5 Best Digital Tools for Collaborating with Freelancers

There’s no question that more professionals are choosing to freelance. In fact, 57.3 million Americans are freelancing, and last year they contributed around $1.4 trillion in freelance earnings to the U.S. economy, according to the “Freelancing in America: 2017” study.

Many companies work with freelancers because they provide niche expertise and complete work in a fast, affordable way—but the key here is that freelancers cannot be treated the same way as employees, even if they feel as essential to your business. For instance, freelancers choose when and where they work, and how they complete projects.

Working with freelancers may be different, but they need the same information as your employees to succeed: good communication and a clear understanding of the project’s goals. The good news is that you can communicate easily with freelancers about projects, deliverables, and deadlines with tools you already use.

Communication and Collaboration for Success

To ensure that the communication channels remain open, it’s key to have the right tools in place. Here are five tools that will help ensure a successful working relationship.

• Slack: With group chat, direct messaging, searchable archives, desktop notifications, and @ abilities, Slack is a favorite among executives and freelancers alike. You can instantly add your freelancers to the necessary channels to get them up to speed on your team’s previous communications, and the inherent immediacy of the app will help them feel like they’re right next door.
• Google Hangouts: For times when you need a face-to-face conversation, Google Hangouts is your digital best friend. This video conferencing service allows everyone to get to know each other, work through complicated ideas, and brainstorm on the fly.
• Trello: This productivity platform allows you to create multiple project-specific boards that contains multiple cards on both desktop and mobile. Trello integrates apps like Slack and Basecamp into its workflow so everyone can see exactly what’s being scheduled, finished, and worked on in real time in one place. Start discussions, upload files, manage deadlines, and create checklists as needed.
• Basecamp: Perfect for projects large and small, Basecamp is great for breaking down big projects into smaller to-do lists. This is ideal for hybrid teams because you can track who is working on each small project, and completed items are marked off as they are finished so everyone stays on the same page (literally).
• Asana: Named the fastest growing skill on Upwork earlier this year, Asana is yet another task management app that allows you to track work progress and deliverables. It’s great for hybrid teams because tasks are in one place.

Let Upwork Messenger Work for You

When you use Upwork to find and work with freelancers, you can communicate quickly and simply within our messenger app. With Upwork Messenger, you can:

• Chat in real time
• Collaborate and brainstorm
• Hire fast
• Share files

Upwork Enterprise combines technology and dedicated services, designed to help companies work smarter and faster with freelance talent. If you’re looking for help with your next project, check out Upwork Enterprise.

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