It only took one year of a pandemic for nearly half of all U.S. businesses to increase their investments in freelance talent. But it would take a lot more than that to stop this trend in our post-pandemic world.
With services like Fiverr Business, it’s easier than ever for businesses to quickly find, onboard and leverage freelance talent.
“Professionals who were previously 9-to-5 employees are making the switch and turning toward a freelance lifestyle, likely because they found out that it’s much easier to work on your own terms,” said Amit Ashkenazi, vice president of business strategy at freelance marketplace Fiverr. “It’s a shift that is happening. We used to think of this transformation into a digital workforce as the future of work, but it’s no longer the future: It’s here, and it’s here to stay.”
Here's what you need to know about supporting your team with freelancers and how to get started with finding the right ones.
What are businesses using freelance talent to accomplish?
Companies that need freelance talent are turning to marketplaces like Fiverr Business to augment their team’s existing abilities, said Ashkenazi.
“Either ... they are lacking skills in-house or they need the help of professionals with certain skills, on-demand, because they have seasonality in their business or projects that they cannot complete themselves,” he added.
Some companies outsource repetitive tasks that don’t involve strategic thinking, while others rely on freelancers for more complex projects. Either way, business owners and their teams benefit from hiring freelance talent because they can better focus their own time on business development and other managerial responsibilities.
“In many cases, we see companies turning to Fiverr to manage larger projects that they don’t have sufficient manpower to handle in-house,” said Ashkenazi. “It can be video production, building up a new website, content marketing efforts [like] creating articles and blog posts and white papers, or just to get additional help from someone with relevant expertise and experience.”
Where to find freelance talent
There are many helpful resources for finding freelancers today, including Fiverr Business. This service, which is built on Fiverr’s successful freelance marketplace platform, gives companies a dedicated business success manager who can provide a tailored list of recommended freelancers based on the business’s projects, timeline, budget and other details.
“We are building a catalog of services where the feeling is very similar to purchasing a product [online],” Ashkenazi explained. “Freelancers join Fiverr and set up their profile that includes the various services they would like to offer—and as part of this, they make it clear exactly how much time it will take, how much it will cost and exactly what their service includes. It’s all highly productized and transparent for the customer, just like purchasing a product through an e-commerce site.”
Once the business success manager matches customers with the right talent, the freelancer(s) chosen can begin working on the project right away — sometimes without even needing to correspond with them directly.
“We are removing a lot of the friction around trying to find the right freelancer,” Ashkenazi told CO—. “Everything is predetermined with full transparency and certainty. Our algorithm recommends the best talent based on … your need, but also what might be your next project on Fiverr.”
In many cases, we see companies turning to Fiverr to manage larger projects that they don’t have sufficient manpower to handle in-house.
Amit Ashkenazi, vice president of business strategy, Fiverr
Getting the most out of your freelance relationships
1. Test out a few freelancers.
After finding the right talent on Fiverr Business, Ashkenazi recommended testing a few freelancers before deciding which one(s) to keep on your team.
“[Build] an augmented team of freelancers who know your business,” he said. “That will benefit the company because … even if one of your freelancers is unavailable, now you have an augmented team of multiple people.”
2. Help your team by internally sharing your network of freelancers.
Fiverr Business makes it easy to create a customized list of your favorite freelancers based on specific skills. This allows your entire organization to discover and share a network of pre-vetted freelancers you are already working with.
“[In] most organizations, freelancers are working in silos,” Ashkenazi said. “The design team has their own freelancers, the marketing team has their own freelancers, etc., but ... no one knows [about] this augmented team of freelancers who have already worked with them and that they can tap.”
3. Find out what other skills and connections your freelancers have.
Ashkenazi stressed the importance of really getting to know your freelancers.
“They are professionals and they have multiple skills, so it’s important for you to know what else they can do for you to achieve more,” he said.
Not only that, but freelancers also tend to collaborate with other talented professionals in the marketplace. Building a relationship with your own freelancers can open the door to additional opportunities and working with other trusted contacts.
Top considerations when looking for freelance talent
Ashkenazi recommends considering the following factors when hiring freelance workers:
- Relevancy of talent: Any freelancer you hire should have the relevant skills and expertise and have worked with similar industries. Marketplaces like Fiverr allow you to read reviews and understand whether a freelancer’s offerings correspond with your needs.
- Availability: “We all have our one freelancer that we love to work with, but when you need them the most, they’re working on a different project,” said Ashkenazi. That’s why it’s important to have a network of skilled freelancers with open availability, so you’re never scrambling at the last minute.
- Budget: No matter how qualified a freelancer might be, you must ensure they are within your budget before engaging with them so you aren’t putting a financial strain on your business. Fiverr’s model provides full transparency and certainty on the project’s costs compared to the legacy offline open ended freelance engagements.
Ashkenazi noted that businesses will also want to consider differences in language, time zones and geolocations when vetting freelancers, although these barriers are becoming less important in today’s remote work world.
The modern freelance pool is filled with qualified talent, but finding and vetting them can be a challenge. With Fiverr Business, you can ensure you’re quickly matched with the very best freelancers for your business needs and get them started on projects right away.
Boost your team and increase your potential with exceptional talent by signing up for Fiverr Business today.
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