When you find an ideal freelancer or independent contractor for your business, you want them to see your future projects as something to get excited about. And it's even more exciting when that first assignment is completed in a timely fashion.
But sometimes the match made in heaven goes south. If you're wondering why your amazing freelance copywriter or awesome tech is no longer interested in completing assignments for you, it's possible one of the below reasons are in play.
Here are some of the top reasons why freelancers opt to no longer complete projects or work for a company. Please don't do these things if you wish to continue working with top freelance and on-demand talent.
1) Not paying freelancers on time or at all.
Recently, PayPal conducted a survey that showed that 58% of freelancers have experienced not getting paid for work. Sometimes this is a part of human error, or malice. But more often than not, there are no proper systems in place to deliver payments to the freelancer at ease.
Even worse, businesses using freelancers at scale that don't have a payment process in place are most at risk of losing valuable productivity. Who wants to chase invoices?
2) Poor communication.
Don't get me wrong, it's important to give freelancers some space when completing assignments. After all, working remotely is a giant draw for freelancing in the gig economy.
But no matter how detailed your assignment and how thorough your onboarding, freelancers may still have questions or concerns. Provide an email address and/or a phone number where they can reach you. If they do get in touch, respond promptly, even if it’s just to say that you don’t have the answer but are working on getting it.
3) Incomplete or inaccurate vetting.
Freelancers usually work remotely, so your team will probably never meet them in person. This makes it even more vital that you choose a freelancer that is qualified to complete the work you need done.
For example, a translation services firm looking for native Spanish speakers shouldn’t be offering assignments to someone fluent in Dutch and German. This is the type of improper vetting that leads to frustration on both sides.
If you’re using an online marketplace like WorkMarket, you can browse testimonials, project reviews, ratings, and certifications for freelancers.
4) An inefficient onboarding process.
Onboarding isn’t just for staff. A good freelancer onboarding process can help independent contractors contribute more effectively.
Your onboarding process should set freelancers up with project deliverables, clear expectations, and access to relevant systems, applications, or other files. In addition, onboarding helps to introduce freelancers through video chat, phone, or email to others involved in the project.
5) A lack of visibility.
Given that these are freelancers you want to retain, you’re obviously pleased with their work. So let them know it. If there are aspects of the work they could improve, mention those as well. Open with praise, discuss the area that could stand improvement, then conclude with overall praise.
And be sure to share their quality work in an online profile, such as WorkMarket. Providing feedback shows their contributions have been noted and appreciated, and appreciation is a huge driver of loyalty.
