How to Manage Upwork Freelancers Effectively

Junun Saleh

Keeping track of everything is challenging, especially when running a busy business. That’s where the freelance team can come in handy!

But managing freelancers can be tricky, and you must ensure they are productive and meet all your requirements.

We’ve put together the top 3 tools for managing freelancers. Check them out below!

Decide what tasks you want freelance team members to do

“Half the people you rely on don’t actually work for you, and that’s a good thing—if you’re ready.” Deloitte.

Managing freelancers can be a challenging but rewarding task. When done well, it can enable you to get more work done in less time, freeing up your schedule for other priorities.

When you start working with freelancers, you need to decide what tasks you want them to manage. Do you need help with the administrative functions such as scheduling, project management, and email management? Or would you prefer to delegate more creative tasks, such as writing and graphic design?

After determining the tasks to delegate, you can begin finding and hiring freelancers well-suited to your needs. By taking the time to consider your needs thoughtfully, you can set yourself up for success when working with remote freelancers.

And don’t forget to manage freelancers. Great communication can go a long way towards ensuring that your remote team is productive and happy.

Set up collaboration tools and expectations

Setting up communication tools, project management tools, and expectations is one of the most critical steps in managing freelancers’ teams.

By establishing clear guidelines for easy communication, you can help ensure that all team members are on the same page. And you can consider some rules, like:

How often will team members be expected to check in?

Ideally, team members should check in at least once a day. However, you understand that there may be times when this is not possible. In those cases, you can ask your freelancers’ team to check in as often as possible and keep updated on project progress.

Which communication methods will be used (email, chat, video call)?

It’s essential to establish straightforward methods of communication. Some standard methods of communication include email, chat, and video calls.

Email is a standard method of communication tool for many businesses. It’s easy to send messages back and forth and doesn’t require any special software or hardware. 

Chat software such as Slack can be helpful for businesses that need to communicate frequently with their remote freelancers. Slack is easy to use and helps you create channels for different topics, making it easy to find past conversations. Plus, users can easily see when others have read their messages.

Video calls are a great way to get face-to-face with your remote freelancers. They can help build relationships and ensure everyone is on the same page. Plus, they’re perfect for resolving any questions or misunderstandings that may come up.

What is the expectation for response time?

It’s essential to establish clear expectations for response time. The response helps ensure freelance teams know how quickly they need to respond to messages.

Some things you may want to consider when establishing response time expectations include:

How quickly do team members need to respond to messages?

Ideally, freelance workers should respond to messages within 24 hours. However, you understand that there may be times when this is not possible. In those cases, you can ask your freelancers’ team to respond quickly and keep updated on project details.

What is the protocol for sharing files and documents?

By setting up these basic expectations, you can help your remote freelancer team work more effectively together.

When it comes to sharing documents, there are a few things you’ll need to consider.

First, what file-sharing software will you use?

You have many options available, such as Google Drive and Dropbox.

Second, how will team members be able to access the files they need?

Will they be able to view them online, or will they need to download them to their computer?

Third, what is the protocol for editing and updating files?

Who will be responsible for making changes and ensuring that everyone has the most up-to-date version?

By setting up these basic expectations, you can help your remote freelancer team work more effectively together.

Five features from remote software for managing freelancers

When you manage freelance teams, there are five key things you should keep an eye on to ensure that everyone stays on track.

1. Time Tracking: Tracking work progress and deadlines

Managing a remote team of freelancers can be challenging, but the process can be much easier with the right tools. 

A tracking tool is one of the best tools for managing a team of freelancers. Track time will help you keep track of your freelancer’s progress and deadlines. Additionally, set milestones and keep everyone on schedule by setting clear goals. Further, communicate with your freelancers regularly to ensure they know their work and plans. With the right tools in place, remote freelancing can be a breeze!

Time Tracking Tool

No matter how well-organized and efficient your team is, there will always be some tasks that need to be completed that fall outside of their regular work schedule. 

By using time tracking software, you can easily track project progress made by everyone on the project; this way, you can better manage expectations and communication. 

Not only does it help to identify bottlenecks and potential issues in advance, but it also ensures timely completion of the project milestones. Time tracking allows for a smooth management process while saving time and resources in the long run.

2. Activity monitoring

Activity monitoring is one of the best ways to manage Upwork freelancers. By tracking their activity, you can ensure they are working on the assigned tasks and meeting deadlines.

You can use tools like RescueTime, Monitask, or DeskTime to track activity or keep track of what tasks they are working on and check the progress. The activity monitoring will help you quickly identify and address any potential problems promptly.

3. Computer screenshots

Computer screenshots can help you manage your freelancers on Upwork. To guarantee that your employees are working productively on the projects you delegated to them, take periodic screenshots of their computer screens.

