If your freelancing does not work - is the freelancer guilty?
Why are so many managers afraid to get involved with external employees? Perhaps because of the sad experience of working with freelancers: someone disappeared at the most inopportune moment and did not complete the work, someone did it for a very long time, so that they were tired of waiting ...
I was always alarmed by such stories. I do not think that the reasons for the described difficulties are the global inability of freelancers to do the job well and on time. Rather, it is the wrong approach of individuals or companies to the organization of work.
It usually looks like this: searching for each other; the conclusion of the contract for piecework wages ; development, acceptance, fixing; payment.
As soon as we start talking about the piecework remuneration of a freelancer, then the managers immediately realize that for N rubles the developer will be digging the nose with his nose, but will fulfill the task as part of the contract. If you translate into project management language, the expectations of managers for the salary of freelancers are as follows:
It would seem that nowhere is easier: monetary motivation will force the freelancer to do everything on time and with high quality. But why does this scheme not always work? Why is it periodically possible to meet PMA, who is afraid of external employees as fire?
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Imagine the situation. A vacancy is announced. The ad says that in a month the developer will receive “up to N rubles per month”, where N is obviously more than the competitors offer, and more than the average RFP by region / profession. Most likely, many applicants will respond to such a vacancy. They will distribute the TZ, enter into contracts, will be given test tasks ...
It soon turns out that the useful output from such a “team” is minimal. Many freelancers after the first surrender refuse to work. Others, on the contrary, delay their work for many, many months and do not rush to surrender. And only a few freelancers get the amount per month, which was promised in the ad.
Eventually:
When such a job advertisement is made, it is calculated how much approximately the developer will receive per month: the cost of 1 “unit of work” is multiplied by the average number of “units of work” produced by an internal employee in this specialty. This figure is placed in the ad.
However, the freelancers who have just entered the project will work 3-10 times slower than their colleagues on the company’s staff (this is especially true for non-standard works). First, there is less experience with this TK, with corporate style and standards. Secondly, when a developer is far away, it is more difficult for him to agree with acceptance.
Over time, of course, the guys will become more experienced, understand what and how to do. Their income will rise to the very level that is written in the ad. But now, at the very beginning of the project, they get a penny. Developers get frustrated - and go. They remain either very patient or very talented (those who have done it 1-2 times quickly and efficiently).
The answer is simple: you have to take care that the developers (not only internal employees, but also external ones!) From the very beginning receive the maximum profit from cooperation with your company. With seeming simplicity, few follow this advice. Customers often stand in the pose of an “omnipotent buyer”: I pay money and I don’t want to hear anything about your problems.
Here are some tips:
Focus on the interests of developers, their needs.
From my own experience I can say: it works.
I was always alarmed by such stories. I do not think that the reasons for the described difficulties are the global inability of freelancers to do the job well and on time. Rather, it is the wrong approach of individuals or companies to the organization of work.
Standard cooperation scheme of the company and freelance employee (freelancer)
It usually looks like this: searching for each other; the conclusion of the contract for piecework wages ; development, acceptance, fixing; payment.
As soon as we start talking about the piecework remuneration of a freelancer, then the managers immediately realize that for N rubles the developer will be digging the nose with his nose, but will fulfill the task as part of the contract. If you translate into project management language, the expectations of managers for the salary of freelancers are as follows:
- pre-negotiated, fixed contract value makes the costs in the project predictable and controllable;
- it is not profitable for a freelancer to delay the deadlines (the longer it takes to delay the work, the later it will receive money)
- The quality is guaranteed by the fact that payment will be made only after acceptance and quality check.
It would seem that nowhere is easier: monetary motivation will force the freelancer to do everything on time and with high quality. But why does this scheme not always work? Why is it periodically possible to meet PMA, who is afraid of external employees as fire?
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When it doesn't work
Imagine the situation. A vacancy is announced. The ad says that in a month the developer will receive “up to N rubles per month”, where N is obviously more than the competitors offer, and more than the average RFP by region / profession. Most likely, many applicants will respond to such a vacancy. They will distribute the TZ, enter into contracts, will be given test tasks ...
It soon turns out that the useful output from such a “team” is minimal. Many freelancers after the first surrender refuse to work. Others, on the contrary, delay their work for many, many months and do not rush to surrender. And only a few freelancers get the amount per month, which was promised in the ad.
Eventually:
- disappointed freelancers will write a negative review about the company, and it will be even more difficult to find new people;
- project timing will be in jeopardy.
Why it happens?
When such a job advertisement is made, it is calculated how much approximately the developer will receive per month: the cost of 1 “unit of work” is multiplied by the average number of “units of work” produced by an internal employee in this specialty. This figure is placed in the ad.
However, the freelancers who have just entered the project will work 3-10 times slower than their colleagues on the company’s staff (this is especially true for non-standard works). First, there is less experience with this TK, with corporate style and standards. Secondly, when a developer is far away, it is more difficult for him to agree with acceptance.
Over time, of course, the guys will become more experienced, understand what and how to do. Their income will rise to the very level that is written in the ad. But now, at the very beginning of the project, they get a penny. Developers get frustrated - and go. They remain either very patient or very talented (those who have done it 1-2 times quickly and efficiently).
What to do?
The answer is simple: you have to take care that the developers (not only internal employees, but also external ones!) From the very beginning receive the maximum profit from cooperation with your company. With seeming simplicity, few follow this advice. Customers often stand in the pose of an “omnipotent buyer”: I pay money and I don’t want to hear anything about your problems.
Here are some tips:
- if you work on a subcontract, and you got the technical task from the general customer - do not be lazy, before inserting it into the contract, rewrite it in human language. Better yet, take a short video explaining what you want from the developers;
- operational communications decide: less mail, more calls and ICQ / Skype;
- conduct free training for remotes. I know some will say now: I already pay them money, why should I teach at my own expense? The answer is simple: commodity-money relations work as long as these relations are beneficial for both parties. If one of the parties is not interested (freelancers), then there will be no one to pay;
- in the end, if the developer delays the implementation of the first task - treat with understanding, help him, tell that at first it is always hard, and then it will be easier.
Focus on the interests of developers, their needs.
From my own experience I can say: it works.
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/106968/
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