Due to known skills and talent shortages, more companies are hiring talent from freelancers. Online platforms provide such efficient access to talent that nearly half of the surveyed companies access these markets to find the right skills, and more than half expect to increase their use of contingent workforce.
But companies are also finding that this method of sourcing and engagement creates new complexities. How to ensure proper classification, manage IP ownership, security, and hiring processes.
Freelancers, which have become increasingly common in some areas, and one of the characteristics of those who work in the modality is the freedom of schedules and their definition of the workload.
In this article, you will figure out what means to be a freelancer and what qualities this professional has to engage teams in companies.
What are the freelancers?
Freelancers are self-employed professionals who work independently and provide services to companies or individuals for certain periods. In addition to being favored by tax issues, freelancers find it easy to get jobs in the digital market.
Although this type of work has only become popular in recent decades, the word “freelance” has been around since the 19th century.
Nowadays, freelancer designates the professional who works on their own, providing services to companies or individuals independently.
What does it take to be a freelancer?
1. Organization
Firstly, it is essential to be a very organized person. As a self-employed person, you will be responsible for everything related to your professional life: the tasks to be carried out, the deadlines for each one of them, communication with the client, the pricing of your services, in addition to ensuring that payments are in order.
Therefore, if you are not in the habit of keeping everything organized, it will be very easy to get lost and damage your image in the market.
2. Subject
Freelancers take discipline to ensure that everything is on time, as you won’t have a boss or someone asking you if everything is up to date.
Without discipline, chances are you’ll be distracted all day and end up working into the night to get everything done on time. In addition to harming the result of your work, this is also bad for your quality of life!
3. Networking
Another important point for those who want to venture as self-employed professionals are to have a wide list of contacts to get good opportunities. With this type of work becoming more and more common, platforms are also emerging that make life easier for freelancers in a variety of areas and connect them with potential clients.
Still, the more people you meet, the better your chances of getting interesting jobs.
4. Defining a work niche
A career as a freelancer is interesting because the professional can work with a different range of areas or industries. It is quite common for us to take what appears at the beginning of our careers, as customers are still scarce.
However, being in a competitive market, defining a niche makes a difference. The more you specialize in the area, the better. If you have experience in the automobile industry, your content production will be richer and deeper.
Qualities to be good freelancers
1. Be your boss
As a freelancer, you have the chance to choose the client you would like to work with, as well as when and where.
You are not susceptible to the effects of the current crisis and resulting restrictions and layoffs. There is no one to charge you for numerous demands at the same time. You are the one who manages your type and place of work and expands your networking.
2. Choose when and where to work
Another wonderful advantage that being a freelancer gives you is having flexible hours. Not to mention that home office work has its valuable advantages, such as greater comfort, more time for you, your family, and your home, no traffic, less stress, and greater care for your health.
In addition, it has proven you can choose the place and time of work helps a lot in terms of productivity and quality. As you don’t have to sacrifice your well-being for the professional, you deliver more and better jobs.
3. Valuing happiness
Being the owner of your nose and being able to make choices more aligned with your real needs and desires makes you a better person. And that’s what all human wants and seeks every day, even if it’s not in the most assertive way.
4. Optimize earnings
One of the benefits of being a freelancer is precisely to optimize your earnings through the routine of making contacts. The logic is simple: the more customers you have, the better and more profitable your work will be.
This variety of jobs still qualifies you professionally and over time, your workforce becomes more specialized and competitive. If you’ve already been an employee of someone, you’ve gone through a situation of increased work without your salary keeping up with the same pace.
5. Follow and live your passion
When it is your boss, choose when and where to work. Also, value your happiness and optimize your earnings.
Common Goals
Goals are an important factor, especially for someone who is a freelancer and is thinking of partnering. Maybe you’ll find a great professional, and it would be nice to have him by your side.
You need to keep in mind that you won’t be able to rely on the person. Especially when it comes to social media. However, it can be the complement you need if your project is more comprehensive. Also, it includes the production of content for blogs.
Therefore, evaluate the goals of the two parties and see if it is possible to achieve a good synergy. Otherwise, it’s better to keep looking for a partner for the project.
Freelancers soft skills
Companies pay close attention to this issue when recruiting a new employee. After all, he may have good technical knowledge, but simply not know how to relate to his colleagues. In addition to the usage to their potential, the employee will also harm the work of others.
Interestingly, putting technical knowledge into practice is much easier than demonstrating behavioral skills, or soft skills. One of them is the ability to collaborate, which is not so difficult to assess.
Also, note how flexible the person is and is willing to adjust to deadlines and directions. Emotional balance is another important factor. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t work with someone who sometimes has bouts of depression or anxiety. Also because it would be very difficult to find someone like that.
How to have an engaged team?
Even those who play an individual role, without much contact with other people/team, at some point need to interact and make alignments. Be it with the customer, a supplier, or a partner. For those who actually have a team, it is easier to visualize this need and ongoing interaction.
In both cases, it is so possible to maintain the connection that today it is increasingly common to see professionals dedicating themselves to the nomadic life.
Or at least outside the standards where hitting the clock at the same time and place is rule number one.
First, it is essential to establish the most viable communication channels for everyone. Phone, chat, video calls, email, digital platforms, social networks.
There is no lack of options. The market has even felt the need for these people and has developed tools that facilitate the day-to-day activities of those who work with remote teams.
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