The screenshots prevent freelancers from working on other projects while they are supposed to be working on your project. Additionally, it can help you quickly identify and address potential problems promptly.

4. Task management

The task management system organizes and manages the tasks that freelancers must complete to achieve a goal. When managing a remote team of freelancers, task management is essential to ensure everyone is on track.

Several task management tools are available, such as Asana, Trello, and Monitask. These tools allow you to create tasks, assign tasks to specific team members, and track their progress. Task management helps ensure the completion of all assignments on time and within budget.

Additionally, a task management tool can easily create reports showing the project’s progress. The tool can be helpful when presenting the project to your client.

Task management is an essential part of managing a remote team of freelancers and should be used to organize and track all tasks related to the project. Using a task management tool, you can ensure that all the projects are clear on schedule. Additionally, you can create reports that show the progress of the project.

5. Team analytics

Monitoring the productivity of a remote freelancer’s team can be difficult, but it can be much easier with the right tools. Team analytics is one of the essential tools for managing many freelancers.

Team analytics is a tool that helps managers track the performance of their freelance workforce over time. The analytics allows a better understanding of how the right freelancer’s team functions and identifies any possible problems.

Some of the features of team analytics include:

• Tracking individual freelancers and team productivity over time
• Tracking task completion rates and time is taken to complete tasks
• Identifying which members of the team are performing best and worst
• Tracking communication within the team

Team analytics is essential for managing a remote team and allows a better understanding of how the team works together. By tracking individual and team productivity, task completion rates, and communication, managers can identify any potential problems and address them promptly.

Additional features are needed to manage freelancers.

Here are a few more functions needed in addition above main features to manage freelancers:

Idle time detection

One of the main challenges of managing employees is ensuring they are productive during work hours. Idle time detection can be a helpful tool in this regard. Idle time detection monitors employee activity and flags periods of inactivity.

This information can then identify which employees may be slacking off or not working efficiently. In some cases, idle time may be unavoidable, such as when an employee needs to take a break or make a phone call.

However, if idle time is excessive, it can lead to reduced productivity and increased costs for businesses. As such, managing idle time is an essential part of managing employees.

By using idle time detection, businesses can ensure that their employees use their time effectively and improve their bottom line.

Stealth version available

Many businesses choose to use a stealth version of their software. A stealth version is a software version used for monitoring purposes and is not accessible to the user. The stealth features allow businesses to track employee activity without the employees knowing.

Stealth versions of the software are common in workplaces and are used to track employee activity. The stealth version is usually installed on company-owned devices and monitors all activity on the device.

The company can use this information to identify which employees are productive and which need improvement. Additionally, it can help managers understand how much time employees spend on specific tasks.

Using a stealth version of the software is an effective way to monitor employee activity without their knowledge. By utilizing a stealth version of the software, businesses can track employee productivity without them knowing. The software reports allow managers to address any potential problems quickly and effectively.

One month of screenshot storage

Many team management tools offer a screenshot feature that captures the remote worker’s computer screen at specific intervals. The features can help monitor the work of the remote worker and ensure they are on task.

However, some team management tools only offer a limited number of screenshots before deleting them. Finding a team management tool that provides a longer storage time for screenshots is essential.

One month of screenshot storage is ideal as it allows a longer period to be monitored and helps ensure they capture all work.

Monitask

Monitask is an excellent cloud-based software project and task manager for teams. Eliminate the need for installing the software and manual timesheets with automatically calculated hours. 

Anywhere you can view a report to let you know each time freelancers use the program and for how long. The Screenshots feature can be turned off or blurred for sensitive content.

A user activity monitoring tool records computer activity and generates detailed reports on work time, user productivity, and other metrics.

Monitask is cloud-based software compatible with Mac, Linux, and Windows computers, making it a versatile option for businesses with mixed-platform environments. It offers a variety of features that go beyond simple user activity tracking software.

You can define project details reports on employee activity, task management, and behavior analytics. Businesses can better understand their employees’ performance and identify areas where employers can improve.

Reports can help identify potential employee productivity or satisfaction issues, allowing businesses to take corrective action before these problems escalate.

But What About Employee Privacy?

Employers can track employee productivity and identify any potential security risks. Employees still are rightfully concerned about their right to privacy.

Monitask ensures that employee monitoring respects privacy rights. It does not store any personal data.

The screen monitoring feature allows you to generate a worker productivity boost without invading privacy or making your employees feel you’re constantly watching over their shoulders.

Conclusion

You should ensure that the remote freelancer team delivers their best tasks as contracts and meet all of our requirements and deadlines. You can increase your productivity by using Monitask to manage freelancers while ensuring high-quality work results. Manage an open line of communication with your freelancer team and be clear about their result expectations.

These tips keep you on your way to a successful working relationship with your remote freelancer team!

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