How to Hire a Freelancer: 14 Tips (Informative & Clear Guide)

How to hire a freelancer? These days Virtual assistants (VAs) or freelancers are an integral part of the modern workforce.
Believe me, hiring a freelancer will change your world. I found delegation the hardest thing to do, to relinquish control is so hard to do, but only by outsourcing your workload can you grow and scale effectively. I can’t recommend using a freelancer from one of the big freelancing platforms enough!
The internet has made it easier than ever to find talented freelancers who can work remotely on projects, and virtual assistants have become a popular way for businesses to save money by outsourcing tasks. Freelancers can also help new businesses grow.
This blog post will give you 14 tips on how to hire the best virtual assistant for your business.

Benefits of Hiring a Freelancer for Business Growth

Access to Specialized Skills
Hiring freelancers allows businesses to tap into a diverse pool of specialized skills and expertise that may not be available in-house, enabling them to complete specific projects or tasks more efficiently.1,2
Cost Savings
Freelancers are often more cost-effective than hiring full-time employees, as businesses can save on expenses such as benefits, office space, and training.3
Flexibility and Scalability
Freelancers offer businesses the flexibility to scale their workforce up or down based on project demands, allowing for greater agility and cost control.5
Faster Time to Market
By leveraging the expertise of freelancers, businesses can accelerate project timelines and bring products or services to market more quickly, gaining a competitive edge.6
Innovation and Fresh Perspectives
Freelancers bring fresh perspectives and diverse experiences to the table, fostering innovation and creativity within the business.7
Access to Global Talent
Hiring freelancers provides businesses with access to a global talent pool, allowing them to work with top professionals from around the world, regardless of geographical constraints.8
Focus on Core Competencies
Outsourcing certain tasks to freelancers allows businesses to focus on their core competencies and strategic priorities, improving overall efficiency and productivity.9
Reduced Administrative Burden
Freelancers are responsible for managing their own taxes, insurance, and other administrative tasks, relieving businesses of these responsibilities.10
Increased Productivity
Freelancers often work on a project basis, which can lead to increased productivity and efficiency as they are motivated to deliver high-quality work within agreed-upon timelines.11,12
Risk Mitigation
Hiring freelancers can help mitigate risks associated with uncertain market conditions or fluctuating project demands, providing businesses with greater flexibility and adaptability.13
It is important for businesses to establish clear communication channels, set expectations, and ensure proper contracts and agreements are in place when hiring freelancers to maximize the benefits and minimize potential risks.

How To Hire A Freelancer?
1. Use an Expert
How to hire a freelancer is easier than you think, just hire an expert! It is always a great way to ensure that you have someone who knows exactly what they are doing.
This holds true for hiring virtual assistants as well, so try to find one with experience in your industry or niche market if possible. You can also look for freelancers with specific skill sets that pertain to your project and come with great reviews.
For example, if you’re looking for someone to help with social media content creation and management, try hiring a freelancer who has experience in these areas.
2. How to Hire a Freelancer for Your Job
How to hire a freelancer is fairly straightforward, but there are some things you can do to ensure that you hire the best person for your project.
As mentioned before, how to hire a freelancer or an expert in the field of your choice will help increase chances of success with any task you give them. You should also look at their previous work and reviews on the platform you hire them from.
Not only does this show that they are skilled, but it also shows how well their previous clients have performed on the tasks given to them.
When you hire a freelancer who has worked with companies in your industry or niche market it is always beneficial because it will increase success rates for future projects as well.
You can also check their experience with similar projects to your own, as this will give you a good idea of how well they can handle these types of tasks.

3. Ask to See Samples of Previous Work
How to hire a freelancer is easier than you think, but without seeing samples of their work it is always a risk since you have no idea what the quality will be like. This goes for any type of hiring, so make sure to ask to see examples of previous projects they’ve worked on before taking the plunge into the talent pool and hiring them.
Hiring professionals with excellent reviews from past clients, relevant qualifications with a level of expertise which stands out or with a proven track record is always best.
You can also check their profiles on the platform you hire them from to see what types of projects they enjoy working on, as this will help ensure that your project falls within their area of interest and expertise.
How to hire a freelancer or virtual assistant with previous experience in your industry or niche market is another great way to ensure that they are skilled in the area you need them for.
You can also look at their profile on any platform to see what types of projects they enjoy working on, as this will help increase your chances of success if their interests match up with yours.

