Of late, freelancing has been attracting more and more people, and not without a good reason!

Do not confuse this work model with remote work, though. Freelancers may work remotely, but their choices are way more flexible — and so are the contract types they pick.

This basically means that — while traditional businesses may (and should) opt to switch to hybrid work models, if they don’t offer flexible contract types in the package, they may miss out on hiring some of the finest experts that are freelancing.

But, let’s start from the beginning.

Here are our top tips for attracting (and retaining) freelancers.

Ultimate Work Flexibility

First, let’s take a look at hybrid work models. There is, actually, a suitable model for every business. Contrary to popular belief, businesses don’t need to break the bank to change their work model.

These are the options:

• Partially remote work, with flexible office space – no permanent offices; rented flex space used for periodic collaboration (but not connectivity)
• Almost entirely on premises – limited remote work, large office space the majority of managers and workers
• Partially remote work, multiple hubs – multiple offices with the workforce dispersed among them
• Partially remote work, large office space –  the majority of managers and workers spend most, but not all, of their time at the office
• Almost entirely off premises – mostly remote work with no office space
• Multiple microhubs – management and employees are dispersed across small microhubs located in different cities (or countries, depending on the scope of your business operations)

These, basically, show that a business may successfully operate while retaining its office workers and hiring expats in the UK, Singapore, India… or anyone else in the world.

There really isn’t a single reason why businesses shouldn’t take the best of both worlds and move on to a brighter, more secure future.

With present economic and political prospects (the two always go hand in hand) adding fuel to the fire, businesses simply have to weather the gaps by any means necessary. Hybrid work models are a perfect solution!

Continued Training for Growth

Continued training is one of the necessary steps to ensure progress. It’s no rocket science. Everyone knows that remaining competitive is unsustainable if they opt to stick to obsolete routines and expertise.

Trends are merciless, too.

That’s why it’s important to provide targeted education plans. E.g., training millennials is different from training gen Z. Each generation has its own learning habits (if any), so you should make an attempt to cater to their routines.

Post-Google generations generally confuse education with “Goggle knowledge,” so you might need to go the extra mile to teach them better.

In any case, eLearning has proven more convenient than traditional learning, for multiple reasons. Firstly, it’s accessible from anywhere anytime, which means it’s equally suitable for remote workers and office workers, no matter where they may reside.

Secondly, make sure to avoid information overload, which is what people are facing at every step. Human brains simply can’t take the infodemic and neither they should. Adjust your training materials to include core information that is easy to memorize.

To that end, use all methods that come to mind (e.g., infographics for stats).

But before all that, analyze your business’ training needs. Too much info that won’t help anyone will hardly benefit your business.

Deploying up-to-date tech goes without saying.

However, even if you think you’re doing everything you can to make employees’ lives easier, consider this: frontline workers are resigning in droves.

Streamlined Processes

For frontline employees, you will definitely need to brainstorm your approach and, more importantly, listen to their feedback.

Frontline employees are being customarily neglected, so make sure to provide them with all means necessary.

In addition to training, that also means the latest tech.

But firstly, use the basics like timesheet template, a GPS timeclock and contact center automation.

Contact center automation will benefit your business in multiple ways and also make your frontline employees happier.

It may be used for multiple purposes, notably for:

• Automating processes
• Empowering employees
• Connecting with customers
• Driving continual improvement

Choose automation software that delivers unified RPA and conversational AI capabilities to help your business optimize processes and streamline procedures.

Additional solutions to consider include VoIP protocols, interactive voice response (IVR) systems, and automatic call distributor (ACD) systems.

To stay up to date with current management trends, it’s recommended to use:

• IoT for asset management
• Cloud-based software for remote work
• Artificial intelligence for business automation
• Inventory management software for supply chains

Strong Data Security 

Last but not least, remote work is more prone to security risks. You should absolutely take data security seriously and apply any and all measures necessary to ensure it.

Data security is aimed at protecting an organization’s data and digital information from unauthorized access and comprises an indefinite complex set of steps that include:

• Physical security of hardware and software devices
• Digital security of administrative and access controls
• Logical security of software applications

Some efficient data security strategies should include strong password protocols, protection of sensitive data (encryption and similar procedures), efficient data usage policy, and use of multi-factor authentication.

Key Takeaways

Freelancers may be a great addition to your team but they are looking for a different treatment than office workers, for example.

As a rule, these people are tech-savvy and resourceful, so make certain to provide them with quality training, efficient work model and contract types, and established routines to streamline processes.

As for the rest, rely on feedback!