Hiring Through Apps: Advantages and Disadvantages

All around the world, there are organizations that seem to be realizing that “work” doesn’t have to be done ONE way. People might be used to spending all day in an office, but corporations are beginning to understand that some employees are most productive from home and might even encourage them to work from home a couple of days out the week. Similarly, many companies have also begun hiring freelancers online to handle specific tasks.

There are some situations where this ends up being a good move; on the other hand, there are horror stories in which hiring a freelancer leads to a lot of headaches down the line. One should do their due diligence before hiring anyone and might want to refine their hiring process before considering hiring online. Here are some advantages and disadvantages regarding hiring a freelancer through an app or online platform.

Pro 1: Cut Costs

There are many situations where organizations might want to hire contractors to help them deal with a specific task or issue. Instead of paying a salary, they might hire someone to complete something for a set rate, and this can help the company save a significant amount of money. Thanks to the rise of technology and social media, you can now hire an individual who works in an entirely different country.

You may find that a freelancer is willing to do the work for much less than if you hired someone in your country, and the fact that he/she deals with a specific currency might even save you hundreds – or thousands – of dollars. In this manner, hiring through an app might mean that you save more money than ever before.

Pro 2: Find an Expert

There are all sorts of employees that you might value, and it might be because they have such a range of skills that it makes them valuable to your organization. However, what if you are looking for an expert or consultant to take a couple of hours and offer their unique perspective? This is where hiring a freelancer really provides an advantage.

You might find that an expert freelancer is very good at what they do, because they have been doing that one thing for many years. In this way, having an expert on a specific subject in your contacts might not be the worst idea in the world.

Of course, there are also some cons when it comes to hiring freelancers for tasks. Here are some reasons why it might not be the best idea to turn to online platforms when it comes to hiring workers.

Con 1: Ghosting on The Job

There is one major problem when it comes to hiring freelancers for temporary jobs, and that is the fact that they simply don’t care about the task as much as your organization might. Let’s say that you finally find a capable freelancer to handle a specific task. You hire him/her but notice that they haven’t remained in communication regarding their progress.

This might be particularly upsetting if there is a strict deadline when it comes to the task, and you realize that you might be threatening a relationship with an important client. The freelancer may have found more work and decided to prioritize their new job because it’s easier, or because it pays more.

Con 2: Too Much Risk

A company might think that it makes sense to hire online because they see a freelancer with a very cheap rate. They might do their best to vet that freelancer, but how do you really know that the work will get done, and on time? How do you know that the quality of the work will be up to par, and will it be worth the time lost if it isn’t? When you think about it, there are a lot of risks when it comes to hiring a specific freelancer for your business.

The sad truth is that you might find yourself in a situation where someone has claimed to have all sorts of skills that they actually don’t and are simply interested in taking your money before you figure out that they aren’t qualified. Does this happen all of the time? Of course not. However, you might find that it is much more practical to have your trusted employees handle it, considering that you work with them every day and know, for sure, that they have the company’s best interests in mind.

Conclusion

It can be quite difficult to decide whether to hire a freelancer for your business, but the life of an entrepreneur is full of tough decisions. You might want to ease into the process before hiring many freelancers, and you may discover that these hires affect your company culture. You may want to be transparent with your employees about why you are hiring specific freelancers, and why they might be valuable as a one-time hire.

You might find that the process is a bit too tedious, or you may realize that you can save more money than ever before. Either way, you should weigh the pros and cons as much as possible before making an informed decision.