Writing the perfect job description
When looking for a top freelancer you could either write a ho-hum job description and end up with a ho-hum freelancer… or you could attract a top freelancer by creating a perfect job description.
And here’s how it’s done.
A word about money
Let’s get this out of the way right now: of course, you could always select the candidate with the lowest rates, but then again, how much would that cost you in the long run if those lowest rates resulted in the lowest quality work?
It would cost a lot more than you were expecting, especially if you have to call in another, more expensive freelancer to undo the harm done to your business and, perhaps, even your reputation.
Better, then, to research the going freelance rate for what you need to be done: a quick Google search on freelance rates should bring up the information you’re looking for.
This way, your top freelancer knows you’re offering a realistic payment… and is, therefore, much more inclined to put in a proposal.
Curious what freelancers are charging around the world? Check out these real-time hourly rates!
How to write the perfect job description
Describe your job in as much detail as you can comfortably reveal (if you’re worried about confidentiality, there’s always the option of a non-disclosure agreement later on).
Describe your ideal candidate in terms of experience, industry contacts, expertise and any other criteria that would help to narrow your search.
Upload as much relevant information about your job as possible, including pictures, documents, specifications and suchlike – it’s hard for candidates to give you a realistic quote if they don’t really know what they’re quoting for… and you don’t want a quote based purely on guesswork.
Match the experience level to your requirements – remember, you’re looking for the best you can afford, not the cheapest you can get.
Be specific about your timeframe, but build in some “wiggle room” in case of delays – your candidates don’t need to know about that.
Be realistic – for example, even with years of experience, tons of skill and the best will in the world, nobody’s going to get you to the top of Google rankings within the week, so don’t even bother asking… and you should be very wary of anybody who tells you they can do that.
If you’re looking for someone to build you a complete website, provide links to similar sites to give candidates an idea of what you’re looking for.
English is the best language to use – you’d be surprised how many job posts are in other languages (but you wouldn’t be surprised at how few responses they get).
Make sure your post is error-free – spelling and grammar mistakes won’t do much for your credibility.
What not to put in your job description
Do not simply put your company name in the “What do you need to get done?” field – people do that more often than you’d think, and your top freelancer could just skip over that particular posting because it doesn’t give a clear idea of what you want.
Do not say you’ll give details about your job after you’ve selected the right person – not only does it put freelancers off from applying, but you might end up with a freelancer who looked ideal as far as you’re concerned, but as far as they’re concerned,your job isn’t ideal in the least, so you’ll have to look for someone else.
Do not ask freelancers to work for free on “trial” projects – some will do it just because they’re inexperienced or desperate, but that’s not the kind of freelancer you’re looking for.
Do not try to sweeten a very low pay rate by hinting at better-paid work further down the line. Even though it might be true in your case, many experienced freelancers have come up against that ploy and they’re not going to get fooled again… so the only people liable to bid on your job are, once more, the inexperienced and the desperate. And again, you don’t want those.
Once you’ve uploaded your perfect job description…
No matter how perfectly you’ve described your job, there will always be questions – that’s what our Clarification Board is for. If there’s anything that puts a freelancer off putting in a proposal, it’s seeing questions on the board that have gone unanswered for hours or even days. And it’s even more off-putting if it’s the same question asked over and over again.
Unanswered questions could either mean the job poster doesn’t want to answer them – for whatever reason – or has found a freelancer already, either here or elsewhere. In short, to an experienced freelancer, unanswered questions are a big red flag.
So always respond to those questions as soon as possible: after all, that could be your top freelancer out there, waiting for your reply.
Buying an Offer
Your money doesn’t go directly to the seller. We keep it secure in our protected payment system until the work is done to your specification and you are satisfied with the deliverables.
Every Offer is a fixed-price job, so you never have to worry about hidden fees or extras. You pay only the list price, no matter how much time the seller spends on completing the task.
After the purchase, you should contact the Seller and let them know about your exact requirements. This is when you can add your input to the Offer making it completely bespoke to your business.
Inviting freelancers
You already know what projects you can outsource and how to write a perfect job description, so all that’s left now is to get out there and apply your newly acquired knowledge to real-life practice. Here’s your step-by-step instruction how to do it on PeoplePerHour.
Posting your job
To start with, the best way of finding a freelancer on PeoplePerHour is to post your requirements and let the freelancers come to you.
And this is where a perfect job description pays dividends because freelancers decide whether or not to apply based on how you and your job come across onscreen.
Featured Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash
