Team-building
Once you have found the right freelancers and onboarded them to your organization, it’s time to begin putting together functional teams.
Typically, our research finds, these teams will consist of both in-house and freelance talent, although exact ratios often depend on company size, with 49% of smaller companies (those consisting of 100 or fewer employees) predominantly relying on freelance talent.
Meanwhile, 70% of larger companies (those consisting of 100 or more employees) incorporate a mix of in-house and freelance talent to meet their content needs.
Unsurprisingly, the number of content creators used by organizations is directly proportional to company size: the larger the company, the higher the content production – and a higher number of content creators needed to create it. The main challenge here, however, is sourcing that talent.
of freelancers say they have enough work
of managers report that they need additional content
Our survey shows that 62.2% of freelancers say they have enough work, with 66% of more senior freelancers (those working fully freelance for five or more years) working with more than six clients, while 81% of beginner freelancers (those working fully freelance for less than two year) having less than five clients. Beginner freelancers are mostly working part-time (71%), and moving on to full-time status after two years of work, having established relationships and a familiarity with the market.
Now, compare that with 57.7% of managers who report that they need additional content creators, and the war on talent becomes a very real challenge that organizations must find ways to overcome.
Here, we’ve found that the keys to this lie in communication, which freelancers highly value, rating it a 4.5 out of 5. Forbes, in a recent article, agrees: “Freelancers can often feel disconnected as it is, but having some points of continuity means they can build rapport. When that happens, ideas flow more freely, and better work is produced. For instance, you should encourage methods of communication and meeting that allow those who are not physically present to contribute as meaningfully as those who happen to be in the same room. This ensures that the best ideas are heard and incorporated, no matter where they might originate.”
For freelancers, however, there is a fine line between good and too much communication. Managers should take note, establishing processes based on trust that enable freelancers to work independently. Feedback, check-ins, and other criticism have their place, but only after the work is completed.
“I’m looking for clients that give you a task, provide all the necessary information, and lets you do all the work,” says freelance copywriter Stefan. “Constructive criticism is always welcome – without micromanagement along the way.”