Why should you care if a freelancer enjoys working for you?
It’s just one freelancer's opinion! There’s plenty more where that came from, right? Wrong.
In freelancing, we talk about whether a client is enjoyable to work with. Our working lives assume more risk than the average worker and satisfaction is a big part of the payoff.
And in this time of skills shortages, struggling to keep up with AI and rapid changes to technology, less budget and even downsizing, it’s time for organisations to think about how and why freelancers enjoy collaborating with you.
You see, the common misconception is that freelancers kind of float around by themselves. We’re disposable and disconnected. But nothing could be further than the truth.
Freelancers help each other out with client management, dealing with overdue invoices, and recommending good people to work with. We congregate in online groups, network with each other, and collaborate on projects all the time. We share stories in these networks.
And that can make it even harder to find a talented freelancer because we learn is how to spot red flags. Red flags that you might be unwittingly waving.
We are the canaries in your organisational coalmines.
Working effectively with freelance talent shows your organisation is healthy.
But beyond proof of a healthy culture, there are many reasons why it’s beneficial to include freelancers in your workplace and project planning
Leveraging freelancer proactivity
Freelancers are the champions of work you’ve been looking for. We know how to hustle, work under pressure, and adapt to different conditions. We also study our butts off to stay ahead, meaning you can add a freelancer to the team to offset knowledge gaps and skills without finding extra funds for training.
Quicker skills activation
Freelancers are hungry for knowledge. We learn about the changes SEO, social media platforms, and regulations before you do. Off our own bat, we’re tackling software, new social media platforms, trends, and seismic shifts in marketing and business to help keep ourselves and our clients ahead of the game.
We come upskilled and job ready.
And that can save you thousands of dollars in staff training and lost productivity.
Not to mention giving you an inside track to someone who can show your people how to do it through theory and practical application.
Encouraging working with autonomy
Here’s the dirty little secret about freelancing – good freelancers don’t want to work in your office. And you shouldn’t need them to. Geography and presenteeism don’t determine the quality of the work product or the work ethic. If a person knows what they are doing and connects to the work well, they don’t need a manager to watch them do it.
Freelancers can help shake the infantilisation out of management practices and shape a better remote culture through injecting our working style and attitude.
And when we’re allowed to lead by example, that ability to work autonomously with the right reward can be incredibly infectious.
Finding the right employee
Freelancers might all look like we lack a desire for commitment. But honestly, a lot of freelancers would be fine with a steady job. It’s that modern workplaces don’t embrace flexibility.
It’s less about a white-collar labour or skills shortage, and more a shortage of people who want to engage with presenteeism.
Plus, when you hire a freelancer, you can see if a person fits the culture and the role without high recruitment costs or concerns about offering them a full package prematurely.
Freelancers spot the bloat easily
Freelancers work via a lean and efficient model. We don’t need lots of meetings, massive email chains, or a cast of thousands to complete tasks and projects. We spot the time wasting.
We put the project at the centre of our working experience. Unencumbered by workplace politics, we can move on the work with less drama and drag. Plus, we offer a fresh eye when it comes to your marketing, ideas, internal processes, and project management.
This puts us in a unique position to spot areas of improvement.
And given inflation and potential recession, freelancers’ insights on streamlining and efficient delivery can be invaluable.
What makes a great freelance experience?
1. Applying the skills and knowledge you’ve hired us for. It might sound like a given, but organisational nervousness and uncertainty often translates into micromanagement
2. Enabling job flexibility. We choose to freelance for the lifestyle – respect it
3. A clear project brief – and necessary people working alongside side us united behind an unclouded vision that serves the project efficiently
4. Openness to our insights and working approach. Don’t be threatened by what we notice – use it to strengthen your organisation and approach
5. Avoiding office politics and personality clashes. We’re there for the project, not the jostling for promotion, or spicy drama or intrigue. Be ready to collaborate
Want to know more about making freelance talent work for you?
I run one of Australia’s largest grassroots communities, the Freelance Jungle. I have reach with 6700 Australian and New Zealand freelancers. And I can help you style your workplace to be freelance friendly and find you the talent, too.