Freelancing has become a way of life for many people. It allows for a more freeform lifestyle far removed from the general 9 to 5 routine. It may be a freeing experience, but the choice to hire a freelancer for projects these days can be a slippery slope. We have compiled a list of 5 reasons why outsourcing your projects to freelancers can lead to failure.
Inconsistent Work
There are some excellent freelancers in the world we live in. Hard working, driven individuals that strive for quality work with each and every job they encounter, but this is not the norm. More often than not, you can find that freelancers provide inconsistent work to clients. The freelancing lifestyle often lends itself to inconsistencies as these people rarely maintain a standard routine that promotes quality job production. A lack of sleep, working around children, and simply being unmotivated can lead to a drop in quality.
Difficult to Contact
We live in a global digital world. Freelancers capitalize on the ability to work for people across the globe, but that, in itself, can bring on difficulties. Varying time zones can mean that when you need to contact your freelancer, they may be sleeping. Traveling freelancers are even more difficult to converse with as jet lag while moving from one time zone to another can have a severe affect on any individual.
In general, contact is primarily accomplished through email and online messaging programs and that can bring on even more challenges. Not all countries maintain the same internet connection speed and where most freelancers rely on Wi-Fi, it is simply not available in all areas, so contact can be remarkably difficult especially if you have an emergency with the program or product the freelancer has provided.
Not Properly Vetted
Anyone can be a freelancer. That is excellent news for those looking to get into the freelancing lifestyle, but not such good news for the clients they will be servicing. In general, when hiring an ODC, you will ensure that employees are properly vetted and able to do their job adequately. However, when hiring out for a freelancer, you could potentially be hiring a person that claims they understand the job, but has very little training in the area. The results can be hit of miss when freelancers are not properly vetted for their proposed skills.
They May Outsource
What is generally unknown about many freelancers on third part freelancing sites is that some outsource every job that comes across their computer. It can be a very lucrative opportunity for the freelancer to make untold amounts of money for very little work, but it can also be a huge disaster for the clients they service.
The notion of outsourcing has become a common practice among larger and even small companies these days, but when freelancers hone in on this opportunity, the quality of work can quickly diminish. A freelancer is supposed to take the job from the client and complete it according to the specifications laid out by the client. However, when they outsource your job, a lot can be lost in various messages from client to freelancer, to outsourced freelancer. It sounds confusing, but many freelancers are choosing this route as they can pay someone to do the job saving them a lot of time. Ultimately, you could be paying double for subpar work when hiring a freelancer.
Potential Security Issues
We want to think that every freelancer is honest and chooses to maintain remarkable integrity throughout every job opportunity. However, this is not always the case. Freelancers who build your mobile apps, programs, and websites can often hold onto vital information and place back door areas in the program where they will have access to your company’s and your client’s information.
It is not uncommon for a freelancer to use this opportunity to steal information for use in identity theft. The bad thing is that even if a freelancer is caught, there is little retribution that can be done. The freelancer can simply make a new account on a site and keep moving right along with their schemes without any legal action able to be taken. Your company’s information is too vital to take this chance.
Hiring a freelancer has its place. They are great for nominal tasks, but for something as important as apps, programs, websites, and other online sources with sensitive information, it is often best to stick to an ODC. An ODC provides vetting for their employees, so you know you are getting an educated individual for the job. They also ensure that security measures are taken to keep information safe for your company and your customers. An ODC also maintains standard business operation hours, so they can be contacted far easier than your average traveling freelancer. Get the benefits of quality work without the negatives of freelancers with an ODC today.
