
Ask HN: How to find a good freelancer? - soneca
I have the impression (please, correct me if I&#x27;m wrong) that is kind of a consensus at HN that Upwork and other freelance jobs sites are filled with low quality jobs and with not so reliable and professional freelancers on a race to the bottom price war.<p>Usually here you get advice from the freelancer point of view (create your own network, ask for referrals and etc). But what about from the client point of view?<p>If I have a web development job and I want to hire a great professional as a freelancer, how do I find him&#x2F;her?
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scapecast
Another option is Toptal, which I've heard is higher quality, and we're
currently in the process of evaluating candidates with them.

I've successfully used Upwork for design and smaller development jobs. Nothing
mission critical, but with a 4-figure spend per job, so all added up it's not
pocket change.

Here's what worked for me to find good freelancers, it's almost a bit of a
marketing funnel concept applied to hiring:

\- filtering of the candidates that can see the job \- screening questions \-
detailed job description \- clear scoping of the deliverables and timelines \-
ask freelancers to reply with questions about the deliverables \- sample of
the work I want \- video interview \- daily check-ins once candidate is hired

The filtering (by time zone, hours worked, skills, etc.) narrows your pool of
potential candidates, but it's a first step of removing low quality from your
funnel.

Next are the screening questions - half of the freelancers don't even read
them in detail. You fail the answers, that's it. If you can't read the
instructions, then you probably can't do the job either.

The scoping and questions about the deliverables helps me understand how the
freelance thinks about the project. I look for people who can do small
iterations and take feedback vs. sort of "pulling a rabbit out of the hat"
type of personality. The work sample then gives me an understanding if we're
on the same page.

The video interview adds a personal touch and you can figure out if you'll be
able to work together. That's fundamental, because once the project is
underway, you really don't want daily check-ins with no "vibe" between the two
of you.

Finally - consider price. You get what you pay for. Going the lowest price,
offshore route is not the way to go.

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soneca
thanks for the tips! Indeed, a good hiring process might find the right person
at Upwork.

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brudgers
I'd say it's like any other hiring process...create your network, ask for
referrals, etc. On the other hand, with free lancers you're not trying to
poach anyone or 'buy out their contract' at another employer.

Anyway, Linkedin is a good place to start...yes, it actually has a few uses.
Premium features will allow searching for consultants relatively efficiently
if there are not enough in your network already.

