A work-from-home set-up isn’t just a necessity nowadays, but it also provides much-needed flexibility for both the company and the freelancer. Yet, the process isn’t as easy as it seems to be on paper. Finding the right freelancers for the job is a tedious process, and onboarding them to your team could pose long-term problems if not done properly.
It’s not a coincidence that a study from TinyPulse found out that companies with an established onboarding process retain 91% of their remote workers after the first year.
It’s essential to set the right tone from day 1 so that freelancers stay in line with the company’s principles and expectations. So to help with that process, here is an onboarding checklist that you can use to successfully welcome freelancers to your team’s workflow.
Present Project Documents and Walkthroughs
Don’t beat around the bush. Be straightforward and introduce the freelancer to every document necessary for him or her to know what needs to be done.
These documents include the job description, style guide and preferences, and basically your expectations of the tasks that the freelancer has to finish within a specified timeline.
Also, never leave the freelancer guessing about what kind of brand they are promoting. Explain your company’s brand, detail out your short-term and long-term goals, and show the freelancer a glimpse of your team’s past accomplishments.
Along with those assets, video walkthroughs of the project workflow can also be helpful.
Doing video tutorials for your new freelancers will make it easier for them to have step-by-step knowledge, which is an essential factor, especially when working with complicated software or communication tools.
There are several helpful apps like QuickTime and ScreenFlow where you can easily create your video walkthroughs.
Prepare a Contract and Set Rules and Regulations
Even if it is just for a one-time project or a long-term partnership, always come up with a written and signed agreement with the freelancer.
This will help you set rules and regulations to establish professionalism with your remote workers. Through all-in-one hiring platforms like Fiverr, contracts aren’t required when you hire freelancers. That said, while freelancers absolutely love the flexibility given to them, you also need to stay on top of their work to ensure that they are exhibiting the utmost productivity.
Freelancers are often praised for being independent in their approach to work, but they still need your supervision to produce more value to your team.
Introduce New Freelancers to Your Current Team Members
Remote workers give up the benefit of socialization, but there are tons of ways for them to still be a part of the team’s office culture.
Before freelancers log in their first minute on the job, create a working atmosphere by introducing each one of them to the team. This is often overlooked in the onboarding process, but it is a great source of intrinsic motivation for new freelancers.
Most importantly, this would also lead your current team members to believe in the fact that freelancers are here to help them, not take away their jobs. Declining productivity due to employee burnout and lack of manpower cause teams to outsource projects to reliable freelancers.
Ensure All Team Communication and Necessary Tech are Working
Nothing beats efficiency in the workplace, so make sure that you have a smooth workflow in place.
Means of communications should be well-planned. You can assign two or three current members of your team to take shifts in answering new freelancers’ inquiries and concerns. Fiverr also has this base covered as you can directly talk to a freelancer through the platform’s messaging feature. This makes it easier for you to establish a great working relationship with the freelancer, while also making sure that every conversation detail is kept safe and recorded within the platform.
Also, remember to always have a troubleshooter on call if your software encounters technical problems. Bear in mind that freelancers also follow a certain schedule with other clients so they cannot always adjust to changes in your timeline when technical problems arise.
Find the Best Freelancers with Fiverr
If your company is planning to hire freelancers, Fiverr’s platform is the way to go!
Our freelancers offer specific packages designed to accommodate your company’s needs. Remote working is the new normal nowadays, and Fiverr will help you take the important steps towards onboarding skillful freelancers to your team.
The post What Your Team Needs to Onboard Freelancers appeared first on .