ROI is a Two-Way Street: How to Maximise Freelancer Contribution & Effectiveness

Freelancers are becoming an integral part of many organisations' talent strategies. However, when hiring freelancers, organisations often focus on the hiring part of the equation and forget that, just like a permanent employee, freelance talent needs a tailored onboarding process in order to thrive. It is not enough to sign the contracts and assign the project. 

In fact, you may be missing out on the full value of this high-performing segment of the talent force, by not setting them up for success.

ROI in freelance engagements is a two-way street—it involves not only what freelancers bring to the table but also how organizations support and integrate them. 

This article outlines key strategies for enhancing freelancer ROI, ensuring that both the freelancer and the organization achieve maximum value. Doing this sets you up for long-term relationships and greater impact, no matter the project or assignment.

Do You Have a Solid Onboarding and Integration plan?

Chances are you have an extensive onboarding plan for new, permanent employees. What about freelancers? Many organizations skip this part and treat independent talent like outsiders there to fill a specific skill gap and get out. This is very short- term thinking. Freelancer onboarding doesn’t need to be as comprehensive as employee onboarding, but you should still have a plan in place to welcome freelancers and integrate them into your teams. 

Here are some guideposts to help you create your own onboarding flow. 

Cultural Alignment

To truly maximize the ROI of freelancers, it’s critical to integrate them into your company culture from the very beginning. Many organizations focus narrowly on the cost benefits of freelancers, overlooking the importance of cultural fit. However, freelancers who align with your organizational culture are more likely to deliver high-quality work and contribute to long-term success.

Making Them Feel Like Part of the Team: Strategies for Cultural Integration

Mentorship Programs

Do you have a mentorship program in place? Mentorship can help freelancers understand the company culture and navigate team dynamics in an effective way, faster. Pairing them with experienced team members ensures they have a go-to resource for guidance and advice. 

Team Introductions

Properly introducing freelancers to the team fosters a sense of belonging and encourages collaboration. This step is often overlooked but is crucial for building trust and ensuring smooth integration.

Clear Role Definition

A well-defined role helps prevent overlaps, ensures clarity, and ultimately maximizes the freelancer's contribution.

Detailed Project Briefs

Project briefs that outline clear goals, timelines, and deliverables are essential. This clarity helps freelancers understand their specific role and helps them self- monitor progress and direction, ensuring their work is aligned with organizational objectives.

Role Descriptions

A clear role description prevents misunderstandings and helps freelancers focus on the tasks that are most critical to the project’s success.

Providing Necessary Resources and Support

The effectiveness of freelancers is directly linked to the resources and support they receive. Many organizations fail to provide freelancers with the necessary tools and information, which can hinder their performance and negatively impact ROI. We encountered an instance recently where a fresh hire had to wait three weeks because a laptop was not available for them. Needless to say this slowed down the project kick off and the initial excitement and momentum fizzled.

Access to Tools and Systems

Freelancers need immediate access to the tools and systems that full-time employees use. This includes project management software, communication platforms, any relevant databases and physical tools like laptops etc…

Even freelancers need a basic level of training to understand the company’s processes and systems. Providing this upfront can significantly improve their effectiveness and the quality of their work.

Clear Project Scoping and Regular Check-Ins

Have you heard of scope- creep? This happens to freelancers all the time. They get hired for ‘x’ and before they know it they are being asked to do ‘y’ and ‘z’ as well. Part of the reason for this is leaders realizing the true capacity of their freelancer and another part is lack of project scoping. This can cause some friction and confusion.

Without clear project parameters, freelancers may struggle to understand what is expected of them, leading to suboptimal results. This directly affects the ROI of freelance talent.

Comprehensive Briefs

Detailed briefs that outline the project’s scope, goals, timelines, and deliverables ensure that freelancers are well-prepared to contribute effectively. 

Success Metrics

How will success be measured? Defining success metrics helps freelancers understand how their performance will be measured, ensuring that their efforts are aligned with expectations.

Regular Check-Ins and Feedback Loops

One of the main benefits freelancers bring to the table  is their independence. Although freelancers are ready to take ownership of the tasks they are assigned, regular check-ins are still essential for maintaining alignment with project goals. Without consistent communication, freelancers may veer off course, leading to wasted time and resources. Moreover, on occasion a pivot might be necessary and the sooner that is communicated the better.

Best Practices for Check-Ins

Scheduled Meetings

Regularly scheduled check-ins allow for ongoing dialogue, which helps keep the project on track and ensures that any issues are addressed promptly. Some companies have adopted weekly stand-ups where they share at a high- level where project progress is and what’s coming up for that week. The frequency and format of these meetings is up to you. 

Constructive Feedback

Providing timely and specific feedback helps freelancers adjust their approach and improve their performance, leading to better outcomes.

Collaborative Tools

Collaboration is more than just cc-ing people to emails and adding them to google docs. Effective collaboration needs a structure andis crucial for maximizing the contribution of freelancers. The right tools can bridge communication gaps, streamline project management, and facilitate seamless teamwork. 

Tools like Trello, Asana, and Jira help manage tasks, track progress, and ensure that deadlines are met. Slack and Microsoft Teams enable real-time communication, making it easier for freelancers to stay connected and informed. Just make sure you don’t overwhelm them with too many channels and constant notifications.

Enhancing Freelancer Engagement and Retention

Building Long-Term Relationships

Gone are the days of the short-term gig- worker we used to associate with freelancers. These days more and more highly skilled workers are leaving traditional employment to build freelance businesses. It’s time organisations start playing the long-game. One of the keys to maximizing freelancer ROI is building long-term relationships. When freelancers feel valued and engaged, they are more likely to deliver high-quality work and remain committed to your organization. Shift your thinking from ‘order- taker’ to ‘business partner’.

Strategies for Engagement

Incentives for Continued Collaboration

Offering bonuses, professional development opportunities, or consistent work can encourage freelancers to prioritize your projects and maintain a high level of engagement. For example in sectors like financial services, where individuals with professional qualifications need to complete regular PD hours, you may want to offer time off or resources to your freelancer. 

Consistent Work Opportunities

Regular work opportunities build loyalty and motivate freelancers to go above and beyond in their contributions. If you know a project will need extension, let them know. Similarly, if you can refer your freelancer to colleagues and clients, this goes a long way when it comes to relationship building. 

Providing Regular Feedback and Recognition

Feedback and recognition are powerful tools for enhancing freelancer performance. Regular feedback helps freelancers improve their work, while recognition of their contributions can boost motivation and retention. The truth is that we are more inclined to give feedback, when we need an improvement, but we often shy away from praise, which is the other side of the feedback coin. Great freelance leadership incorporates both. If your independent contractor went above and beyond what you expected of them- let them know! Better yet- offer to write them a testimonial to help them secure their next client. Doing this will make them even more motivated to continue to bring their best to the work. 

Make Them Feel Included

Are you inviting your freelancers to team meetings or treating them like an outsider? By including them in decision-making processes, team huddles and even social events you are ensuring that they feel like part of the team. Optimal collaboration requires inclusion.

The Bottom Line

Maximizing the ROI of freelance talent is a two-way street. It requires both the freelancer and the organization to contribute to the effort. Embracing collaborative strategies not only enhances the immediate value of freelance talent but also builds long-term relationships that drive sustained success.