4. Top Freelancer Platforms: Upwork, Guru & Fiverr
When you hire a freelancer, there are three top platforms to choose from: Upwork, Guru and Fiverr. Each one has their own benefits and disadvantages so you should take the time to look through each platform carefully before making your decision.
Upwork

Upwork is an excellent choice if you want high-quality work and don’t mind paying for it. They have a vetting process that includes tests and interviews to ensure that clients are hiring skilled freelancers who can get the job done right. You’ll also be able to view their past work, reviews from previous employers and more on this platform so you know exactly what type of quality they provide before hiring them for your project.
People Per Hour

People Per Hour is a great hiring platform and a recommended way how to hire a freelancer if you want the lowest-cost hiring option. This is a great platform hiring a freelancer if you have a limited budget but still need to get the job done. This platform has lower hiring fees than Upwork, so hiring freelancers with less experience is more affordable for clients.
Freelancer.com

Freelancer.com is a hiring platform similar to Upwork in that it has an effective vetting process. This ensures that clients are hiring skilled professionals who can get the job done correctly, and they also have low hiring fees for freelancers with less experience on their profile.
Guru

Guru is another fantastic choice for hiring freelancers as they have a great vetting process that ensures only the best professionals are hired. They also offer features like on-demand work and hourly billing to help with keeping projects moving along smoothly, which is ideal if you need someone who can complete tasks quickly or often throughout the day.
Fiverr

Fiverr is perfect for people who want to hire freelancers at a low cost, but the trade-off is that you get less skilled workers with fewer features. You can view their past work and reviews to see how they’ve performed in the past, which helps increase chances of success for your project.
5. Make sure to Communicate Clearly About The Project
It is important to communicate effectively with your freelancer. Set out what you expect from your Virtual Assistant (For example: Minimum of _____ hours per week.) Also, make sure to outline what they should and shouldn’t do (For example: Don’t edit my content. Just copy and paste it into the WP editor.)
If you are honest and diplomatic, clear about your needs and expectations, it will help your freelancer understand exactly what you need from them. You should also be willing to provide feedback on their work so they can improve for future projects as well.

6. How They Will Communicate With You (For example: Skype, Slack)
Having a reliable means of communication is important for any project, especially if you’re hiring someone to work remotely. It’s best to use platforms like Slack or Skype so that messages are delivered instantly rather than waiting around on email reply times.
Slack offers instant messaging capabilities along with other features such as file sharing and notifications whenever there are updates in a project. You can also integrate it with other apps and tools, which makes Slack a fantastic choice for hiring virtual assistants on the go.
Skype is another good option to use when hiring freelancers since it offers instant messaging capabilities so you can get in contact whenever there’s an issue or question about your project at hand. It’s not as reliable as Slack, but it does offer solid services for communication purposes.
MS Teams is just one example of a software that you can use to communicate with your virtual assistant and other team members in real-time. You’ll be able to create chats, add files or record meetings from the dashboard so all communication is laid out nicely for everyone on the same page.
Zoom is another platform that can keep your team members organized and on the same page when it comes to communication. It also offers recording capabilities so you’ll be able to watch back any meetings or chats if there are ever questions about what was said during a certain conversation.
7. Have A Detailed Project Specification
How to hire a freelancer is important to be flexible and open to changes so you can work together with your freelancer and ensure they have a clear understanding of the project.
How to hire a freelancer? A virtual assistant is an investment, so it’s important that both parties are on the same page about what type of tasks will be completed during their tenure as well as how much time or effort should go into each task .
If you feel like your virtual assistant isn’t doing what’s expected of them, discuss the issue and come to an agreement on how things should be handled moving forward. You can also have a more detailed project specification that outlines exactly what is needed for each task so there are no misunderstandings when it comes to completing work tasks.

