The Ultimate Guide to Interviewing and Hiring Freelancers

With the growth of freelancing, companies now have more options any time they need good talent. But sifting through the multitude of applicants can be a challenge. To help you better screen potential talent, here is a guide to building an effective interview process.

Building your interview process

To better narrow down the long line of applicants into a shortlist of the best ones, you need to build your recruitment and interview process right. The first step is outlining exactly what kind of applicant you want for the job. Instead of listing down a generic set of requirements, you would want to focus on more specific ones.

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To identify whether a given requirement is as such, ask yourself the following questions:

Is this requirement really needed?: Consider the current projects your company is working as well as potential projects when prioritizing a job requirement.
Can the skill be taught on the job?: Weigh on the amount of effort the company needs to teach applicants the skill. This is particularly important when hiring for junior positions.
Is the requirement job-related?: This is more for listing soft skills. Project how such skills would be beneficial to the position in the long run.

Once you have completed the list of skills for the position, review and rank them according to importance. Discuss these with your hiring team, as well as the department needing the new hire. This way, everyone will be on the same page when scrutinizing potential candidates.

Deciding on the type of interview

Using the right type of interview will help you better gauge a potential applicant’s suitability for the specific position. You can use several interview types in succession to further prove shortlisted candidates. For hiring freelancers, the following types are the ones you can employ.

Phone interviews

These serve as an initial step in narrowing down down the list of applicants. Phone interviews are typically done quickly, as your goal is only to get additional information not found on the applicant’s resume. You can also use the phone interview to clarify points on the resume you don’t understand.

Video interviews

Video interviews are often the next stage of the interview process, where you finally get to assess applicants more in-depth. In the case of companies like Virtua Solutions, which hire freelancers, this has replaced traditional face-to-face interviews. Because there is less physical preparation needed, video interviews can be done faster than the latter and can be conducted anytime.

While Skype is the most common means of conducting video interviews, there are other tools you can take advantage of, like EasyHire and Skeeled. These have additional features like multiple interview management and real-time skills assessment, which will help you in studying potential candidates.

Working interview

A working interview is a combination of an actual interview and a skills exam. In this one, you present applicants with a work-related task and then query them after they complete it. Your goal here is to see how well each candidate does with the actual work at hand.

Writing your interview questions.

When drafting interview questions, you have to make sure that these are all in line with the requirements of the job you are offering. Refer back to the list of requirements you made and craft questions about this. In case you need to stray away a bit from this line of questioning and need to ask more personal ones, explain to your applicants how these will relate to the position they are applying for.

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Keeping questions as neutral as possible is also important. Avoid revealing any hints of the answer you want. For instance, instead of asking a freelance writer applicant whether they can write a specific number of articles at any given time, you can ask them to give an estimate of the number of articles they can do. This way, you get a more unbiased response from them.

The must-ask questions for freelancer applicants

While you are free to craft your questions, there are certain queries to include in your list. These questions are specifically geared towards freelancers and will give you a better picture of how they do their work. Note that you can further tweak these to suit the specific niche you are in.

Given the goals, how will you handle the project?

This question will give you an idea of how enthusiastic an applicant is for the job. You can also gauge whether their work style would suit your team’s overall style based on their response. Another way to present this question is by asking the applicant what they will do on the first day of the project.

What are your methods of getting in touch with clients?

When asking this question, you will see whether the applicant’s communication methods are compatible with the ones your team uses. The applicant will also be able to show that they understand the project’s needs by coming up with specific communication channels for it.

How do you charge clients?

One thing to keep in mind when hiring freelancers is that each one charges differently. As such, you would want to know what is included in their asking prices. For instance, some freelancers might include revisions in their rates while others will classify them as extra charges. This will help you decide how much leeway you can give should you hire them.

What is one accomplishment in your life you are most proud of?

This is an unconventional question that will give you an insight into the applicant’s values. You will know how they define success and how this fits into your company’s own. It will also tell you more about the accomplishments they have.

Conducting the interview

When conducting applicant interviews, watch out for biases that might predispose you to favor certain candidates. Be aware of both conscious and unconscious biases. Review your previous hiring decisions and ask yourself why you choose specific candidates. Weigh on whether these have merits or are just arbitrary criteria. Be constantly aware of these when interacting with applicants.

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Unconscious biases are harder to control, as they can pop up at any time. Certain tests like the Implicit Association Test developed by Harvard University will help you identify these Once you have an idea of your unconscious biases, actively bring these in front of your mind when interviewing candidates so that you can counter them.

Making applicants comfortable

Many applicants find the interview process stressful, which can cause them to underperform. You end up losing a potentially good candidate just because of this. As such, you need to make them more comfortable in your presence.

In the case of freelancers you interview online, begin by scheduling the interview at a time that they are comfortable with. You can also tell them in advance what topics will likely be covered in the interview. This way, they have an idea of where the interview will go and prepare in advance.

Encouraging the applicant to respond more in detail will also help applicants engage better but don’t overdo it. Ask only a few follow-up questions and see how they bounce off of those. Try making the whole interview more conversational to put them at ease. You should also encourage them to ask their questions afterward and be ready to answer.

Get the right freelancer with the right interview strategy

Job interviews can be arduous not just for applicants but also for recruiters. You have to constantly monitor the process to ensure that you get the right candidate in the end. With this guide, you can streamline that process and make it easier to select good applicants. Good luck on getting the best hires.