Why Should You Track Time of Freelance Designers?

There’s a very small number of companies in the world which never worked with freelancers/contractors, and that number is just getting lower. Most companies hire freelancers to handle quick projects their employees can’t deal with at the moment.

Furthermore, the gig industry is flourishing and you probably have at least one person in your social circle that is a freelancer (at least in their spare time).

It’s a great progress in the work economy, as it allows you to connect with various experts regardless of their location. And while it’s neat to be working with great people from all over the world, employers still have their suspicions when it comes to how much time the freelancers actually spent working.

Most companies, especially smaller ones, don’t have the need to hire web developers and designers full-time, so they turn to freelancers when they need something built. This is understandable, as there are many benefits to hiring freelancers.

Benefits of Hiring Freelance Designers

Hiring freelance designers instead of having one in the house, or hiring an agency, can significantly reduce the costs of your design. You don’t need a dedicated workspace for them, they’re paid per hour, or per projects, etc.

Additionally, compared to hiring an agency, you’ll have more flexibility when it comes to communicating with the freelancer. This will eliminate any potential losses in communication since you won’t have to go through a project manager.

And last but not the least, the projects will be completed sooner. When you have one person working on a project, it’s much quicker to complete it than when there are multiple people handling different tasks.

Why Should You Track Their Time?

Most freelancers use some sort of a time tracker software already. If you found them through Upwork, they must use their tracker in order to get paid. But in case that your freelancer doesn’t have a task management software with time tracking you should definitely provide them with one.

First of all, nobody likes to be nagged by their clients who keep asking if the project is done. By checking the reports dashboard in a time tracking software with screenshots you’ve selected, you can clearly see how far along did your designer come, and what else is there to do. Besides, you’ll have a full proof of their work, without worrying if they’ve charged you more than they should have.

Office time tracking software does raise some privacy concerns. However, your freelancers have the ability to shut down the tracker whenever they stop working, or when they need to handle a private matter, so their privacy can remain safe. To ensure they are comfortable with this, you can share your privacy policy and explain in detail how you handle the data you’re collecting.

Be careful when hiring freelancers from other countries, as maybe their country has different regulations than yours, so we advise you to consult a legal team before proceeding.

Wrap Up

By hiring freelancers you certainly are gaining much. However, you should still keep an eye on them, and a time tracker software is a perfect tool for this. You’ll get excellent work, with the proof of how much was done, and the freelancer will be paid fairly. It’s a win-win situation for the both of you.

Did you ever use freelance designers before? What is your experience? Did you use a time tracker with them? Let us know in the comments below!