8. How to hire a freelancer? Respect Deadlines
If your freelancer is unable to complete the work by the specified deadline, then you should understand that it’s not their fault. You can offer some type of compensation or extra time for them if they need more time to finish up particular tasks.
Set deadlines with realistic expectations so both parties know what they are working towards . If you have a set deadline for a blog post, marketing video or podcast episode it’s important to be flexible with your timeline so you can work together as a team and not against each other.
9. Have a payment plan
Sometimes hiring a virtual assistant can get expensive, especially if you’re hiring one full-time and paying per hour. If your project requires multiple tasks and services such as graphics design or social media management it’s best to create a payment plan so there aren’t any issues with monthly budgets.
You should also decide on the type of work that will be completed for each task and break down the cost accordingly. For example, hiring a virtual assistant to help with social media can consist of multiple tasks such as posting content on various platforms, monitoring analytics and managing blog comments.
You should pay your freelancer by PayPal or via bank transfer since it’s considered safe & secure for both parties (e.g. you won ‘t have to worry about hiring a freelancer who doesn’t complete work or takes off with your money).
10. Understand Your Commitments
Want to know how to hire a freelancer or a virtual assistant as your first time hiring an employee? Then it’s important to understand what you’re getting yourself into.
How to hire a freelancer? It’s simple, for multiple tasks can be rewarding but also stressful if things aren’t done on time or are not up to par with the agreed upon project specifications . So make sure to set clear expectations before hiring one.
When hiring a virtual assistant, have an agreement in place that outlines what’s expected from each party. This includes how much time or effort should go into task , deadlines for completion of work and the type of payments you’ll make at certain milestones. You don’t want to leave things open ended because it can lead to misunderstandings later on down the line.
Hiring a virtual assistant is one of the hottest hiring trends right now because it’s cost-effective and can save you from doing mundane tasks such as updating your website, scheduling social media posts or replying to customer inquiries.
If hiring a freelancer sounds like something that would work for you, then check out these top platforms to find and hire one today.

11. Decide how much you want to pay
How much does X cost is a question that is about as open-ended as How long is a piece of string ? Pricing can vary depending on the freelancer’s experience, your location and what type of work you need completed.
Determine the scope of work before the freelancer begins work (e.g. 2,000-word article on the impact of artificial intelligence on the telecommunications industry, from the angle of a company CEO, with the target audience being CTOs in the B2B SaaS industry) and negotiate a price based on that.
When hiring a freelancer, most people will ask for an hourly rate but it’s also good to know what you’re paying for (e.g. proofreading and editing vs social media management). So make sure to be transparent about the type of work involved .

11. Never Share Your Login Or Bank Details
Make sure to never share your login details with anyone because hiring a freelancer is like hiring an employee. It’s important that the information they have access to should be limited in case something were to happen, such as them taking off with all your money or stealing your work .
Never give out personal bank account details when hiring someone online (e.g. PayPal) or hiring a freelancer for the first time – instead, always pay them by giving an agreed upon cut to their bank account number.
12. Pay On Time, but not Up Front
When hiring a virtual assistant, always pay them on time but don’t pay upfront because you never know what the end product will look like.
If hiring someone for multiple tasks such as social media management or graphic design it’s best to send regular payments (e.g. every week) and only make one payment at the very end of your hiring period.
13. How to hire a freelancer? Use An Escrow Service
How to hire a freelancer? It’s best to use an escrow service so both parties are protected.
An escrow service is where you send the payment for your hiring period (e.g. monthly) and they hold onto your money until all tasks have been completed. If at any stage during your hiring period, there is no communication or work has not been done to your satisfaction, you can cancel the hiring process and get all of your money back.
The Best Escrow Services are;
Escrow.com
Escrow.com is one of the oldest & safest options out there with over $700 million in processed transactions since 1999
TrustedHire
TrustedHire was created for hiring freelancers and has an A+ rating with BBB (Better Business Bureau) and top-notch security features to keep you safe.
HireRush
HireRush is a hiring platform for freelancers and has an easy to use dashboard with multiple features, flexible hiring plans & top-notch security.
14. How to hire a freelancer and pay them
There are three popular ways to pay your hiring at any time during the hiring period;
E-Transfer
E-transfer is where you send payments directly from one bank account to another. You can send money from your hiring account to their hired account and vice versa.
PayPal
PayPal is an online payment service that’s free for freelancers because it doesn’t charge fees when you transfer money between accounts or receive payments through them . You’ll need a verified bank account in order to use this option, but if you’re hiring someone for the first time it’s recommended to avoid this option because hiring an account with PayPal cost a lot of money.
HireRush
This hiring platform for freelancers to find, hire and pay a team of remote workers in under 60 seconds! We make hiring a virtual assistant as easy as hiring an employee . Hire from anywhere with our mobile app or right from your computer screen & start working w/in minutes. With flexible hiring plans you’ll be hiring in no time.
How to Hire a Freelancer Tips
Find the most skilled freelancers on a specialized platform like Fiverr or Freelancer.com
- Negotiate payment and hiring terms
- Include the project start and end dates, the description of the work, the deliverables, budget, payment term, and what a bad post looks like
- Be sure to budget enough time to carefully vet each freelancer before hiring them.
- Set a realistic budget for the work you want done before hiring a freelancer.
- Be honest, give feedback and pay on time!

