The
2015 report by the Freelancers Union and Elance-oDesk found 34 percent of the workforce is freelancers. That means there’s a good chance you’ll find yourself interviewing a job candidate with past freelancing experience.
How do you know if a job seeker with a nontraditional past will work out for you as a full-time employee? Here are four questions you should ask a former freelancer before you offer them a full-time role with your company:
1. “Why do you want to work in a more conventional workplace?”
Depending on a job seeker’s individual freelancing experience, there could be a number of reasons for them to want to transition to a traditional workplace. There’s a big difference between a potential employee who’s giving up on freelancing because they miss the social aspects of an office and one that just couldn’t make ends meet.
If a job seeker wasn’t able to find enough work on their own, that might be a sign that they’re not very skilled or good at what they were doing. However, if they just miss coming to work each day and talking to co-workers, they might make a successful transition from freelancing.
Their answer will also give you an idea of whether or not they have all the qualities you need in a full-time employee. For example, if they are tired of juggling multiple clients and projects at once, but that’s exactly what you need in an employee, things may not work out.
2. “What was your favorite and least favorite part of freelancing?”
Just as you’d ask any other job candidate what they did and didn’t enjoy about their last job, you should do the same for freelancers. This will allow you to see what they value in a job and work environment and see if you can offer those things to them.
If what they really loved about freelancing was the flexible schedule, but your office is strictly 9-to-5, the candidate probably won’t be happy long-term. However, if they hated not having set benefits and healthcare, your company can satisfy that need.
A job seeker’s answers can also give you more insight into their skill set. For example, if they loved the challenges of multi-tasking, it’s probably safe to say that’s one of their strengths.
3. “How did you work day-to-day?”
Did they work consistently with two or three clients over four years? That shows they are stable, loyal, and can build lasting client relationships. Did they have a high volume and wide variety of clients? Then they’re probably good at working and communicating with a wide range of people.
How they scheduled their time will also give you an idea of what type of workload they can handle and their ability to meet deadlines. Ask them how long it took them to complete the tasks they were contracted to do and how they chose to complete a project. This will tell you what their natural work process is and if it’ll compliment that of your company’s.
4. “Where do you see yourself in five years?”
There are a lot pros to freelancing that a conventional workplace doesn’t always offer: being self-employed, flexible schedules, and being able to determine your own workload. It’s important to know that a freelancer isn’t going to miss those perks and leave after six months.
A 2015 report by Bersin and Deloitte found that companies are spending more to find good talent: almost $4,000 per hire. Before spending that money and other resources to train and onboard a former freelancer, you need to be sure they’ll stick around.
Ask freelancers were they see themselves five years in the future. If their future goals can be met at your company, perfect. But if they can’t give you a very clear idea of what they want from the position, chances are it isn’t where they want to be long-term.
What other questions are important to ask a freelancer before making them a full-time employee?
BIO:
Andre Lavoie is the CEO of
ClearCompany, the first talent alignment platform that bridges the gap between talent management and business strategy by contextualizing employees’ work around a company’s vision and goals. You can connect with him and the ClearCompany team on
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