How to build a successful working relationship with freelancers

Finding a suitable freelancer

Once you’ve decided to supplement your visitor attraction’s operations with freelance support, take the time to find someone who is the perfect fit for your visitor attraction and your team’s needs.

There are various ways to source freelancers, including:

• Word of mouth (this is one of the best ways to find a brilliant, reliable freelancer)
• LinkedIn and other social media platforms and personal websites
• Freelancer platforms such as Fivrr, Upwork and PeoplePerHour (but beware of freelancers pushing very low fees – they could be inexperienced or produce low quality work)

Once you’ve shortlisted a few potentials, get in touch and assess their communication skills right from the get-go. It’s a good indication of what they will be like to work with. Are they easy to get hold of? Do they reply to emails and return your calls within an acceptable timeframe? Who do you find easiest to communicate with, and who’s tone best complements yours?

Establishing contracts, fees and payment

When you’ve found the right freelancer for the job, you need to get the paperwork right.

Don’t automatically assume that time and/or screen tracking is the way to go. It may be appropriate for some freelance work, such as data entry, but could create an antagonistic relationship with an expert designer or PR pro.

There are all sorts of options for payment, from retainers (where you pay a regular amount up front for a freelancer to set aside a certain amount of time per month for services to your visitor attraction) to one-off project fees and day or hourly rates.

Some projects or freelancers require a percentage of the fee upfront, with the rest paid on completion, while a monthly invoice might be best for a longer-term arrangement.

Make sure you get everything down in writing and signed by all parties. If your HR team doesn’t already have a template contract in place, they should create a policy outlining your and the freelancer’s obligations (see ‘Setting the brief’, below), including ownership, ending the arrangement and performance expectations. Many freelancers will have their own standard contract, too.

Setting the brief

It’s vital that you clearly define the project’s scope, schedule, deadline and outcome so there’s no confusion for either party.

Before you kick things off, make sure your freelancer knows exactly where their responsibilities lie; the same applies to whoever on your team will be managing the freelancer’s work.

Be aware of ‘scope creep’. This is freelancer speak for a project that morphs beyond the original agreement. The brief is there to protect both parties; should you place extra requirements on the freelancer without prior agreement, the freelancer would be within their rights to bill you for the extra work. Every single responsibility should be assigned before the project work starts. Stick to the brief.

Review work at agreed stages throughout the project to avoid being disappointed when the final product is delivered.

Building and maintaining a relationship

Being open and communicative is the best way to a successful working relationship with a freelancer. Respond quickly, clearly and on schedule to requests for approval, feedback and payment – and expect a similar level of communication from your freelancer.

Assign an internal employee to work closely with the freelancer. The freelancer should keep this person up to speed with all the knowledge gathered throughout the project. At the end of the project, this knowledge can be formally transitioned to the employee and the company. (This person can also be responsible for ensuring the work delivered is high quality – see ‘Setting the brief’, above.)

Trust is vital, especially if your freelancer is working remotely. Think of your freelancer as a business partner and introduce them to your visitor attraction’s culture. As a result, the work they produce will be closer to the spirit of your attraction, instead of a cookie-cutter production.

Understand that you’re not the freelancer’s only client so you won’t always have the first or only claim on your freelancer’s time. (The retainer arrangement is one way around this.)

5 dos and don’ts for a successful working relationship with your freelancer:

1. Don’t make a hire based on price alone. You get what you pay for.
2. Reply to emails from your freelancer, even if it’s just a quick ‘Noted, thank you’ – and expect the same courtesy from them.
3. Your feedback will be appreciated by any freelancer worth their salt. Most want to do a good job so you’ll work with them again and again. And if you can use the same freelancer for future work you’ll save time and money at the sourcing and briefing stages. Nurture an environment that values constructive and creative feedback. (If the relationship didn’t work out, feedback is still valuable to help pinpoint where things went wrong and how to avoid a similar scenario in the future.)
4. If the freelancer is working on site, remember you’re still responsible for their health and safety.

Pay on time. Your actions here could have serious implications on your freelancer’s income, time management and desire to work with you again.

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