According to recent statistics, freelance and remote workers are going to replace the employees soon. There is a large number of companies that prefer hiring a freelancer over regular employees, and it seems that the trend is not going to decline any time soon.
The benefits of hiring a freelancer can be enormous, especially for the companies that are oriented towards new technologies and constant development. The projects are set up easily, since there’s no waste on paperwork and trainings, and most importantly, the costs of hiring freelancers are not as high as in the case of a regular employee.
Most freelancers come as seasoned and experienced professionals within their primary industries, and the fact that they work around the clock or around the project can make them more efficient in comparison to a regular employee.
When thinking about the benefits of hiring freelancers online, one question that pops to one’s mind is why should you even consider hiring a freelancer or an independent contractor? Why shouldn’t you employ a full-time worker from the beginning?
Let’s say you are running a start-up, and you’re on a tight budget that doesn’t allow you to hire full-time collaborators. With that in mind, you need to seek alternatives that will not harm the quality of the work you need.
An affordable solution for you at this moment is a freelancer with the quality portfolio and the necessary experience. You will get your work done, and you can even continue the collaboration until you’re ready to employ full-time!
Okay, that was an easy one, you could say. When it comes to the money, you will always go after a solution that requires no high costs but still gives you the quality you need.
But, let’s think about this: you’re a medium-sized company that are doing solid on the market. You have a small but firm client base that allows you to think about hiring a couple more people for the company.
That could be the situation where you can ask for a more affordable solution, like hiring freelancers. The greatest benefit that comes out of it is – no additional costs like taxes!
As you could assume, hiring a freelancer comes with many other advantages for business owners. For example, the paperwork required is a not as complicated as the paperwork for a regular employee. On the other hand, the costs of hiring a freelancer might be lower in the terms of taxes and other expences, which are inevitable in the case of employing.
Here are some other great benefits of hiring freelancers.
#1 Flexibility
Freelancers are known to be rather flexible with their schedule. Not only can you count on their availability on odd hours (i.e. the weekends or late at night, when no regular employee is available) but they are also available on holidays.
However, being flexible might be a downside, too. If you haven’t worked with a freelancer yet, you might feel a bit worried if they can handle the project in a timely manner. So, before you hire a freelancer, make sure that you negotiate fixed working hours with your freelancer, especially if the project is time sensitive.
#2 Broader Experience
Freelancers usually work with various clients, which gives them an unique opportunity to meet different personalities and face multitude of situations and projects. Since they are not tied to one specific client, freelancers are more likely to cover even the strangest demands from clients.
On the other hand, the experience that a freelancer obtained during his/her career might be related to other skills or knowledge. For example, a graphic designer or a web developer is probably introduced to basics of digital marketing or SEO, which gives them serious advantage over a regular employee.
#3 Faster Delivery
There’s something appealing to the way a freelancer approach their projects. That eagerness to get things done on time and to deliver fast is something highly regarded in the world of freelancers.
We’re not saying that an employee cannot have the same attitude. It’s just that most of employees are too comfortable in their projects and they don’t even seek the way to break the routine and try something challenging.
Freelancers need to keep their mind on their reputation among the clients. Therefore, they are more willing to put the extra effort and finish their projects on time, maintaining their high reputation within the industry.
#4 Independence
Unlike the employees, freelancers are accustomed to work alone. They are extremely independent and self-relient, which makes them more valuable in the terms of getting projects done.
Being more self-relient makes a freelancer more adaptive to different challenges and obstacles during the project. On the other hand, employees usually rely on team work, which can lead to missed deadlines.
Finally, independence means that freelancers don’t require much monitoring during the work. Since they are able to manage their time and priorities effectively. Freelancers keep the track of their progress and allow the clients to do the same.
#5 Quality of Work
It’s not easy to admit this, but freelancers tend to bring more quality to the work than the regular employees. And it might be the crucial element in deciding whether you’re going to hire a freelancer or not.
What’s the motive behind such an approach? As we mentioned before, freelancers rely on recommendations. They are extremely cautious with whom they work with and which projects they accept. One small error or failure to deliver the work that they’ve promised might cost them quite a bit in the future.
In order to keep their records straight and build solid references, freelancers will put the extra quality in the work they deliver.
On the other hand, the financial insecurity of a freelancer also makes them more proactive and tenatious than the regular employees. Since employees have their monthly checks secured, meaning they know they will get paid, no matter how much effort they put in the work, they tend to get too comfortable in the sense of doing only the necessary work.
Freelancers, however, are challenged by the fact that their monthly income is not secured; therefore, they push themselves further in order to establish long-term relationship with clients that will help them create the financial security for themselves.