FAQs
How to hire a freelancer on these platforms?
It’s simple to hire a freelancer on these platforms. Simply go to each hiring website, create an account and complete the profile so you can start hiring people for your projects.
You will then need to post your project with details about what it entails, how much experience is required and any other specifics that are necessary in order to ensure success. You can also use the hiring platform’s search tool to find professionals who specialize in your niche or industry, allowing you to hire a freelancer within minutes of posting your hiring request!
In Conclusion
Hiring an online freelancer is one of the easiest and most efficient ways for entrepreneurs and small business owners to get things done from home without hiring a full-time employee.
The right freelancer can hit the ground running with minimal training and complete both short-term and long-term tasks and projects with maximum flexibility, quick turnaround times, and low overhead.
Hiring a freelancer allows you to work with a talented expert at a reduced cost. Just remember these tips to hiring a freelancer to ensure you have the successful business partnership to supercharge your business’s growth.

References
- Kroes, J. R. and Ghosh, S. (2009). Outsourcing Congruence With Competitive Priorities: Impact On Supply Chain and Firm Performance. Journal of Operations Management, 2(28), 124-143. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jom.2009.09.004
- Groenendaal, S. M. v. d., Freese, C., Poell, R. F., Kooij, D. (2022). Inclusive Human Resource Management In Freelancers’ Employment Relationships: the Role Of Organizational Needs And Freelancers’ Psychological Contracts. Human Resource Management Journal, 1(33), 224-240. https://doi.org/10.1111/1748-8583.12432
- Groenendaal, S. M. v. d., Freese, C., Poell, R. F., Kooij, D. (2022). Inclusive Human Resource Management In Freelancers’ Employment Relationships: the Role Of Organizational Needs And Freelancers’ Psychological Contracts. Human Resource Management Journal, 1(33), 224-240. https://doi.org/10.1111/1748-8583.12432
- Groenendaal, S. M. v. d., Freese, C., Poell, R. F., Kooij, D. (2022). Inclusive Human Resource Management In Freelancers’ Employment Relationships: the Role Of Organizational Needs And Freelancers’ Psychological Contracts. Human Resource Management Journal, 1(33), 224-240. https://doi.org/10.1111/1748-8583.12432
- Gupta, V., Fernandez-Crehuet, J. M., Hanne, T. (2020). Fostering Continuous Value Proposition Innovation Through Freelancer Involvement In Software Startups: Insights From Multiple Case Studies. Sustainability, 21(12), 8922. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12218922
- Gupta, V., Fernandez-Crehuet, J. M., Hanne, T. (2020). Fostering Continuous Value Proposition Innovation Through Freelancer Involvement In Software Startups: Insights From Multiple Case Studies. Sustainability, 21(12), 8922. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12218922
- Gupta, V., Fernandez-Crehuet, J. M., Hanne, T. (2020). Fostering Continuous Value Proposition Innovation Through Freelancer Involvement In Software Startups: Insights From Multiple Case Studies. Sustainability, 21(12), 8922. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12218922
- Gupta, V., Fernandez-Crehuet, J. M., Hanne, T. (2020). Fostering Continuous Value Proposition Innovation Through Freelancer Involvement In Software Startups: Insights From Multiple Case Studies. Sustainability, 21(12), 8922. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12218922
- Kroes, J. R. and Ghosh, S. (2009). Outsourcing Congruence With Competitive Priorities: Impact On Supply Chain and Firm Performance. Journal of Operations Management, 2(28), 124-143. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jom.2009.09.004
- Groenendaal, S. M. v. d., Freese, C., Poell, R. F., Kooij, D. (2022). Inclusive Human Resource Management In Freelancers’ Employment Relationships: the Role Of Organizational Needs And Freelancers’ Psychological Contracts. Human Resource Management Journal, 1(33), 224-240. https://doi.org/10.1111/1748-8583.12432
- Groenendaal, S. M. v. d., Freese, C., Poell, R. F., Kooij, D. (2022). Inclusive Human Resource Management In Freelancers’ Employment Relationships: the Role Of Organizational Needs And Freelancers’ Psychological Contracts. Human Resource Management Journal, 1(33), 224-240. https://doi.org/10.1111/1748-8583.12432
- Gupta, V., Fernandez-Crehuet, J. M., Hanne, T. (2020). Fostering Continuous Value Proposition Innovation Through Freelancer Involvement In Software Startups: Insights From Multiple Case Studies. Sustainability, 21(12), 8922. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12218922
- Gupta, V., Fernandez-Crehuet, J. M., Hanne, T. (2020). Fostering Continuous Value Proposition Innovation Through Freelancer Involvement In Software Startups: Insights From Multiple Case Studies. Sustainability, 21(12), 8922. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12218922.