Hiring Freelancers: Why You Aren't Attracting Top Talent

Are you in need of hiring freelancers? You've probably heard the stats: if freelancing continues to grow at its current rate, the majority of U.S. workers will be freelancing by 2027, according to projections in the Freelancing in America Survey, released by the Freelancers Union and the giant freelance platform Upwork.

This means you’ll find plenty of good freelancers out there, but plenty of bad ones, too. If you’re running into less of the great freelancers than you’d like, it might not be their fault. The good freelancers just might not be that into you!

Common Freelancer Hiring Mistakes

Here’s why you might not be attracting the talent you want:

Mistake 1: Cutting Corners

You get what you pay for, especially with freelancers. If you want to pay $5 and have a logo in your hand tomorrow, you can find somebody to do it. The problem is you’ll end up with a logo only worth $5. Top talent simply won’t work for an hourly rate that small — they have other clients to worry about.

For top quality work, you need to crack the purse open a bit. If your budget is tight, offer another perk like the promise of a recommendation or an extended deadline.

Mistake 2: Unsuccessful Ads

Here’s a shocker: many freelancers spend a lot of time looking for work. That means if your ads aren’t working, you’re doing something wrong.

Your job ad should function a lot like your home page. You need to optimize it with relevant search terms so that it gets found. Then you need to advertise what you’re offering to a targeted audience, encouraging them to take the next step. Your position is valuable, make sure to sell it.

Need to learn how to write a better ad? Check this infographic out.

Mistake 3: It’s Not Them, It’s You

If you’re finding plenty of great freelancers but failing to retain them, the problem might just be the way you handle them. It turns out that freelancers value their time and dignity just as much as we value ours.

Here's how you could be driving your best talent away:

• Offering no direction
  It’s hard to complete a job without much instruction. Without a clear vision of your expectations, the project will be a lot harder than it needs to be.
• Offering too much direction
  Yes, direction is a double-edged sword. Too much direction is suffocating and offers a freelancer no freedom or challenge. Great freelancers are creative by nature, so make sure to give them a chance to show off a bit.
• Demanding too much
  You’re well within your rights to expect a terrific completed product. If you want an email response in 10 minutes, or revisions made in an hour, that might be overboard. If your project requires special attention, make sure to bring it up in the beginning.

Need More Help? Download Our Guidebook!

Chances are, if you haven't already, you'll have to hire a freelancer or two at some point. In fact, the Bureau of Labor Statistics says "The freelance surge is the Industrial Revolution of our time.”

This handy, downloadable PDF will give you the tools you need to find, hire, and pay your digital, creative, and marketing freelance talent.

Finding good freelance talent can be a lot of work...if you’d rather have someone else find great talent for you, reach out to us here at Artisan Talent. We’re an award-winning staffing company that specializes in matching creative talent with the right opportunity.