Freelancer Management Tips

I often have to deal with project management, which performers are freelancers. In the process of work, thoughts about improving such management come to mind.

I would like to share with you tips that I compiled based on my experience and which I use all the time.
The material will be useful and freelancers, and customers, and project managers.


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Traditionally, I note that all the advice is controversial, subjective, need your critical assessment and processing. Comments and suggestions are welcome.

The stage of coordination and search of performers:

1. Write a clear technical task, continuously supplement it and improve it from order to order and according to the comments of freelancers. Specify the technical task in a separate document, and not in Skype / in the mail.
2. About freelancer may be negative reviews. Decide in advance whether you are planning to cooperate with it or not. If you still volunteered to discuss the project, then get rid of all the negative perceptions of the freelancer, tune in only for positive and fruitful cooperation. Otherwise, the negotiations break down - your phrases will show through irony, suspicion and dictatorship.
3. Try to attract to the future acceptance of the project of the person who himself carried out such orders. Mention this in conversations and in TK. The freelancer will think through the project and methods for solving the problem deeper and more thoroughly. After all, he understands that his unsuccessful decisions can be easily identified.
4. Continuously look for new freelancers for friends and acquaintances. Only the presence of a large number of freelancers can provide at least some guarantee of the availability of workers at the moment when you need a performer. It is useful to negotiate with freelancers in advance.

Communication:

1. A freelancer is not your subordinate, but an entrepreneur, that is, a business partner. This attitude promotes productive collaboration.
2. Since a freelancer is a business partner, then communicate with him in an appropriate way - as an equal. Be interested in his opinion, ask for advice, feedback, comments.
3. Frequently call a freelancer by name, use the basic principles of communicating with people (see the classic book of Dale Carnegie). Make friends with a freelancer.
4. Try all possible ways to soften hard words. Look for soft synonyms. For example, replace the phrase “project comments” with “project comments”.
5. If during the discussion you need to be distracted for a long time, be sure to write about it. It's easy to write “go away.” Show the freelancer that you are not in the habit of “suddenly disappearing.”
6. Eliminate everything that can be interpreted as “temporarily disappeared”, “it is not clear where it disappeared”, or even a metaphor - “was it just shot in the workplace?”.

The working process:

1. Keep the freelancer up to date. Even if he does not ask - in the process, often unsubscribe, when there will be acceptance of work, how much he will have to wait and so on. Clearly set deadlines for yourself and keep your promises. Freelancer will answer the same.
2. Be honest when describing problems and delays. But do not go into the kitchen of your company, do not write long stories. Freelancer this kitchen is not interesting.
3. Never delay payment. Pay immediately, as soon as the acceptance is completed. The basis for delaying a board is just something like “acceptance in process”, “there are changes”, and so on. “I’ll be transferred soon,” “money is about to go” - the freelancer is not interested in these nuances. In extreme cases, say "Be sure to translate within an hour / day and so on."
4. For the stage of successful acceptance of pay part of the amount, even if the freelancer does not ask you about it. Make him happy.
5. Always at the end of the work ask the freelancer what he liked and what did not like. Get feedback, thank, improve your management skills.
6. It would be nice to write a review on the freelancer / linkedIn freelancer, to mention his participation in the project.
7. At the end of the work always adjust the technical task. Create a checklist of key points that need to be checked. In this way, you will constantly improve your management and reduce development costs.

Soon I plan to publicly share the checklist, which I use for acceptance of sites.
As well as a typical technical task. I suppose that on the basis of these materials you will be able to form your documents, this will significantly save your time.

I look forward to your comments, criticism and evaluation of this collection of tips.