Researchers predict that half of the U.S. workforce will be freelancers by 2020. Freelancing is transforming the business world, as significantly more companies hire freelance workers than just a decade ago! The growth of freelancing opens up many new opportunities for employers and workers alike. However, with this new practice, new strategies are needed, to maintain freelance workforces.

How to Use Videos to Maintain Your Freelance Workforce

The first step in maintaining a freelance workforce is to attract the right kind of freelancer for your project. Freelancers often spend substantial time finding and securing new opportunities. However, if they truly connect with your team they will be keen to work for your company. Video can be put to good use for this purpose. Explainer videos can convey very clearly what your company is about and what the freelancer is expected to contribute. This will enable the freelancer to decide whether they will be able to deliver.

Keep communication, collaboration & culture in mind

Give special attention to communication, collaboration and culture in order to efficiently maintain freelance workers, by using video to help address these common challenges.

Communication

Video material can be used very effectively in your communication with freelancers. For example:

—Express company policies and processes in explainer videos so that all relevant parties are clear on these issues, share visions and goals, by means of a short explainer video, to get freelancers on board, provide freelancers with direction for their projects, by communicating project details via video, and recap meetings by making video recordings and make them available for your freelancer to watch.

Collaboration

If you know your freelancers and they know your company, you can expect optimal collaboration. Treat your freelance employees like any other member of your team and you will reap the desired productivity. To truly make a freelancer part of your team, regularly release video material that keep freelancers in the loop.

Culture

Do not simply hire freelancers for their skills or portfolio, but make sure that they will fit in well with the company culture. An easy way to determine this is to make use of video CVs. Video CVs provide employers with more insight into what an individual has to offer. While outlining skills, qualifications and experience, a video CV also enables an employer to get a feel for the freelancer’s personality. This will help you to find the right freelancer for your company. In addition, share your company culture with your freelance workforce through short informative video clips.

Make training a priority 

With well produced video training material that appeals specifically to your freelancers, their skills may be enhanced to the benefit of your company. At the same time they will feel valued and appreciate the additional training and development initiatives.

Build and maintain relationships

Companies may find that time is limited when managing relationships and negotiating with freelancers. Video can help to overcome this issue. Information needed by freelancers can be put into 2 categories: project specific information and general information. Project specific information informs about the project that the freelancer will be working on. When it comes to general information (e.g. company policies, company culture, etc.) short videos can be made and re-used when new freelancers come on board. The same video material can be used again and again should the need arise to replace freelancers, or simply when contracting more freelancers.

Maintaining relationships will help you to keep excellent freelancers on call. If they are already vetted (and understand how your company operates) new assignments can quickly be allocated to the right freelancer. By sending them short relevant video clips you can keep in contact with freelancers (even when they are not helping you with a current project), so that they are clued up and in touch with your company – ready to be called upon when needed.