As an employer, you can often pitch a lower cost for work than you would for a full-time employee.  Freelancers are willing to work for less to gain business and because they have no overhead other than their home (which they write off the WiFi, etc) it is a perfect match, however, the age-old adage that you get what you pay for applies.

It may be in your best interest to hire a freelancer at a higher fee, it may actually be cheaper in the long run than hiring a team of mediocre freelancers for a lower upfront cost. Like I said, fire and gasoline is the mixture you are after, to really make an impact and gain from their knowledge and valiant work ethic.

NICHE WORKERS

When a freelancer has evolved for a long time in one industry, being the ‘best’ at it, sometimes their niche can work well for you.  Freelancers tend to be highly specialized because they have had the time to develop their strengths.

They also use this as their marketing strategy to stand out from the crowd. Generic software engineers, for example, are good if you want to great a full-time team.  However, if you have a specific project or problem you need to be addressed, a freelancer can be your go-to. Niche workers, tend to do best in those environments that the ‘hiring staff’ have well-defined because they already know the industry they just have to hit the ground running and change up the brand they are now working for.

COMPETITIVE COUNTS 

In order to keep getting hired, or to stay hired with a current work together, freelancers have to offer high-quality work, because there is no job security.  Thriving in the freelance world means remaining competitive, learning the competition, honing in on their skills and fine tuning them even more and make their drive unstoppable.  A Freelancer must always stay educated and updates or they will not remain competitive nor will they be able to offer cutting edge quality.

The win, where competitive counts if really for the future employer, as they are going to be able to have the best of the best as employment is the brass key, paychecks are for stability and self-worth for these folks is driven through surpassing all others by staying employed, job after job!

BIG CHOICES

As the economy continues to crumble and many grand skilled folks with specific skills get ‘fed up’ with corporate America, they suddenly add into the pot of possible options for hire.  Today, the market of freelancers is larger than ever, which means that your options are in your favor.  You will have an easier time finding the appropriate candidate because freelancers are vying for your attention.  Advanced technology means that

In fact, in today’s world, you will have an easier time finding the appropriate candidate because freelancers are vying for your attention.  Advanced technology means that remote employees can connect with companies through a variety of avenues.  This means that if you are looking to expand your company to other regions, states, or countries, you can find a freelancer fit for you.

CONS

Let’s lavishly live the cons of hiring a freelancer out loud because this is the flip side of the coin that absolutely needs to be defined and refined.  Remember cons help you put perspective on the very ‘cheery’ side of things by providing you other great ways to focus on your upcoming decisions.

REMOTE ISLANDS

Is accessibility to your new freelancer going to be an issue? Where do they work? The freelancer is not in a cubicle so meeting with them is not the option.  You have to cross your fingers that the person you are hiring will communicate honestly and efficiently.

REMOTE RESPONSIVENESS 

A responsible remote worker will make your needs a priority and will reply to your call or email quickly, so long as you respect their business hours.  On the other hand, an unreliable and irresponsible freelancer will cause you a lot of frustration.  For example, they may not respond to your immediate needs, or they may fail to respond to any critiques or suggestions you need to be fixed in their work. Sometimes, a freelancer may disappear altogether and you never hear from them again.

WHO IS WATCHING?

As mentioned earlier, you do not have the power to look over the shoulder of a freelancer.  This can be both a good and bad thing.  Once you build a rapport with a remote worker, you know that you can rely on them to fulfill their end of the bargain.  However, you have to take that first leap in order to figure out whether they will be reliable. 

Remember, they are hired to do a task, they are not required to work your hours (unless otherwise specified in the contract).  Therefore you may not be able to contact them face to face and at the hours you want, you may be waiting for emails or texts because no one can watch them. You may also need to invest in communication methods like Slack to better ensure proper workflow.

INCONSISTENT PERFORMANCE

You do not know why the ‘freelancer’ is working or why they do not have a traditional job, you only have their ‘version’ of why they work freelance. What if the person you hire is great on paper but not so great on consistent performance? What if at their old job it was an issue as well but you will never know that?

Inconsistency goes hand in hand with the two cons listed above.  Unfortunately, there is always the possibility that you will have a freelancer who is inconsistent in their work and their responsibility.  Unqualified or unprofessional freelancers will put off work, or finish work in a hurry, and you may be left with an unsatisfactory product.

Fortunately, freelancing is a competitive market, so you may be surprised at a number of high-quality remote workers that catch your eye.  Should you decide to hire a freelancer, keep these facets in mind during the hiring process.

PROS & CONS

All of the aforementioned hashed out, I can tell you that I am a freelance worker. I am dependable, always there when the client calls, or texts and I reap the daily benefits of working from home, earning a paycheck and getting to work with some of the best companies out there. Freelancers are large in number, but you have to spend a little time talking to them.  When you do, you will be able to sort through who you want on your team.  Lavishly live life out loud and consider the pros and cons of hiring a freelancer! Reach out if you need one! ~Dana XO