8 Tips to Help You Assess a Freelancers Skills and Qualifications

Hiring the right person isn’t always easy. Sometimes, you hit it out of the park; other times, you realize that you and your hire just don’t fit. 

A big part of finding the right person is the ability to assess their skills and qualifications. We often get asked, “How do I know these people can really do what they say they can do?”

And we get it. Peace of mind and knowing you’re handing projects to someone who can handle them is crucial. 

That’s why we’ve created eight tips to help you evaluate your potential freelancer’s skills and qualifications. 

1. Research the Needed Skills and Qualifications  

Sometimes, when hiring a freelancer, you’re an expert in the type of work you’ll be asking them to do. You know what to look for because you’ve done it successfully yourself. 

However, that won’t always be the case. Sometimes, you need to hire someone, and you might not always fully understand what they do. Before you walk into this situation, it’s imperative that you educate yourself. 

Take the time to read similar job descriptions. Research the skills they list. Talk to people in your pipeline who do understand the position. 

If you don’t have anyone around who does, leverage LinkedIn and other resources. 

2. Ask for Examples of Past Work and References 

Not every job lends itself to a portfolio, but many do. Take the time to review examples of the candidate’s past work. Does their style fit your company? 

Do they have the ability to go outside the box if it doesn’t? Portfolios are great for seeing work a freelancer has produced in the past. However, references are excellent as well. 

Ask the freelancers if they have worked with anyone willing to provide a reference. Make sure that you ask for clients they have done similar work for. 

3. Conduct a Pre-Interview Assessment 

On paper, anyone can look great. Tweak this, tweak that, use the right words and weave a tale that leaves people believing you should be wearing a halo. 

Our freelancer’s profiles and introductions are a great place to get to know them. However, even if they have the skills, it doesn’t mean they’re the right fit for your company. 

Consider putting together some questions to ask the freelancers before deciding if you want to invite them for an interview. 

Potential questions to ask include:

• Why are you interested in this role? 
• What areas are you most knowledgeable about? 
• What are your strengths? 
• What’s your experience using [insert specifics here]? 
• How do you adapt to challenges? 
• How do you prioritize tasks and projects? 

There are many more questions you can ask as well. The point is to get some basic information to help you decide who to invite for an interview. 

Ask questions that will give you an idea of who the person is and whether or not they would be a good fit for your company. 

If you’re hiring a freelancer for a role where they’ll be talking on the phone, you can even have them record answers to questions. This will give you a chance to hear their voice and how they speak. 

4. Test Freelancers While Interviewing 

Some of the best questions you can ask in an interview will test a freelancer on their knowledge. This will allow you to see how they think and the kind of processes they use. 

Imagine that you’re hiring someone to do customer support for your e-commerce company. You hop on a Zoom call for an interview. 

This is the perfect opportunity to test them. You can do this one of two ways. 

First, you can give them a scenario. 

A customer reached out because they received a product late, and it was not working. They’re irate, but you need more information to be able to help them. 

You also need to take them through some troubleshooting steps to make sure the product truly isn’t working. How do you proceed? 

Second, you can role-play the scenario. Become an irate customer. You can even use an example of an actual situation. 

Basically, testing a freelancer in an interview comes down to two things:

1. Give them a scenario and hear how they solve the problem 
2. Role-play a scenario with them 

Remember, don’t only base your evaluation of their answers on how you would do things. Freelancers can always learn new processes. This is about evaluating their current skills and how they problem-solve. 

5. Steer Away From the Expected

Is anyone else tired of being asked about your strengths and weaknesses? If we’re being honest, those questions play a role. However, they should not be the only questions you ask. 

Most people have been through the interview process enough to know how to answer those questions. For example, they know that when you ask about weaknesses, they should give a weakness that is, in a way, a strength. Or they should include information about how they deal with that weakness.

Ask questions that go beyond basic interview questions. Not sure what to ask? ChatGPT is your friend! 

You can also get even more specific with your query: 

6. Ask Each Person the Same Questions

Everyone’s different, but it’s hard to evaluate candidates if you’re asking everyone different questions. Choose the questions you want to ask and make sure you ask each candidate those questions. 

That’s not to say you can’t ask follow-up questions in response to their answers. If their answer inspires curiosity, dive in. 

In addition, asking everyone the same questions allows you to rate your freelancers based on your criteria. Dig into what you’re really looking for in your candidate’s answers. You can then rate their answers on a scale.
This will help you ensure consistency and fairness in your process. 

7. Take a Second Look 

We only have seconds to make a good first impression, and for some people, making a good first impression is hard. However, make sure you’re truly looking at what matters. 

For example, 67% of recruiters believe maintaining good eye contact is crucial to making a good impression. However, that doesn’t allow for different cultures. It also doesn’t allow for candidates who struggle socially. 

Eye contact isn’t always the most important thing unless they’re in a position where they will be on video calls with clients. 

Around 77% of recruiters hire someone they thought wasn’t a good fit at first. Sometimes, you need to go back and take a second look. Evaluate why you’re not choosing a candidate and whether it’s truly about their skills and qualifications. 

This won’t always be easy. In fact, sometimes you’ll have to confront your own biases (which we all have), but it could help you find a freelancer who’s an excellent fit for your company. 

8. Use Test Projects 

Whenever possible, use paid test projects. Test projects allow you to dip your toe into the water. 

If the water is too cold, you can back off. But if it’s just right, you can dive in. (We’re only a little sorry for the bad analogy). 

By giving your potential freelancer a paid test project, you can see how they work and whether that works for you. If, at the end of the day, you’re not a good match, you can easily part ways. However, if their test project convinces you they’re the perfect fit, you can make the relationship more permanent. 

Expert Advice to Help With Your Next Hire

Assessing potential freelancers’ skills and qualifications can help you find the right freelancers. We’re here to help point you in the right direction so you can “FreeUp” your time. 

At FreeUp, we pre-vet our freelancers to ensure you have access to the top 1%. Schedule a call with one of our account managers today for expert advice on navigating the hiring process.