Creating Better Teams of Freelancers and In-House Employees

Many companies use freelancers to get work done without paying additional employment taxes or providing employee benefits. This approach has many benefits, but it can be a challenge to create cohesive teams of in-house employees and freelance contractors. Use these tips for creating better teams to get the most out of your freelancers and in-house workers.

Selecting the right team members is the first step toward creating a productive team. Your company will benefit from hiring freelancers who take different approaches to their work. One person might be good at generating ideas, while another person might focus on implementation once the team members have agreed on an idea. Your team should also include people who can get everyone to work together to reach a common goal. If the members of your in-house team don't have these attributes, consider strengthening the team by adding freelancers who do.

Make it easy for freelancers and in-house workers to collaborate. If you're building a virtual team, give everyone access to cloud-based applications for document sharing and communication. You should also create a base of operations that enables freelancers and in-house workers alike to view milestones, review budget information, and access project documents. If you expect freelancers to work onsite, ask your in-house team members to make project-related documents available to new contractors.

Give freelancers an opportunity to meet in-house team members in a relaxed setting. An informal luncheon is a great way to welcome freelancers to your company and give them the chance to get to know in-house workers. Use team-building exercises and icebreakers to get everyone on the same page. Make sure human resources representatives and project leaders are on hand to give freelancers a warm welcome.

Encourage communication between in-house workers and freelancers. You can do this by allowing members of each group to share information about their projects. Encourage freelancers to voice their concerns to in-house team members or managers. Input from freelancers can help you identify problems with project requirements, preventing issues with the final output. If you give freelancers a chance to speak up at project-related meetings, thank them for their feedback.

Hiring freelancers can help you supplement your existing workforce without increasing your expenses, so it's a good strategy to pursue in lean times. If your in-house workers can't work effectively with your freelancers, however, your projects will suffer. Reduce this risk by encouraging communication among team members, giving all workers the collaboration tools they need, and ensuring new freelancers are properly welcomed to your company. These simple tips will help you maximize the benefits of hiring freelancers to handle in-house projects.

(Photo courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net)