How to know if a freelancer is right for your team?

The process of finding the right person for your team can get really frustrating. Hiring a wrong freelancer can cost a lot of time, money and mental energy. Unfortunately, those are things that we as founders do not have in abundance.?

So today, I would like to share 3 tips I pay attention to during every interview. These have helped me build a strong, coherent team that drives my brand forward.

1. Ask yourself, “Would I feel comfortable with this person representing my company?”

During the interview, imagine yourself in a situation where your freelancer has to reach out and talk with another founder or connection on your startup’s behalf. Would you feel comfortable with that person representing your company? Or would they mis-represent your brand? If in doubt, look for a different person.

2. Do they fit your company culture?

Make sure that the freelancer is self-motivated and willing to give their time and effort to your startup. You’ve already spent a lot of time and endured through a lot of stress to build the foundation of your startup and you’re now bringing it to life. You deserve a freelancer that will build on your team.

Unlike the previous tip, this goes beyond optics. They can be the most skilled or experienced workers, but if they can’t gel with the rest of your team, none of it means anything. It takes some time for a freelancer to really fit into the company culture, but make sure you can imagine that being feasible to begin with. Do you see the rest of your team working well with them and building on each other?

3. Make sure they share your excitement

When interviewing freelancers I’ve noticed 2 types of motivation.

1. I’m in it for myself. I want to grow my freelance business. I just want to get paid. The attitude is quite passive. They don’t have any ideas for your startup.
2. They believe your startup is the next big thing. They want to be part of it. They want to help you drive it forward. They are excited to join your team because they feel your drive and your passion.?

On your end, during the interview you need to make sure the excitement that drives you is clear and look if it rubs off on them. If done correctly, it can be really contagious, but if they feel indifferent and immune to it, they’re not going to work out in your team.?

Even if you’ve already interviewed 20 people. Stay away from #1. You will only waste even more time by onboarding them. They will have a negative impact on your team. While #2 will add to, support, help you drive your team forward and give you lots of energy.

It’s the intangibles that make the difference when knowing if a freelancer is the right fit or not for your team. Keep these tips in mind as you go forward on building the best team you can possibly make.