Hiring Freelance Developers? Here's What You Need to Know

Hiring freelance developers can provide you with many benefits over hiring full-time software developers. The most important benefit of hiring a freelance developer is that they are more affordable. Companies can avoid spending money on a yearly salary and benefits, and instead just pay for the work being done on their project.

There is also a global network of talent that can be provided to you by utilizing freelance platforms, which we will discuss shortly. Working with a freelance developer allows your company’s operations to stay lean because you can hire freelance developers as needed and cut down on expenses.

Set Your Expectations

Doing all the right preparation can make hiring a developer an easier task. The first set of things that you need to consider is the budget, extent, and design of your project. Once you have decided on the basic details of the project, you should think critically about what you expect from the freelance developer.

Thinking about this will help you write a detailed job description. When a job description is well written and thought out, it can help attract freelance developers to your project, and not just any developers, but the right developers.

You should start off by coming up with the right title for your job. Make sure that you are perfectly clear, and avoid being disingenuous. This will help you attract the right candidates and make them at least look into your offering. 

When you have thought of a great job title, it is time to put some effort into the job description. You should clearly lay out the tasks that will be involved so that you and potential hires will be on the same page. You should also be able to sell your job and convince freelancers that you have an intriguing project to work on.

Use a Freelance Platform

When you have thought of your project expectations, you should consider getting on a freelance platform. While freelancing platforms often charge you a hefty commission for doing business on them, the reality is that they make it so much easier to find people to work with. Freelance platforms
can also provide a layer of safety between the company and freelancer. 

There are tons of freelancing platforms available to you, each offering their own unique strengths. Some platforms may be easier to post jobs on, while others may have a larger amount of freelance programmers available to you. You can also experience using multiple freelance platforms to see which one is the best for you. 

These freelance platforms provide your business with a massive network of specialized talent, so take advantage of it! You can more easily find developers who work in different code languages and connect with a developer who is well versed in what you actually need. 

Keep in mind that not all freelance platforms vet their users. Choosing a platform that vets their users can provide you with a more cost-efficient hiring process, as the developers available will be more skilled and reliable. For example, Hiremotely puts its freelance software developers through a series of tests and evaluations to ensure that their platform can offer high quality freelance developers. Think of it as an admission process, one that will present your business with better freelancers.

Once you find the ideal freelance platform for your needs, you can make the listing for your job. Make sure to take the time to make an in-depth list, and use the information in the previous section to help you. Ideally, you will be matched with the best Freelance Developer for your job.

Research The Freelance Developer

Once you find a freelancer on one of the platforms, it is important to do your due diligence on them before you jump right into working with them. There are multiple stages that you should go through to learn more about the freelancer and start to build a relationship with them.

The first step is to review their work, and they should have a portfolio set up if they do a lot of freelance work. Seeing a body of work will help you get an idea of their technical skills, and is a better approach than sending them a coding test.

Once you have reviewed their portfolio, and you are pleased with the body of work, it is time to start building a relationship with the freelancer. Having an initial skype or phone call can be a great way to get to know them, and better determine whether they are the right person to hire.

If the developer refuses to do a call with you, that isn’t a good sign, and you shouldn’t hire them unless you are completely comfortable. While you’re on the call, you should be paying attention to the freelancer’s communication skills, as well as how much knowledge they display towards developing an app or website.

You should ask them about their personal interests, and make an effort to establish a connection with them. You can also ask questions related to your project, and learn more about how they stay up to date with coding knowledge. 

Once you’ve established some kind of connection with the freelancer and know more about their skills, it is time to actually get into your project more in-depth. Describing the project as in-depth as you can help a developer get a better sense of what you need to accomplish.

You can start by introducing the project to them. Once you’ve given them a good overview, you should talk about each individual module and what the purpose of each is. After going over the module, you should explain to them the main purpose of the project, as well as what tools and platforms will be involved. Lastly, you should be able to give them an estimate of the project’s length.

Start With a Test Period

So now that you’ve finished your searching and interviewing process, and you’ve found your ideal freelance developer, you need to give them a test period. Some platforms, such as Hiremotely, offer an 8 hour trial period to test out your developer’s skills. 

If the test is successful, you can welcome your new freelance software developer to your team. Spending adequate time on your hiring process is important because if you find a great freelance developer, you can hire them for multiple projects and develop a long term relationship.