Chewbacca

How great would it be for your business to have their own Jedi Master? Why do I even ask?  Obviously it would be totally awesome to have Yoda as part of your business!  We can call it the New Go Green initiative.  The marketing department will have a hay day with it, and HR will wonder what kind of Yoda-like qualifications to interview for.

With company culture shifting away from the 9-5 and predictions that almost half of America’s workforce will be in freelance roles by 2020, whether you’re using online freelancers now or not, with everything going digital, there’s a good chance you’ll be hiring them in the future.

If you’ve never taken to the Internet to find your next star employee, follow these tips to hire yourself a Jedi Master and not a clueless Chewbacca. (Now, I want to be clear.  This does not in any way reflect how much I love Chewy.  Seriously.)

1. Don’t be fooled by the low rates offered

When you begin your quest to find your very own Yoda, the biggest mistake I see businesses making is hiring the cheapest freelancers. You’ll see freelancers who offer to write 1,000-word blog posts for $5 or SEO your whole website for $65.

Remember the saying, if something sounds too good to be true…it probably is.

Entry-rate freelancers are rarely magnificent at what they do, and you’ll often face a language barrier issues. Contrary to sticker price, these entry-level employees often take more time to complete a project, more hand-holding to do a project correctly, and more of your time to review their work.  In the end, you’ve spent more than a tenured employee for a cheap piece of content.  If you want to bag yourself a real marketing Jedi Master, they don’t come cheap.

There is one exception to this rule that I’ll explain in my next point.

2.  If budget is small, seek digital nomad

Whether you’re a new startup or a local business with limited funding, finding your business’s next Yoda will not be easy. A digital nomad is somebody who works online while travelling.

As of late, Asia and South America have become digital nomad hot spots for online freelancers as the cost of living is significantly less than it is for these nomadic freelancers to simply stay at home. As a direct result, if you look hard enough you’ll be able to find exceptional marketing nomads who offer great rates in compensation for their often sporadic work habits.

Whether you’re in need of a blogger, marketing consultant, or someone to generate more leads for your business, digital nomads are cost-effective solutions to hiring Jedi Masters at affordable rates.

nomad freelancers

3. Identify your needs clearly

“Already know you that which you need “- Yoda

From my personal experience of hiring over the years, whether you’re trying to find help online or in the office you have to tailor your job description to make a connection with those who encompass the Force.

Keep this in mind when finding your Yoda – you’re not interviewing the best freelancers, rather they are reading your job posts and interviewing you.

Experts are always in demand and as a result, they pick you, not the other way round. If you’re looking for someone to manage your email list, you need to tailor your advert on what you specifically need. Mention the platform you use, the problems you’re currently facing and what solutions you’re after.

Yoda

The more detailed an online job ad is, the more it scares Chewbacca (inexperienced freelancers) and calls to those who have a connection with the Force (great freelancers). If you write a simple two sentence advert, expect a lot of Wookiees to apply.

4. Be wary, of those who question, do not ask

Marketing is never black and white. Each business is set up differently and what works for one company may not work for the next.

If a freelancer is eager to start and asks zero questions about your business such as the products you offer or what it wants to achieve going forward, this is a linear thinker and someone who lacks true Jedi capabilities.

For example, if you’re looking for someone to improve your email open rates and they decide to write emails before asking you:

  • How are you currently sourcing opt-ins?
  • Do they double opt-in?
  • How often do you email your list?
  • Do you use segmentation?

You’ve found someone who doesn’t know what they are doing, or doesn’t care enough about your business to do a great job. Either way, they didn’t pass Jedi training in college, and they wouldn’t be someone I’d hire.

Summary

As your business grows, there will be new tasks and jobs that need doing which you may not be skilled enough to do yourself. It may not make sense to hire a full-time employee for work that takes just a few hours to do, nor will it be practical to hire someone locally to come in for one day a week.

Online freelancers are the perfect choice for such roles, but with so many out there, you’ll need to follow our tips to find your business’s next online Yoda.

May the Force be with you!

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3 Comments

  • Matt Christensen, December 8, 2015 @ 11:15 am

    You should set up a quiz that everyone can take to see if their company is a Jedi or Wookie, or anything in between :).

  • TJ Mitchell, December 15, 2015 @ 4:19 pm

    Why does Wookie have to be the negative? I would say it’s more likely your hired a Jedi (white hat, best practice) or a Sith! (black hat)

  • Robin Johnson, December 15, 2015 @ 5:04 pm

    Caz, this was awesome! As someone who actually does some freelance work, I found this read through from the perspective of the other side really interesting. One thing I’ve noticed as a freelancer, especially as one who does writing, is that often rates are highly dichotomous. You’ll either see things as dirt cheap ($5-10 per hour) or really expensive ($75-100/hr). I think this is caused by the fact that the wookies can only compete by having ridiculously low rates, while the Jedi Masters have earned the right to charge such high rates. If you charge somewhere in the middle, you’re either not cheap enough or it indicates that you’re not yet to the Jedi Master level. Since people either want one or the other, a mid-level rate leaves you out in the cold.

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