Guide To Working With International Freelancers

Freelancing is a great way to tap into the global talent pool without any geographical limitations, enhancing the possibility of discovering the best talent. It gives access to certain skills that are not available in the home country such as a specific foreign language fluency.

Talents from diverse backgrounds with diverse skills, aptitudes, knowledge, and experience have different perspectives, creativity, and approach to solving a problem. This richness of variety when brought into the existing team can have a huge and positive impact on the project outcome apart from boosting the overall productivity.

For companies looking forward to global expansion, hiring international freelancers can be immensely valuable for collaborating, building business relationships and networking, and promoting the business in the new markets of the countries, the business wants to expand into.

Hiring freelancers from developing countries can also be cheap and advantageous for companies with low budgets.

However, working with international freelancers has its own disadvantages such as difficulties and struggles caused by differences in time zone, language and cultural barriers, communication barriers due to geographic distance, disparities in business norms, and work culture. There is always a risk of international lawsuits, low-quality performance, data breaches, project completion failures, and other costly mistakes.

Here is a guide to working with international freelancers to ensure total success.

 

Selecting The Right Freelancer

Choosing the right freelancer candidate is an inevitable step and many things can go wrong if this process is taken lightly.  So, while scrutinizing the candidates, go through their profiles meticulously. Pick out the profiles that match the requirement of the task or project and see what their previous clients say about their work through the reviews and ratings on their profiles.

After narrowing down the number of candidates, conduct a video interview with the preferable candidates. This type of interview helps to virtually test their communication skills and knowledge related to the subject of your work project. It can also help you judge their interest and enthusiasm for the work.

Ask them to share their portfolio and provide their testimonials or mention their website, if they have any. Inquire about their previous relevant work experience. Examine if they have the proficiency to do your job by assessing the projects they have finished before, and go for those who have undertaken related projects.

Finally, you can also provide a small paid project to test their competence.

 

 

Make A Written Contract

This can avert misunderstandings, and save a lot of time and energy while preventing legal disputes. Prepare a thorough and detailed contractual agreement that includes all the aspects like contact details of both parties, the payment rate, currency, schedule and method, project scope and deliverables, deadline, and timeline, cancellation terms, data protection agreement, confidentiality agreements, copyright or ownership of work/IP agreement, etc. Ensure that the contract is duly signed by you as well as the freelancer.

 

Adopt A Strategy for Effective Communication

Unlike in-house employees, international freelancers are not readily available when you want to contact them. However, clear communication is imperative for getting your tasks done as per your intention and requirement.

So, while hiring the employees be upfront about the language, mode, and platform of communication you prefer. Maybe you prefer emails and online chat over phone calls, or perhaps prefer video calls as you converse better through face-to-face meetings – whichever mode you select ensures it helps you communicate clearly and effectively.

While assigning the projects to the freelancers make certain that they are clear about the delegated tasks and the deadline. Be approachable to the freelancers for work-associated conversation. If you are too busy to be available as and when needed by them, fix meetings with them at a time convenient for both of you or decide on a regular work discussion schedule to clarify their task-related doubts or queries and get regular task updates.

 

Be Mindful Of The Language And Cultural Barriers

When communicating with your freelancers always be direct and use simple language to avoid confusion and misinterpretations. The freelancer from overseas may not be aware of your local slang and expressions.

Also, be aware of their culture and working norms. For instance, pressurizing them to give an update or scheduling a meeting during their festive time can impact the work quality and relationship. Prioritize and set the deadline ahead of their festive season in case of pressing tasks.

 

Be Sensitive To Time Zone Differences

Be empathetic, and considerate of the time difference and schedule the meetings flexibly. If there is a huge time difference, do not expect them to be available or respond right away when you contact them.

 

 

 

Ask For Regular Work Updates And Provide Feedback

It is not advisable to micromanage your freelancers. However, to avoid last-moment stress caused by the freelancer ‘misunderstood the task’, ‘failed to complete the project on time’ or ‘did not work up to the mark and as expected’, it is important to be in touch with the freelancer throughout the process.

Be informed about the progress of the task. Use a checklist to keep track of task particulars. As mentioned earlier, fix a regular task update schedule, inspect the work, and provide feedback consistently. This not only eradicates mistakes and misunderstandings before it is too late but also ascertains smooth workflow and anticipated outcomes.

 

Build Trust With Timely Payment

Freelancers may or may not have a steady income flow. Maybe they are dependent on your payment to get by and pay their bills. If you pay them timely and compliantly, you can establish a long-term work relationship with the freelancers.

 

Choose A Reliable Freelance Platform

Selecting a trustworthy freelancing platform ensures high-quality outcomes.

DhuMall Freelancing Platform is one of the most trusted freelancing platforms, that helps you find creative, proficient, talented, and responsible freelancers in diverse categories, from more than 200 countries and territories around the world.

This platform enables effortless, faster, and accurate searching and narrowing down of freelancer profiles leading to a better, and quicker match. It provides a reliable reviewing and rating system that reveals the opinion and experiences of other clients to help you choose the best of all the available talents.

It also supports risk-free secured payments and hassle-free billing. Above all, it brings you an escrow system to safeguard you from any scam.

Reap The Advantages Of Working With International Freelancers…