Finding the right writers for your team or project can be a bit daunting if you don’t know where to look or how to get started. With a lot of resources online, though, you can find the talent you need in no time. Here are some of the best ways you can find and pick the writer you need for academic work.
Get on the Job Boards
There are plenty of job boards and platforms that have academic writers offering their services. Check out those sites. Some charge you a fee, but that also helps filter out some of the low-level talents, so it works in your favor. You’ll want to give those platforms a try. The sooner you do, the sooner you can start looking for the writers to undertake your project.
Know What You Need
What kind of academic writer do you have in mind? Is it someone who specializes in a certain field or industry? What kind? And how long has the writer been in the industry? What kind of output and work has the writer handled in the past? Some just hire general writers, but if you need industry expertise, your search will likely take longer. If you’re willing to take on writers who might not have enough experience just yet, though, that could be a good way to take up with a partner that you can groom and train for the long term. It really all depends on what you need.
Assess Compatibility
And do you and the writer get along? If the writer isn’t a good match, culture-wise, if you’re not on the same page, then that could be a barrier to building a long-term business relationship. You want to keep looking until you find someone with the talent and mindset that works for you.
Prepare Questions
Make the hiring process easier by putting together a list of questions. That way, you can stay focused on getting out the information you need from those interviews. Even if you get sidetracked, one look at those questions will help you steer the conversation back to the topics or issues that you want to talk to the applicant about. That’s one way to make sure you cover all the bases.
Do a Test
Yes, you can use a test to determine whether the writer has the level of talent and understanding that you’re looking for in a team member. This will also help you get a sense of who they are and where they are professionally. Growth matters. If you think these writers can learn something from you, then that’s an added benefit to you both. People need to improve and if you can teach them something that will help them develop their skills further, they’ll appreciate that and they will stay with your company for far longer. If you want to build a long-term relationship with a freelancer, then keep this in mind.
Pick a Freelancer or Agency
There are plenty of benefits to hiring a freelance writer. They often charge less. And they’re more flexible with deadlines. The smaller team might be a good fit for you, especially if you’ve got a lean team yourself. However, if you have a ton of work coming your way, you might consider an agency instead. They have a bigger team and more resources to handle your business.
Read the Reviews
Whether you’re hiring a contractor or you’re looking for an agency, you’ll want to check out reviews and feedback about them. The beauty of nearly everything being online is that you can easily find information on a person or service provider. Do that. Research and check out their background. More than credentials, you’ll want to check out what other people have to say about them. What do other clients or coworkers think? The job boards or platforms should have that information. It wouldn’t hurt to check out their LinkedIn sites, too.
Set Up Deadlines and Leeway
Yes, it’s ideal to hire a team or contractor that misses little to no deadlines. Talk to them about that. Better yet, though, set deadlines that still work for you. Meaning, set them early. That way, you create a bit of leeway that can help both sides. You end up having more than enough time on your end and if the work comes in early, you can send that as soon as possible. If it misses the deadline by a day or two, that leeway you put into those dates will mean that you didn’t miss any. That’s a good policy to follow and it’s helpful at this time. With the coronavirus still raging all over the world, it’s hard to tell how it’s been affecting talents worldwide. You might find the best kind of assets, but they might not be performing at their best at the moment because of what’s been happening. Don’t discount that. Factoring external factors into your hiring decision can help you find the right talent, keep them, and help them so that they can do their best for your business and company.
