Teen Entrepreneurs with Epilepsy: 5 Recommendations for Assembling a Successful Team of Freelancers

5 Recommendations for Assembling a Successful Team of Freelancers

via Mashable! by Ray Grainger on 4/8/11

Ray Grainger is founder and CEO of Mavenlink, a comprehensive web-based project management platform that manages the entire scope of business for consultants, freelancers, and other independent service professionals from a single application.
Last year, approximately 30% of the U.S. job market was made up of independent workers: consultants, freelancers, temps, and others, according to the Freelancers Union, a non-profit advocacy organization. This figure is expected to reach 40% of the total workforce by 2020.
The surge of independent contractors is a relatively recent phenomenon which has been fueled by the web and an incredible array of cloud-based tools. Below are a few recommendations for ways to work with freelancers that will scale no matter the size and scope of your project.

1. Leverage Your Network to Find Great Talent

When you are looking to complete a project that requires a new skill set, and you don’t have a “go-to” freelancer in mind, start by reaching out to contractors you’ve worked with in the past — even if they have a completely different focus.

Freelancers often have a strong network of fellow freelancers from prior projects and associations, and are happy to make introductions as they look to build a stronger client relationship. There is also a strong incentive for any freelancer you select through a referral to do good work. It’s a powerful dynamic to have everyone on a project starting from a place of trust.

2. Use an Online Workspace for Collaboration and Project Management

It’s easy to lose track of conversations, email chains, document versions and schedules when you’re managing several projects. Start any project by designating a central place for all players — internal and external — to conduct business. By having a one-stop location to find all materials, track conversations, and compare schedules, you’ll help streamline the entire collaboration process and keep things ticking along on time.

3. Create Clearly Defined Goals and Deadlines

At the beginning of any project, start by setting goals for the entire engagement, and set deadlines against them. All parties will be able to track and know exactly what’s expected of whom and when, and ultimately will deliver a higher quality result.

Make sure to continually update the progress of the project as well, so that everyone stays on the same page and bad surprises are minimized.

4. Connect Project Management to Budgets and Invoicing

Invoicing often happens outside of project management, with the person receiving the invoice having no idea whether value has been delivered. Linking invoicing to tasks and deliverables from within one system can help anyone in the hiring company (not just the project manager) understand the work that has been purchased and delivered.

5. Keep it Simple

All the process, planning and technology won’t make a bit of difference without buy-in from all parties. Keeping everyone on the same page requires keeping everyone engaged. Start with a straightforward approach and easy-to-use technology that encourages participation. If the approach or the technology are too complicated, the project will suffer as team members struggle with adoption.

Let’s face it, there is more talented expertise outside your company than within it. In a world of increasing specialization, learning to work effectively with external resources opens up access to specialized expertise. As you engage more of this external talent, you benefit from all the know-how they bring to the table gained from multiple clients across multiple industries.

As this new way of working continues to accelerate, it will be critical that the technology your company uses maximizes the effectiveness of both the internal and external workforces. Of course, technology alone isn’t a stand-in for strong management. Combining optimal technology tools along with well-defined processes and workforce strategies will help maximize communication and goal attainment.