6 Questions to Ask When Interviewing an International Freelancer
When you’re assembling a team of freelancers, you might find that some of the top talent is located overseas. Many managers make the mistake of limiting their search to their own country, but in doing so, you’re likely missing out on some of the top candidates. Of course, international recruiting comes with its own set of challenges, and it’s not always easy to create a thriving remote team of freelancers from around the world. If you know where to look — and what to ask — you can develop an all-star team to work on your remote project.
Get to Know Their Skills and Abilities
- “What strengths can you bring to the team?” Although this question might sound generic, it’s important to start with basics and get a sense of how a freelancer will serve your project. You can easily find freelancers on job board sites, but not every freelancer has the skills you need. Make sure they’re a good fit by getting specific about their strengths.
- “Why are you suited to remote work?” When you’re recruiting for a project that’s completely remote, you need to be confident that your team is comfortable in the virtual workspace. Freelancers such as graphic designers, copywriters, and programmers are often a good fit for remote work.
- “How do you communicate and share ideas?” Communicating with freelancers isn’t always easy, so identifying a candidate’s communication style is important. If you’re sharing ideas with a graphic designer or marketing consultant, for example, you may need to share images. A JPG file may be too big to send via email, though, so you may need to use an image to PDF converter. This allows you to share images with your team of freelancers without sacrificing the quality of the original file.
See if They’re Right for the Job
- “What are your expectations for pay?” It’s imperative to ensure that you’re on the same page regarding payment and fair rates. There are many ways to pay a freelancer, and ensuring you have the tools to do so is an important administrative task. You can limit your tax liability, streamline payments, and simplify hiring by forming a limited liability company. Check your state’s LLC laws to ensure that you’re in compliance with regulations.
- “What kind of projects have you completed successfully?” Asking a prospective freelancer about their track record of success is a great way to see whether they will actually be able to complete the tasks that are associated with the job. Listen for details that they provide to gauge the sincerity of their answer.
- “How do you collaborate with teammates?” According to research, there are nearly 2.2 million freelancers in the U.K. Collaboration is an imperative part of freelancing. You can assess whether a prospective team member is a good fit by asking them how they implement collaboration in their work.
Build a Team That Thrives on Collaboration
Assembling a worldwide team of freelance talent is a massive undertaking, but as you’ll quickly see, there’s no shortage of talent to utilize. Finding the right talent, though, is still an important task. You can simplify the process by forming an LLC and using intuitive tools like a JPG-to-PDF converter. Resources like this, in conjunction with a collaborative spirit, will help your team thrive.
By Cody McBride
July 2022
Image @Pexels
