How to Fill out the Freelancer Request Form

FreeUp has designed the Freelancer Request Form to help you find the perfect fit for your project. Here’s a guide to walk you through each section so you can have the best hiring experience possible.

Project Details

In this first section, you are asked to fill out the skills that you need a candidate to have to work your project, and a detailed description of that project.

In the skills section, think about the overall hard skills that are required for the job, like:

• custom WordPress blog design
• Amazon SEO listing copy
• email inbox management

This entry will serve as the title of your project when it is posted.

For the description, write out all the applicable details of the project. This is what FreeUp freelancers and the FreeUp team will focus on to determine the best fit. It’s important to include details on:

Outcome of the Work

Then think about the soft skills that your perfect candidate will have, like:

• Self-motivated and can meet strict deadlines
• Knows how to troubleshoot with minimal supervision
• Follows instructions and works well with others

Also think about any pet peeves that you have and write out qualities that you require, like:

• Positive attitude and flexibility when changes are requested
• Reports progress weekly on Skype
• Presents information in a logical manner

Specific Skills and Knowledge

• The WordPress theme and plugins you’re using, the type of posts to be created
• The SEO standards you want applied, the areas to cover (title, backend, etc.)
• The email client you use and what the freelancer needs to sort

Unique Aspects

• The type of customization you need done, any existing customizations already implemented
• The product attributes that you want emphasized, descriptive words to avoid
• What emails or senders to leave untouched, how you want responses worded

Your Business

• Your brand colors and design, the types of topics that will be covered on the blog
• What Amazon products the listings are for
• How you want emails organized based on the different areas of your business that these messages / inquiries are for

Your Budget

Hourly

Hourly pricing works well for projects that are ongoing work, like email management.

If you aren’t sure exactly how much the project will cost on a per hour basis, select all the price ranges that fit into your budget. This will allow the team to select the best fit from a range of candidates who match all your requirements.

Fixed Price

If you want to pay for a project as a whole, such as blog design, select the fixed price button then enter your price range in the comments text box below it.

Remember that you will get matches based on rates as well as skills. If you price too low, you may not find anyone with the level of skill that your project requires.

Other

If you want to hire on retainer or for a monthly fixed rate, select this button then enter your offer and the number of hours it covers in the comments text box below it.

Location

Hiring from the US, UK, and Canada is listed as a separate option because of the higher rates that you can expect to pay for freelancers working out of these areas. Similar pricing also applies to several European countries as well as Australia, New Zealand and other highly developed nations.

If you’re on a tight budget, the international option summarizes hiring from developing nations like the Philippines and India where living costs are lower than in the West. This gives you the option of hiring at lower rates than the norm in highly developed nations.

It is vital to note that international freelancers are not all basic level. There are many specialists and experts working from these countries who charge more than the basic $5-$7 that you would expect to pay for data entry work and other very simple tasks.

If you are simply looking for the best candidate worldwide, select the “No preference” option and write out the details in the comments box below it.

If you are looking for a specific freelancer, select “Other” and type their name into the comments box below it. If you are looking for freelancers from a specific country, select “Other” and type the name of the country in the comments box below it.

Availability

Project Duration

This is where you select how long the project will take. This helps freelancers decide whether or not they have the time to take on the project. Choosing carefully here will avoid a situation where a freelancer is only available for 3 months and has to decline or later on delay your project because it will actually take 6 months.

If you’re not sure about the duration, select the duration that you expect then discuss this first with candidates that are sent to you for the interview stage.

The “Other” option is also one way to go if you really have no idea how long the project might take, or if you know exactly in what timeframe you need the project done. Write the details in the comments box below to let freelancers and the FreeUp team know exactly what you need.

Work Schedule

This is where you choose what working times are best for your schedule. Freelancers set their own schedules, so it’s important to indicate your exact preferences. Otherwise, you might end up spending time interviewing several people only to find that they are not available during the times you need them for work or meetings.

Client Interaction

Some freelancers have different rates for work that involves speaking directly with you and your customers, and others are open to only non-voice work, so it’s important to note what your requirements are.

Introduction Preferences

This section tells the team and the freelancer whether you are ready to hire immediately, or if there’s some leeway before the project begins. This is very important for two reasons. First, it means that the team has more time to find the best fit.

Second, it shows respect for freelancers’ time. You don’t want to be introduced to a great freelancer for an immediate project and then have them decline your project and take another one because it took you two weeks to make a decision or start work.

Remember that work is on a first-come, first-served basis on FreeUp, and freelancers are not expected to wait indefinitely for work to be assigned.

This section also tells the team where to send a candidate to you so you can meet them and set up an interview or a test project. If you choose email, please make sure that you have whitelisted FreeUp and the freelancers’ emails so you can receive the notifications and introductory responses from the freelancers. If you choose Skype, please make sure that you either add the freelancers on Skype or have your Skype ID available on your profile so that they can add you.

Final Thoughts

The key to getting the perfect freelancer matched to your ticket is detail. The more information you give, the better your chances are of meeting the best fit for your project.

If you take time upfront to answer each question carefully, you will save a lot more time and headache as well later on in the hiring process and as you begin working with a freelancer.

Still have questions about filling out the request form? Book a call with us today.