Interviewing a freelance candidate can be very overwhelming, especially when you have so many options to choose from. I learned a lot from my experience using Pangea.app to find some really great content contributors, and I want to share those lessons so that your interview process will be as simple and streamlined as possible.

1. Know What You Need

It can be very difficult to interview a candidate when you’re not sure what you need. So, spend time with your team and understand where the holes in your company are and what skills a freelancer should have in order to fill them. That being said…

…keep an open mind.  

Sometimes we get stuck on what’s on paper even though we have a good feeling about certain candidates. Always remember, you can teach certain skills but you can’t teach efficiency and work ethic. If you feel like a candidate may need a little bit more training but holds promise, then you might not want to pass on the possibility.

2. Know Your Budget

How much are you willing to pay a freelancer? Talking budget with the team is extremely important when gearing up to take on a temporary employee. Most contractors have set rates and you have to keep that in mind while on the search. But you should also remember…

It is always possible to negotiate.

Several freelancers have said they are willing to come down on their number if the client a) is their “dream client” or b) is really on a budget but the project is just too exciting to turn down. I have encountered this with several candidates after asking if the compensation promised by Pangea.app was up to their standards. There were some cases where I had to go back to the team and talk about where we were willing to give and where we needed to take.

3. Plan For After The Interviews

One of the biggest mistakes I made while interviewing was failing to outline the details, which means I was going through the hiring process without a plan. This actually ended up making the process more overwhelming than it needed to be because I wasn’t prepared when it came to onboarding candidates. If I had just set up all the materials I knew I was going to need, like task guidelines, I would have been able to bring people onto the team much faster.  

These may sound like simple suggestions, and possibly even obvious ones, but I wish I had this checklist to make for a streamline process. So, take these tips and hire the candidate best fit for your listing.