Freelance Web Developer Hire: How It’s Done
September 15, 2020
There are multiple scenarios where you have to hire a freelance web developer. If you are a budding business in need of a functional website, or a corporation that needs a bigger task force but for a temporary duration, hiring a freelancer is your best option.
If you are in search of a full-time web developer and not sure how to go about it, this blog will help you as well.
Hiring a web developer is a stressful task. There exists a lot of doubts and trust issues when it comes to hiring freelancers. It’s only natural because we hear horror stories as they are the loudest, but that is not the case. In fact, it’s just a minor percentage of freelancers that are iffy. This blog will provide things to look out for to make your life a little easy.
Assessing your needs
Website needs
Everyone, including Workik, has a vision for our website. But we fail to remember that it’s the ultimate goal and not all the features in mind are an absolute essential. Decide on those features that add value and fulfil functional needs. The process of elimination will help you understand the scope of the website better.
Your budget
Budget is a barrier everyone must conquer at some point. If you are on a tight budget, a freelancer is your best option. Hiring a freelancer can prove to be expensive, especially in America, Australia, Canada, and Western European countries. In places like Asia, Latin America and Africa, the costs are much lower. With the low cost comes risk. Do not fear you can always filter out the not so good ones by processes mentioned later on in the blog. Discuss with all the stakeholders to see what the needs and preferences are.
Time available
Time and money are like two ends of a seesaw. It’s hard to find the perfect balance. In most cases, you are on a deadline and need to set up or deliver a high-quality website. Here is where outsourcing to a different geographic area will prove advantageous.
Hire Process
Where to find
Many websites and applications help find a freelance web developer. The advantage of using these platforms are security for your money and work guarantee, ensure the discussed work hours are put in. It also categorizes freelancers based on services, cost, and reviews, hence making it easy to choose an appropriate person. A few places to find freelancers are:
Developer skills
Now that you have chosen the means to hire a freelance web developer, the next step is to find the developer that suits your needs. It is advisable to have some basic technical knowledge to do so. The frontend and the backend of a website need multiple different software to be developed. Based on your needs, the software required will vary. Familiarize yourself with your software needs as this plays a significant role in looking for the right freelancer with the right skills. Ask for portfolios if already available, make sure to ask elaborate questions that concern your needs.
Compatibility test
Now that you have found a suitable freelance web developer, with significant skills. Make sure that person is effortless to talk too and easy to get along. A common mistake often made by people hiring is a lack of compatibility assessment. Usually, as an employer, one would have spent a lot of time looking for a person that fits right. Therefore, when a skilful person comes along, you would want to close the deal to reap the maximum benefits for the time spent. Here is where patients will pay off, take the time to know the person. The compatibility test will help both of you eventually. Discuss the approach to prioritising work to ensure you are not caught off guard. Many freelancers have task-based goals rather than fixed hours.
Skill test
A skill test is a final step in deciding on a freelance web developer. There are multiple ways to go about it. We recommend two methods to help you decide. The first method is to have a one-day test where a simple task is assigned. This method is usually a free trial period. The second method is to have a longer trial period, but it would be a paid test. This type of test is often better because you gain deeper insight into the coding skills.
Not sure what questions to ask ?
Hire Process Structure
Usually, corporates that hire hold three rounds. The first round is a pre-employment assessment. In this round the resume is asses, and suitable candidates receive a phone interview.
The second round could be an aptitude test, a group discussion or a face-to-face interview. In the case of an aptitude test, your general aptitude and technical aptitude is tested. Sometimes multiple rounds of aptitude tests are conducted. It splits general and technical into different tests.
The third round would either be a group discussion interview in case of an aptitude test, or a face-to-face if you had a group discussion. Mostly, the third round is optional. It would be held if there is a high volume of applicants.
In general, there are five popular interview formats. A company adopts a combination of these five formats based on their needs. The five formats are tele/video call, individual assessment, face-to-face interview, assessment by an interview panel, and group interviews. Chose the interview process that best suits your need to evaluate the potential employee.
Your role
Be transparent
Giving out sensitive business information is risky, especially for entrepreneurs. This is because their business idea may revolve around the building of a website and giving it out increases the chances of a copied business model. But do not hold back on information regarding website development. A deal can be struck, only if you are transparent and layout the work cut for the web developer. Discuss the modules, tools and features involved, also discuss the project period.
It is a leap of faith that is why undergoing vigorous scrutiny is critical.
Regular updates
Schedule a meeting with the freelancing web developer to get updates on the progress. It does not have to be every day so long as it’s regular and consistent. Two to three times a week will suffice.
To begin with, you must spend extra time to get set up and get into a flow. Once tasks and workflows have been defined it will be a smooth sail.
Clean code
Technical expertise might not be your strong suit, therefore ensure the coder uses appropriate commenting. Commenting makes it easy for someone else to take up the job or if you need an additional workforce. A well commented clean code saves everyone time and money.
Spaghetti coding may work but is very difficult to troubleshoot and fix. It is very cumbersome and expensive to fix. If you have spare change, consider hiring an experienced developer to oversee the coding. It will not cost a lot and is worth the investment. Another option would be to hire an experienced developer for a short duration of time after the completion of the project to ensure clean code.
Records
Make sure the developer keeps records of what has been done. This document should include the modules developed, applications integrated, and other technically relevant processes done. This record aids in communication and furthermore helps pave a clear path to the end goal.
The records also help developers when in a rut as it allows stepping back and viewing the bigger picture. It creates room for course correction and speeds the web building process.
Contracts and agreements
Simple Contract
A simple contract is signed between an employer and an employee. The contract outlines the parties involved and the activity undertaken. It elaborates the scope, responsibilities, and tasks of both parties. Mentioned here is a brief overview of liabilities.
A non-disclosure agreement (NDA) and confidentiality agreement (CA)
An NDA is signed to ensure no sensitive information is given out to the competitor or anyone else. It defines the proprietary information that is considered confidential. Additionally, it includes clauses that deal with the information return after the duration of the contract is fulfilled or if the contract is terminated. An NDA is an absolute essential to keep your data confidential.
Payment model
Payment choice
Make sure to discuss the payment mode, it could either be task-based or hourly rates. Most cases it would be an hourly wage. You as an employer mentioning the topic of payment and being transparent about it will build trust. It is optional to provide incentives but doing so keep the freelancer motivated and creates a sense of loyalty and trust.
Reliability
After going through all the effort to find the right person and setting everything up, the last this you would want to be is unreliable. Set up a recurring reminder and make sure the payments are done on time. It is a mutual relationship built upon trust, hold your end of the bargain. If you need time to review the work done, communicate in advance.
Hiring a freelance developer does not fit the bill every time. Consider opting services such as Workik that build the functionalities of your website with the pre-built custom applications. At workik, we provide boilerplate applications and software integration that suit your needs. They are easy to integrate into any website while having minimum downtime. These applications are highly customizable to cater to your needs. We also provide aftercare services, ensuring stress-free integrations and operations. Visit us at Workik.com to know more.