Hire A Content Writer

With over 120,000 writing positions open in the United States, the applicant pool is larger than the available jobs. Do you know how to hire the best writer quickly?

Whether you are hiring content writers to freelance or work full-time, it’s important you find the right fit for your organization. This guide will help you find the best writer the correct way. Keep reading to find out more!

Temper Expectations

The first thing a person should evaluate is why they need a content writer. Are you pushing a campaign? Do you need the extra man-hours? Do you need a content writer who has expertise in a field?

Understand that hundreds of people will apply for your content writing position. All of the applicants will have various backgrounds, expertise, and levels of skill.

Set expectations and standards for your marketing department to follow so the quality remains high. Review any budget needs before making hiring decisions. 

Temper the expectations of the department by reminding them they probably won’t get a writer that understands the needs and mission of the organization right away. While the skill level should be adequate, there is a lot of room for learning and development.

Hiring Content Writers With Freelance Contracts

The next phase of hiring a content writer should be creating a freelance contract. This document doesn’t have to be elaborate; in fact, there are tons of free templates online to use.

Additionally, the contract should cover the scope-of-work and responsibilities needed by the department ultimately accountable for the writer. Basic items should include the rate of pay, frequency of pay, and legal rights and protections.

Failing to have a contract in place can cause confusion and possible litigation in the future.

What Do You Pay?

It would be unrealistic to expect a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist to apply and work for a small fee. That’s not to say there aren’t talented freelance writers, but you will almost certainly get what you pay.

When setting the budget for this position, make sure you have room for negotiation and competitive compensation to attract the best possible talent.

Determine rates based on how you want to pay the writer. Are you paying them per assignment, per word, or based on a length of time? This can be part of the negotiation with a candidate.

If you want to avoid hiring someone who will require constant edits or rewrites, then pay well above average industry rates.

Great Job Descriptions Are Vital

A great job description can be the difference between a qualified pool of applicants or people. Most freelance writers understand the basic writing skills requirements, so make sure the following is included:

• A clear title that explains the position to attract the right candidate
• Any special qualifications needed
• Be clear and post a compensation range based on experience and/or skills

If you want to get the best candidates, post how to apply with clear instructions. Include the link or email for resumes and writing samples to be delivered.

After your job description is completed and proofread, it’s time to spread the word. Use all major job boards and the most reputable freelance writing company.

Don’t be afraid to search in-house if possible. You have some untapped writing talent among your ranks.

Interview and Screening

The interview process for hiring a writer is more of a personality test. You’ll want to get a feel for the person such as their temperament, how they handle pressure, and their attitude.

It’s almost impossible to learn about their writing skill based on an interview. The best way to find out if a person really wrote a great writing sample is to test them.

This can be done in a couple of ways. You can assign a prompt and have them write a timed assignment in person. You won’t get the best results this way, but it’ll display some of their talents in a short time.

The other way is to give them a writing assignment through email. There’s still the possibility that someone could lie or cheat. However, they probably won’t last long anyway if that’s the case.

Scoring and Hiring the Best Candidate

A fair and objective scoring system should touch on grammar and spelling, reading level, speed, and needs of the department. Use a few graders to help evaluate and grade the assignments.

After someone has a great score and interview, go ahead and hire the best candidate.

It’s a relief to finally hire someone who will join your writing staff. You’ll still have to clear administrative tasks with human resources or the new hire’s direct supervisor.

The new content writer may also have lingering questions. Make sure you have an open line of communication to aid their onboarding process. For smaller organizations, this may be an opportunity to create an onboarding procedure.

Finishing the Process

The only downside of hiring a great candidate is letting all the other applicants know they did not get the job. For those who interviewed, make the call or email personalized – you may call on them at a later date.

For applicants who did not advance to the interview stage, send a friendly automatic email. Don’t forget to close the open posts, too.

If there’s an HR department with your organization, ask them what other duties you need to complete to finalize the process. They may have you fill out a questionnaire to learn more about what worked and what did not.

Let your network know when you’ve hired a candidate. Nothing is worse than a friend or professional colleague still sending you candidates after you’ve already made a hire.

Go Get Your Writer

As soon as a person posts for a writing position, writers from every corner will apply. If you follow these steps, then hiring content writers won’t be a painful arduous task.

Make the right decision for your organization by hiring the right fit and streamlining the process.

If you need help with where to start, then contact us today for all your content writing needs.