Finding a freelancer for your projects is not always easy. You need to find a rare gem who combines availability with the skills you’re looking for. Yet, the best freelancers are often already booked with other clients. Here are our tips to identify and attract the perfect candidate to successfully complete your missions.
Post a job offer on a job board to quickly find an available freelancer
Recruiters are used to using job boards to search for candidates. If you want to find a freelancer quickly, it is entirely possible to post a job offer on a job board.
Advantages of job boards to find a freelancer:
You don’t need to change your usual recruitment processes and channels.
The job offer is quickly visible online on the platform.
You can find a freelancer who is immediately available.
The audience of job boards or freelance job posting sites is made up of people actively looking for new contracts. It is therefore the ideal channel to find an immediately available freelancer. However, the applications you receive won’t always be high quality or sufficiently specialized.
Use a Boolean search to find the ideal freelancer for your projects
Boolean search complements job postings. It involves using search engines (Google, LinkedIn, Indeed) with advanced search features. Boolean candidate searches use keyword combinations with operators like "AND," "OR," and "NOT."
This is an ideal approach for finding a highly specialized freelancer. However, there’s no guarantee that the person will be available for a mission. And if you use Boolean search in a job board’s CV database, you might only find people looking for permanent contracts.
Find a good freelancer on a specialized platform
To locate expert profiles working independently, the best option is to use a freelance platform specialized in your field. These matching platforms let you browse freelancer profiles before getting in touch.
To find the ideal freelancer for your projects, you’ll need to filter based on precise criteria, including skills, availability, experience, and the daily rate (TJM). Once your search is complete, it’s up to you to contact the freelancer and convince them to work with you!
How to convince a freelancer to work on your projects?
Finding a freelancer is only the first step: you also need to convince them to choose your project over others. This involves a phase of persuasion that HR teams often refer to as the candidate experience.
To convince a candidate to work with you, we recommend following these steps:
Present the project you’re hiring for
Indicate your deadlines and any flexibility
Clarify how the mission will be carried out (location, remote work, etc.)
Clearly state your budget
Propose a meeting or phone call
Mention possible future projects or long-term collaboration
Many freelancers enjoy working on long or recurring assignments. Remember: buying professional services is first and foremost a human encounter, and the success of the collaboration depends on the quality of that relationship.
How to find a good freelancer?
The criteria to take into account when searching for a good freelancer include the desired profile (technical skills, tools, and software), availability, and references. Reviews posted on freelance platforms and recommendations on social networks are also helpful when choosing a freelancer.
How to find a freelancer during an ongoing project?
Finding a freelancer during a project requires preparing all the necessary materials for the handover. This may include sharing deliverables previously completed internally or by another freelancer so that the newcomer can get started quickly. Don’t hesitate to provide the consultant with the project context and current progress if you’re hiring mid-project.
