freelancers

Hiring freelancers comes with its own specific set of problems, with the lack of a vetting process making it potentially problematic for employers. 

Without questions, freelancers can be a boon to a business, but there are also potential risks involved that should not be overlooked. For businesses that are balancing costs with work output, they are always searching for talented, cost-effective freelancers that can cover all the areas they need. Although there are many excellent reasons to search for freelancers, there are other reasons you shouldn’t hire non-vetted freelancers as the process comes with some risks. The following are 5 pitfalls associated with hiring freelancers that have not been vetted. 

Missed Deadlines

Since many freelancers typically balance several projects at any given time, sometimes it is impossible for them to accurately evaluate the scope of the tasks at hand and end up with too much on their plate. In order to keep up with the amount of work, freelancers will focus more time and energy on projects that offer higher compensation and tighter deadlines. The end result may be them falling behind schedule on other projects and missing deadlines. A heavy workload and irregular work schedule can lead to urgent requests unanswered, an issue that you won’t have to contend with using in-house employees. 

Miscommunication Issues

When companies make the decision to hire freelancers to work on a project, it means that they could be literally anywhere in the world, which means that miscommunication is far more likely to occur. Miscommunication happens even in-house, but it becomes more of an issue when working with non-vetted freelancers. A number of reasons for miscommunication include:

  • lack of communication and collaboration from one or both sides
  • lack of project details shared with the freelancer
  • unclear deadline
  • lack of description of expected output from one or both sides

These and other factors are often the reasons for a poor experience when working with non-vetted freelancers. There can also be a language barrier when non-vetted freelancers are hired offshore. In order to increase efficiency, it is advisable to hire freelancers with a strong level of working proficiency so that both sides are able to work together in perfect tandem. This is how the vetting process can directly benefit employers searching for the best freelancers. 

Verbal and non-verbal cues are also an issue to look out for when it comes to communication as hiring a freelancer with a different cultural background means that certain things are liable to get lost in translation between cultures. No matter whether your employee is in-house or freelancer, strong communication results in the best collaboration and a smoother workflow. 

Incomplete or Subpar Setup

Hiring a freelancer at a lower rate may impact your bottom line somewhat, but it also means that the freelancer hired could have hardware or software that is incomplete or unavailable. In instances such as these, freelance developers may have a slow Wi-Fi connection, and/or lack the design software necessary for certain aspects of the project at hand. With compromised equipment, servers, and operating systems, employers risk losing files and subsequently deadline. If you are hiring non-vetted freelancers, you may have to make up the difference by ordering equipment and software for them in order to finish the process in a timely manner. 

Commitment

With so many choices coupled with the lack of contractual obligations, a non-vetted freelancer may be more inclined to quit one project in favor of a more lucrative one, which means your company could end up on the short end of the stick. Low commitment is a serious issue that many businesses have to face when it comes to remote employees and ultimately, the risk can potentially affect project delivery times. While having in-house employees is no guarantee that projects will be completed on time, it is far easier to communicate directly your needs in order to ensure that the project meets or exceeds all of its goals. 

Security

Security should always be a top priority for companies, especially when it comes to hiring remote workers as you want freelance developers that are adept at working within your company from day one. Without question, temporary workers and freelancers pose the greatest security threat to an organization and as such, employers must constantly stay abreast of the non-vetted freelancers they have hired as they have access to the company systems, data, and documented files. Companies that use non-vetted freelancers must constantly execute regular security checks in order to ensure the safety of their assets. 

Collaborating with freelancers comes with benefits and drawbacks for companies, and while they usually are able to live up to expectations, employers should be aware of the potential drawbacks that are associated with hiring non-vetted freelancers. 

As Lemon’s Content Writer, Andrey Zagorodniy writes and publishes blog articles, landing pages, and social media posts. With 7+ years of creating content and about 1 year of editing in his background, Andrey believes he can write about anything if he has enough time to dig into the subject. @lemoneyeo

Freelancers stock photo by GaudiLab/Shutterstock