The gig economy is flourishing, and freelancers are not afraid of holding on to it. Besides, the COVID-19 pandemic completely changed the market of the freelance workforce. After we had watched full-time employees being at the center of attention for years, budgets became tighter, and there were massive layoffs.
Employers turned to freelancers, so the future of the gig economy is starting to look more promising. Businesses changed the way they work big times, and many employers today have no other chance but to collaborate with freelancers and accept their demands.
Let’s see how you could attract freelancers and have them working for you in the long run.
Table of Contents:
What Is the Gig Economy?

As you know, gig jobs are usually part-time, flexible jobs that pay extra cash. In turn, freelancers are independent contractors and could also collaborate with full-time staff workers. Gig economy workers could be contracting firms, online platforms, temporary or on-call workers.
The pay in the gig economy is lower and offers no benefits such as health insurance or retirement savings. On the other hand, freelance work offers flexible hours, and the gig worker can turn it into a full-time job. What’s also great about freelancing is that it provides control over the location and volume of work. Some examples of gig work include painting houses, freelance writing, web design, digital marketing, pet sitting and dog walking, Uber driving, coding, video editing, and many other services.

Why Is Gig Work a Good Fit?
With time, more organizations have started recognizing the benefits of hiring freelancers. Collaborating with a gig worker doesn’t only save costs, but it also has many other advantages. The reasons why you should hire someone in freelancing are:
Spending less money on services
While rates in freelancing depend on services provided by the industries in which gig workers perform, they are usually low. This is because a freelancer will always charge less than a full-time employee costs. Moreover, freelancers don’t ask for benefits or insurance, so they are cheaper in the long run.
Fast expertise
Most freelancers are always looking for potential clients. There are many channels through which business owners can find talent for their freelance projects. However, the best idea is to keep a group of freelancers by your side and select the best ones when necessary.
Flexibility
Those who work with freelancers have more freedom to hire any necessary professionals for a gig whenever they need. And they don’t have to continue working with anyone if the work is not satisfactory. Moreover, they can often choose when they work, how much they spend on a project, and how much freelancers will receive.
Stronger work ethic
If you have a project deadline, working with a freelancer is the best idea. Freelancers depend on feedback and need a steady income, so they are very professional and responsive in communication or delivering work.
Global workforce
Most freelancers don’t have a problem working from anywhere in the world. So, even if you are based in a different location, you only need to coordinate the timing for your project. Working with freelancers without attachment to a particular place is a great advantage. You can choose your talent from anywhere, and you don’t even need to meet face-to-face to discuss a project.
How to Attract Freelancers and Hire Them?
Most companies still hesitate when it comes to hiring freelancers. After all, this is a risky business. Did you hire the right person for your job? Has the freelancer delivered quality work? Was the work delivered on time? Here are a few ways in which you could attract and hire a professional with experience:
- Read the reviews left by past clients online and check the freelancer’s rating on different platforms. Ask for references if the freelancer doesn’t work on these platforms.
- Study freelancers’ portfolios to see if their past work brought something good to your industry.
- Screen candidates and give them a short, paid assignment to see how they work.
- Communicate your ideas and be precise about what you want. Share information about your company so that the freelancer understands what you want.
- Offer a contract if you are determined to hire a freelancer. Include non-compete and non-disclosure clauses.
- Even if you don’t need to pay the freelancer until you have received your work, freelance platforms offer escrow accounts for securing payments. This way, the freelancer always gets paid when the job is done.
- Pay on time because freelancers depend on the income generated by projects.
- Leave feedback, as future employers should know what working with a particular freelancer will be like.
Key Points on Keeping Freelancers
While not permanent employees, freelancers should still be regarded as part of the company. It’s essential for them to feel appreciated for their work. Give them a hand when they need to do their job more efficiently. If you want to retain your freelance workforce, here’s what you should do:
Pay on time and fairly
Most companies that work with freelancers don’t pay on time for the work delivered. Moreover, they don’t discuss payment terms to begin with. If you want to avoid such situations, use formal contracts that lay out the terms of your work agreement.
Give precise instructions

Freelancers should be allowed to perform. And for this, they need explicit instructions from the client. If you don’t communicate your instructions precisely, you might get back poor-quality work and something different from what you have asked.
Make sure you have interesting projects
Freelancers are always interested in upskilling. If you give them a chance to improve their work, they will want to work with you further. In other words, your projects should be engaging and interesting. The more your freelancers work on your projects, the more experienced they will become.
Remain professional
You should have a professional relationship with all the freelancers you work with. They are professionals who want to collaborate with someone serious. So, discuss payment terms, the scope of work, and anything else beforehand.
Bring your resources into play
Freelancers might not always have access to software, resources, or tools. You should be the one that provides the necessary materials for getting any job done. If you don’t bring in the required resources, their work might not bring effective results.
Where to Find Gig Workers?
We live in a digital age, so that you can find freelance workers almost everywhere. It doesn’t matter if you post your project online or contact referrals; you still have endless options. Here are some of the ways how you can find gig workers for hire:
Freelance platforms
One of the top reasons to consider freelance platforms is that they use payment features and tools for maintaining professional contracts with gig workers, which often simplifies many processes for your company. You can go for such sites as Freelancer, UpWork, Fiverr, and PeoplePerHour. Here, you can find freelancers that bid on projects.

When you post your project, there will be a few gig workers that have skills for your project. All you need to do is shortlist candidates and interview them to decide who you’re going to collaborate with. Remember that sometimes you will be interviewing people from other cultures, so you should ideally know at least something about social specifics in the freelancer’s area.
Portfolio sites
Freelancers who have been active in an industry for some time often have websites and portfolios. These can give you an idea about what they have worked on, their experience, and their skills. Use such resources when differentiating or shortlisting freelancers.
Social media

You can also find freelance talent on Facebook, LinkedIn, or Twitter. If you run social media ads or post in different social media groups, you can find a pool of applicants who can deliver great work for any of your projects. Keep in mind, however, that some freelance professionals only check their social media accounts a few times a week, so try to find their direct email if possible. For this, the SignalHire Chrome extension, which pulls contact data directly from LinkedIn and Facebook, can prove really handy.
Crowdsourcing and referrals
When looking for talent, there’s a good chance that you no longer remember how happy you were with freelancers’ work from your professional past. In that case, you could also ask in your referral network about someone who can do the job for you.
Conclusion
If you want to attract workers in the gig economy, you need to remain competitive by providing both full-time and part-time benefits. Know that your freelance employees are also interested in achieving success with your project.
Hiring full-time employees can be very expensive if you are a small to mid-size business. And most of the time, you might not need someone to work for you full-time but to focus only on one project. So, the only solution for you in this situation remains to bring a freelancer on board.
Hiring a gig worker might seem rather intimidating, but the advantages of doing so are undeniable. If you want access to a broader talent pool and to save on costs, then you need to learn what the gig economy is all about. Follow the tips above, and you will be safe in a dynamic and vibrant work community that delivers.