Are you looking to hire a freelancer as a non-profit?

If so, you probably have a lot of questions. You want to hire someone who will be a good fit for your business and produce high-quality work.

Indeed, there are many qualified freelancers out there. But there are also those who won’t be as great a fit for your company.

How do you tell the difference? We’ll go into some tips below.

Keep reading to learn more!

Why Hire a Freelancer?

If you’re a non-profit, you know the struggle of trying to decide when to hire a full-time member of staff.

The advantages of hiring a freelancer are well documented. It could help you save money, reduce your risk, and access specialized talent and skill sets that you wouldn’t be able to afford otherwise.

After all, you want as much money as possible to be able to go to your cause. In addition, most donors don’t give to your office administration fund. This often doesn’t leave you with endless funds to add people to your payroll.

Yet, you still need to get the work done. If it’s not something you can do yourself, you might find yourself at a bit of a loss.

This is when you should hire a freelancer.

What Are Freelancers?

Freelancers use their professional expertise to help a variety of clients.

Yet, instead of working for a company, they work for themselves, setting their own hours and prices.

This can have a variety of advantages. For one, freelancers offer you the flexibility to only pay for the services you need, when you need them. Frequently, freelancers and companies develop long-term working relationships.

Yet, you are under no obligation to use a freelancer more than once. This means you don’t have to keep them on your regular payroll when you’re finished using their services.

Are There Any Cons to Hiring a Freelancer?

For all of the positives there are to working with a freelancer, quite a few negatives also exist.

Chiefly, these pertain to variances in professional experience. These days, anyone can create a profile on places like Upwork or ProBlogger and market themselves as a freelancer.

So, how do you ensure you’re finding a true professional who will work well with your company?

Follow the steps below for a better freelancer hiring experience!

1. Identify Your Needs

A successful hiring process always begins with you.

Before you start searching for freelancers, identify what type of work you need done. There are many different types of freelancers, and you don’t want to hire a freelance social media manager when you really need a freelance writer.

Be as specific as possible, outlining the length and any other pertinent details.

Work out a budget as well. Do some research into what the average freelancer charges for this service and make sure you can afford it.

Compile all of these aspects into a list and allow anyone who will be over the freelancer or their project to contribute to it. The clearer you can be with yourself and your team, the higher the chances of hiring well.

2. Create a Job Ad

Using the information you just gathered, write a compelling job ad.

In order to attract freelancers, tell them as much information about the project as possible. For instance, if you want to hire a WordPress freelancer to help you with your website, emphasize how they’ll play a crucial role in your web development.

Then, inform them of any benefits they may receive, including what you’re willing to pay or the possibility for continued work. If you’re willing to discuss pay with them, take note of that as well.

Last, if your project is urgent, write that in as well. This will let the freelancer know that they should have a decent chunk of time in their schedule if they plan on working for you.

Require your applicants to send you their resumes and references. That way, you can see their professional experience and ask previous clients if they were satisfied with their work.

After you’ve finished creating your job ad, post it on a job site! Freelancers often visit certain sites, such as Fiverr, Upwork, and ProBlogger, to look for jobs, so make sure yours is there!

3. Search Freelancer Websites

As mentioned above, many freelancers go on freelancer job boards quite often.

Did you know that many of them also have profiles on these sites?

Usually, these profiles contain information on the types of work they do, how to contact them, as well as client reviews. If you’re looking for a specific type of freelancer, simply go on one of these sites and search for a particular service.

This should pull up a list of top-rated workers. Peruse through their profiles until you find a person you believe would be a great match. Then, reach out to them and pitch your project.

4. Pay Them for a Test Service

Do you have a specific freelancer in mind but don’t know whether or not they’d be right for you?

Offer to pay them for a test service. This test can be anything you’d like it to be as long as it showcases the skills necessary to complete your project. To save yourself money, make it shorter than your actual work order.

Once they return the test to you, evaluate it and see what you think of their work.

5. Ask to See a Portfolio

Most freelancers keep portfolios of their work to show potential clients.

Before hiring someone, ask to see their portfolio or other examples of their finished past work. This will give you an idea of what this person sees as a professional level of quality.

Want to Take Control of the Money You’re Spending?

If you decide to hire a freelancer, you are making a very good financial choice for your non-profit.

After all, freelancers often get the work done without giving you the additional burden of putting a full-time staffer on your payroll. They also often provide professional-level experience for a lower price.

Want to better manage your non-profit’s finances? See how we can help!