Consider looking on your computer for your next staffer
Are you overwhelmed and always wondered about what it would be like to outsource some of your work? If you have things you should be doing but simply aren’t because there isn’t enough time in the day, a freelancer can help you complete those tasks. Upwork is a popular site for freelancers and I have used it several times in the last year.
Whether you are looking for someone to help you create a marketing brochure, help enter data, or write an email newsletter for your clients, you can find someone on Upwork to get the task done at an affordable price. Although there are a lot of talented individuals on the site, it is important to use your professional skepticism and remember that you need to vet contractors just like a recruiter vets potential employees.
Be clear on the task you want to be done
When setting up your job, it is important to know exactly what specifications and skills are necessary in order to complete the task. Do they need to be a good writer, or excel at Excel? You should list out tasks, tools being used, and estimated time and budget. Expectations should be clearly outlined and tasks should be easy to understand.
I recommend that you set preferences that include a high Job Success Score, Freelancer Type, and English Level. See the page below for an example.
Posting the job
While creating your job post, I recommend adding some type of key word or phrase that should be used in the response to the proposal. For instance, if you want to post a job to have someone create a blog post (see example below) I have included a line in the description that states the candidate must put the word “Travel” at the top of their proposal in order to be considered.
This is a quick and easy way to sift out those candidates who are not detail oriented. I also recommend adding in custom questions such as “Tell me about your experience as a writer”, “Please provide 3 examples of your previous work”, as it pertains to your task.
Finding the right candidate
After you’ve posted your job and received several applicants, it is time to figure out who is the best candidate for your job. You’ll notice that Upwork actually rates people for you, based upon job score, completion, and other related factors. You will want to go through the top applicants by reading their answers to your questions, looking for the requested keyword at the top of applications, and looking at previous job ratings.
It is very important to look at their feedback from previous jobs. This will give you a good idea of their quality of work and whether or not people have enjoyed working with them.
One thing to think about is whether or not you want to work with a US candidate or international candidate. If you do decide to work with an international candidate, it is important to remember that there will be language, cultural, and time zone differences. Managing an international freelancer requires more back and forth and extremely detailed instructions and expectations.
Completing the Job
Expectations, expectations, expectations. Make sure you are managing expectations from the beginning. Work with your contractor to understand the timeline and expected budget.
Check in with your freelancer to see if they are having any issues or roadblocks. Don’t be afraid to offer additional guidance. Communication is important when fostering a relationship with a freelancer so that you both know how the task is progressing. This way, if issues do arise, they feel like they can talk to you about them and manage realistic expectations.
Final thoughts
The key to growing your tourism business is for you to do the activities that bring in visitors and get assistance with other tasks. I can tell you that using Upwork will help you achieve that. How do I know? I had Andrea, my Upwork assistant, write this post for me! Having this task done for me allowed me to work on other blog posts and follow up with two clients. Winning! Let me know if you want to try using Upwork and I will be glad to help.