The Value of Freelancers

By Jenna Movsowitz

(AND HOW TO WORK WITH THEM)

The past few years have seen a major shift in what it means to work. We’ve transformed office desks into at-home desktops and conference rooms to Zooms. We’ve ditched water cooler chatter for Slack pings and unmuted mishaps. We’ve witnessed incredible change. But the silent reformer of the workplace has less to do with physical space and interactions, and much more to do with the culture of work: the social contract surrounding traditional employee-employer relations is changing. Newer generations entering the workforce are looking for flexibility; we saw it with the shift to and gradual return from remote work, and we’re seeing it with higher-than-ever turnover rates. In search of autonomy and in response to economic recession, the modern day employee isn’t necessarily seeing “full-time” as synonymous with “security.” As Hayden Brown of Upwork (the freelance work marketplace) says in a New York Times piece, “being tethered to a single employer actually feels more risky to them.”

Modern day workers are becoming more interested in building their portfolio and honing in on specific skillsets — running businesses of their own as freelancers, fractional employees, or consultants*. And startup brands looking for top talent should be following their lead. In this article, we’ll explore why brands should consider bringing on freelancers, how to hire them, and how to get the most buy-in for your buck. * in this article, we’ll be using the term “freelancer” in reference to all contracting positions, including fractional employees and consultants

THE VALUE OF FREELANCERS

Freelancers offer so much more than just a cost-saving opportunity (because yes, saving on benefits and health insurance does indeed add up). In many cases, freelancers may actually be the better fit for your brand than a full-time employee or agency. Let’s explore why:

Risk Avoidance + Flexibility

In the same way that individuals are starting to see freelance work as the risk-averse option, startup brands should, too. Freelancers can offer a high level of flexibility, as they are often able to work on a project-by-project or as-needed basis. This can be particularly helpful for a startup brand that may have fluctuating workloads or may need to respond to changing market conditions.

Startups are quickly-shifting by nature, and hiring a “permanent” solution to

a problem can put both the company *and* the “traditional” employee at

risk: “You might realize down the road that e-commerce, for instance, isn’t the right track, and you should focus more on retail,” says Kun Yang, CEO of Pricklee Water. “Now you have a high-expense headcount who wants to contribute and be part of something, but they may no longer feel fulfilled.” Honed-In Skillset

Beyond risk avoidance, brands may quickly discover that a large percentage of the industry’s top talent is no longer sitting pretty in an in-house role, waiting to be poached. Rather, these ambitious individuals are building their own autonomous careers. “The people gravitating towards

freelancing are inherently more adapt-

able, agile and entrepreneurial,” notes Yang. This makes them well-suited to thrive in the ever-changing landscape of a startup — they are, in many ways, running their own startups as well.

These are individuals who are honing into their unique skillset, and practicing that skillset across different clients constantly. “You can’t just hire a marketing

person, for example, and expect them to be good at everything from community management to email marketing. These

are incredibly diverse skillsets. I don’t see a situation where hiring a generalist that’s good at some of these things would ever replace the level of expertise of skill-specific freelancers,” says Yang. “The competition in today’s startup world is so strong.

If you don’t have some of the best talent operating every aspect of your brand, it’s hard to break through the noise.”

Widened Perspective + Relevant Experiences

Freelancers and consultants bring the added perk of working with other clients simultaneously — meaning they bring the best practices from other perspectives.

Freelancers aren’t judging how your brand is performing in isolation, they’re

benchmarking against the industry average of the portfolio they are managing.

Kendall Dickieson, social media consultant for brands like Graza and Canopy, emphasizes how critical her other consulting experiences are to her work: “You’re working with someone who has already lived through the mistakes a brand may be making. They already know how to fix it, versus treading water trying to figure it out.” A full-time employee may have 15 years of industry experience in their back pocket, but the problems that need to be solved today are often far different than those 15 years ago. A freelancer who is actively solving the same problems for different brands may have fewer years of experience, but carries perhaps the most relevant experience for the role.

Tackling Big-Picture Projects

While founders or full-timers constantly have to put out fires or plan for the future, freelancers can offer the opportunity to tackle projects that improve the overall

Delaney Vetter and client Soom

health of the company. “In a short amount of time, I can conduct something like a

social audit that will help a brand uncover solutions to the problems they’ve been facing. It also offers an unbiased

opinion on their business — something a founder or full-time employee could never provide,” says Dickieson.

FREELANCERS VERSUS AGENCIES

While well-funded companies may find agencies to be the choice option for executing in specific areas (mostly for their greater manpower and resources), startup brands may find the most bang for their scrappy buck with a freelancer. Freelancers typically offer a lower price point than agencies for similar services, and can offer clearer communication: “When you work with agencies, oftentimes the person interacting with the client is not the person doing the day-to-day work,” says Delaney Vetter, a PR and copywriting freelancer who started her career in an agency. “Hypothetically, you could have great rapport with your account manager, but the person actually doing the day-today work for you may not have as much of a grasp on your brand. It can be easier for

things to call through the cracks when you’re not directly communicating with the individual actually executing the

tasks.” This also means that freelancers move faster than a typical agency. Their work doesn’t need to go through a ladder of people before it finally gets to the client — there is no bottleneck.

Put simply, a freelancer also chooses to work with you. At an agency, the lower-level employee who is actually executing the work likely had no say in the client they were assigned to. The mutual

selection process encourages buy-in and

an overall shared passion for your brand.

At the same time, Vetter emphasizes that there are instances in which an agency team may be best for your brand, “especially if you don’t have the manpower to manage many freelancers. Agencies are great if you’re looking to have one point of contact for all of your creative pieces, for instance.”

