As an employer of freelancers, it is essential to get them to trust you. If they feel you are trustworthy, they will go out of their way to do excellent work for you. Read on for our tips on how to gain the trust of the freelancers working for you.
1) Pay them on time:
Don’t delay paying your freelancer. Since they are freelancing, they don’t have the luxury of a regular monthly salary. Prompt payment of their invoices will make them trust you and be eager to work for you again. However, delays in payment will end up with them becoming anxious. It can also potentially scare them off from working with you on future projects.
2) Always tell them the truth:
Telling the truth is an important aspect of building a relationship. This is as important in an employer-freelancer relationship as in any other. If you have a project deadline in 7 days, it may be tempting to lie and tell the freelancer that it is in 3 days. But, that may end up in your freelancer submitting shoddy work. Alternately, if you are not satisfied with a deliverable, tell them tactfully. If they are truly professional, they will appreciate the feedback and will work harder the next time around.
3) Make a personal connection:
Making a personal connection with your freelancer is a great way to get them to trust you. Even though you are the employer, don’t limit the relationship with your freelancer to be one that is purely transactional. Get to know a bit about them. Chat with them about their family or hobbies. Doing this will send out positive vibes about you as a person. It will also make the freelancer feel more inclined to trust you.
4) Always be courteous:
Even though you are their employer, you should never be rude to your freelancers. In the case of the occasional project delay or messed up deliverable, take a deep breath before communicating with them. Yes, your own deadlines are important, but at times you need to be humane if they are contrite about the issue. In case you have the bad luck to have an unprofessional freelancer working for you, don’t work with him or her again. But blasting them while ending the relationship is not going to make things better.
5) Give them positive feedback if they deserve it:
Whether you are using a freelancing platform or if you are working one on one with a freelancer, don’t skimp on positive feedback. If their work was exemplary, ensure you take some effort in penning down a few lines of praise for them. Customer testimonials and positive feedback are crucial for each freelancer. Plus, it will make them feel good about the effort they put in, and they’ll be lining up to work for you again.
Building trust in your freelancers is important for an employer to ensure you have reliable freelancers working for you. Putting in the effort by following our tips above is an excellent way to start.
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