HIRING A FREELANCER

“The process of hiring a freelancer shouldn’t be that different from that of hiring an employee,” says Vetter. “You should find someone who isn’t just a great skill fit, but is passionate about your brand and mission.” So what should this process look like in practice?

1. KNOW YOUR NEED. This may sound simple, but is often the most overlooked aspect of hiring a freelancer. Because freelancers are highly skilled in specific areas, the hiring brand needs to know in which specific areas they need help. “Go beyond the buzzwords and niche down,” advises Vetter. “Either know the exact tactical skills you need, or be upfront about not knowing quite what you need yet, and open to learning from the prospective freelancer.” Example: “Social Media”

One of the areas that is most commonly outsourced to freelancers is social

media. Founders typically don’t have the bandwidth to maintain a regular posting schedule or the platform expertise to create compelling content. But founders often rely on, as Vetter phrases, the “buzzword” of “social media management.” Patricia Menegoto, Content Creation Expert, says “I see so many brands thinking that if they hire a freelancer in ‘social media management’, they’ll provide the pictures and videos. In reality, social media management and content creation are often two entirely separate jobs.”

Social media managers/consultants

are typically experts in the strategy side. They create the brand’s social strategy, content calendar, and typically offer social copy for existing content, explains Menegoto. Some social media managers and consultants will also manage influencer relations or affiliate, but influencer marketing and affiliate consultants are also often their own separate option. Content

creators, on the other hand, are actually filming or photographing the content.

Most content creators will require that the brand or another freelancer provide them with the strategy, inspiration, script and copy and they will deliver the photos or videos.

Prior to bringing on a social media freelancer, ensure you know where their capabilities lie, and if they are expecting support on the strategy or content creation side.

2. ASK FOR REFERENCES. We’re well-programmed to ask a full-time candidate for references — but this should equally apply to freelancers. These individuals have often worked with a variety of clients, and the best way to get a sense of their work style and the quality of their work is by speaking with past or current clients.

3. LOOK AT THEIR PORTFOLIO (AND

SOCIAL FEEDS, IF RELEVANT). Menegoto encourages you to pay attention to the quality of their work: “ask yourself if you like their style and if the style matches your brand voice. Understand what tools and technology they use and where they gather their inspiration.”

4. ACTUALLY CONDUCT AN INTER-

VIEW.* Hiring freelancers who are a great culture fit is equally as important as hiring full-timers that are a great culture fit — especially if they are in a consumer-facing role, like community management. Take the time to conduct an interview and get a sense of their understanding of your brand, value-alignment, and their professional goals.

5. BE OPEN TO THEIR MENU OF

OFFERINGS. As important as it is to know your need (see point 1), it’s equally important to be open when engaging with freelancers. “If you go to someone with a designated scope in mind and they don’t have the bandwidth for it, it doesn't mean they can't help you in another way,” says Dickieson. “Skilled consultants can always help you move the needle. Be open to their suggestions instead of quickly moving onto the next option — sometimes you may end up wasting time searching for something you don’t need instead of making the most of the talent in front of you.” Dickieson also notes that sometimes, these individuals may be the best suited to find someone else who will fit your needs.

6. CLARIFY RATES UPFRONT. Don’t let this be a later conversation. Flat fees are great when you don't want any surprises.

7. RUN A TEST PERIOD. Some freelancers will want to lock in a months-long contract upfront. Judi Prugger, a talented email marketing freelancer, suggests running a test period with all freelancers first. While you cannot measure true performance from a short test period, you can get a great sense of their culture fit and working style.

8. CLEARLY SET SCOPE + DEAD-

LINES FOR DELIVERABLES. Because freelancers often work on a project basis, it is especially crucial to set clear scope and deadlines.

9. SET + RESPECT. Once you’ve set the scope of work, “respect the scope of work,” says Kim Biddle, Founder of Clutch Affiliate consultancy. “Be realistic that they’re not a full-time employee. If you see yourself doing a scope creep, be mindful and adjust.”

10. REJECT KINDLY. In the freelance world, there is no “one-click apply.” Freelancers often spend hours working on proposals for brands they are excited to work with — and never hear back. “There’s so much ghosting,” reports Vetter. “It would be so helpful if the brand could send a rejection and potential feedback.” Remember, freelancers also have wide networks. Burning bridges could risk future partnerships or opportunities.

GETTING THE MOST BUY-IN FROM FREELANCERS

Importantly, Vetter notes that some company cultures just aren’t built for freelancers. “You can’t just hire someone expecting to throw money at the problem, and they’ll fix it. There’s a bit of work that the brand has to do to make sure the person is set up for success.”

“If your freelancers are entirely compartmentalized into one task they’re doing, they’ll have a much harder time buying in,” she says. “We can’t just jump in and do the work without knowing the goals and background.” While freelancers don’t have to go through a traditional onboarding process of a full-time job, founders should still take the time to familiarize the freelancer with the brand’s voice, mission, and brand book. All of the freelancers interviewed for this piece agreed on the same thing: the biggest hiccups occur when they aren’t looped into the business at large.

“Freelancers are inherently autonomous, and relationships with freelancers are built on trust. But at the same time, too much autonomy can lead to a disconnect,” says Dickieson. “Invite freelancers to key meetings and team bonding experiences. Schedule regular one-on-ones. We still want to hear that we did a good job, that our work is useful and contributing to the larger vision of the company.”

CONCLUSION

For many startup brands, working with freelancers is the best way to access top talent without the risks that come with full-time employees. With their honed-in skillset, relevant experience, wide networks and direct line of communication, freelancers are a great solution for scrappy, growing companies — companies who are willing to put in the work to make freelancers part of the team.