Tips from clients about commissioning and working with freelancers

Our blogs are usually written by freelancers, but we’re also keen to hear from the other side. Earlier this year we therefore put a call out for tips and reflections from people who have commissioned and worked with freelancers. The answers are useful for both freelancers and clients to digest.

A big thank you to our named and anonymous contributors.

Here are the responses:

1.      Generally speaking, what are you looking for in applications when you commission a freelancer?

Clients are generally looking for particular expertise they don’t have, a freelancer that demonstrates an understanding of their organisation and its needs, and a clear approach to the work.

• “Someone who connects to the brief, responds sensitively and engages with us as an organisation. They should show real commitment and an ability to make a commission work in what can often be a changing/evolving environment.”

• “Freelancers should show that their idea is fully developed and thought through in all areas of delivery including the outcomes of the project, what it will look like and logistics of delivery. Having links to previous work is also really useful to help us understand what the project they have submitted will look and feel like.”

• “Skills resources capacity we don't have.”

• “A proposal which addresses the brief with an understanding of the organisation. A proposal that includes all the information asked for.”

• “Experience and reliability. Realistic proposal and expectations of me.”

• “Strength of response to brief, including description of approach. Experience & recommendations / references (but not always - depends on nature of project). A professional online presence is reassuring.  Confidence and positivity of approach is something I would value (including bringing up any issues with the brief in a clear and constructive way).”

• “Evidence of direct experience, either in the actual content or in the communities etc with whom we are wanting to work. Reading through a portfolio will often influence our decision as heavily as the response to a brief, so give them equal weighting in your submission.”

• “Specific experiences and examples of work that is relatable and transferable to the brief, so I would feel confident that they can fulfill the brief. Often when I'm looking for a freelancer to work with, I'm doing so because I need someone who has the skills/expertise/creativity that I am missing myself or in my direct team. So also make sure that you show your creativity and confidence, and your personality. I want someone to bring something wow! (which is a lot to ask for, I realise!!)”

2.      What tips would you give organisations commissioning and working with freelancers?

Clients’ tips included: have a good brief, be clear in your expectations, communicate well, pay fairly and factor in time to manage freelancers.

• “Your brief is essential. Make sure it's well written and clear. Test it with someone not for your organisation to see what their understand is. When you commission someone have a meeting specifically to thrash out both of your assumptions, so as much as possible you are on the same page. Keep communicating. Ask for updates and interim reports if appropriate.”

• “Be clear and explicit in your brief, don't expect freelancers to read between the lines. That being said, a freelancer who you've been working with for a while might have some really insightful suggestions, so make space for those conversations as well.”

• “Be as clear and concise as possible with your brief, be generous with your time if the brief is more vague. Keep a contingency for the project in case of unforeseen costs/ extra work for the freelancer.” (Hastings Museum)

• “Know what you / the organisation wants to achieve from commissioning the piece of work and make sure the brief accurately reflects those ambitions. If commissioning work in an unfamiliar field of work perhaps consider paid consultation to support the development of the brief or factor in paid time to develop the final brief in partnership with the appointed freelancer. Have a clear appointed main contact for the freelance practitioner, and if the project requires time from other staff from the organisation, make sure everyone involved understands their own roles and responsibilities. Establish a mutually agreed plan and know how much flex there is within it for both parties. Think carefully about potential need for contingency resources. Where appropriate plan in a debrief to celebrate success and identify learning for both parties.”

• “Be realistic about the commission and budget - pitch too low, with a huge list of deliverables and you may not get the quality you are seeking (remember freelancers have to cover their tax, pension contributions and any sick pay/holidays). Have a clear payment and outcomes schedule so expectations are transparent.”

• “Be clear in the spec exactly what it is you want achieving. Set goals as these give achievable outcomes. Remember to factor in your time in managing the freelancer as well - don't assume it will be easily slotted in with the rest of your work. Be flexible: this is not the only project your freelancer will be working on and you can't expect them to drop everything else at the ping of an email. Plan regular reviews of the progress and work so far - this will mean any shortfalls or problems are spotted easily. Plan an induction day so they can meet the rest of the team, helping them become part of the organisation.” (Tonia Collett)

• “The brief must be clear and concise. State everything you want up front, and do not assume that something will be included. If you want a written report, ensure it is stated in the brief with a guideline on how long (freelancers need to understand the scale of work). If you have an idea of how long things will take, separate out the elements and detail estimated time required so freelancers can estimate a realistic cost for their time. Be prepared to pay fairly and acknowledge that any delays on the commissioning side should be laid out clearly. It is fine to discuss a change in scope or extension with the freelancer, but you shouldn't assume they will agree to it.”

3.      What makes a constructive working relationship between a freelancer and an organisation?

Clients suggest a constructive working relationship largely comes down to good communication, clarity, openness and understanding.

• “Clarity about money, vision, outcomes.” (Zara Matthews)

• “Good communication, flexibility, valuing the freelancers contribution, paying a good fee and making the payment process painless and fast.”

• “Open and timely communication and clarity on outcomes + deadlines. Giving the freelancer a named assigned contact from the organisation to ask questions etc.” (Hastings Museum)

• “Having a shared and mutually understood plan with aims, budget and timeline for delivery. Good, regular, honest communication. Respect for different areas of expertise, skills, knowledge and approaches. It can be useful to establish project appropriate methods and parameters for formal and informal communication about a project.”

• “Set out from the offset expectation in terms of communication - how often will you want to communicate with them and by what means (email, meeting, call, zoom etc). Do you require written/verbal updates (is there a funder you need to report to?, a newsletter, social media, website they will need to contribute to? Lay out the information you will need to ensure it is captured). Flesh out the deliverables and associated timelines so you are both on the same page. Be honest at the earliest opportunity if you are not happy or the commission is not going in the desired direction.”

• "The job spec is all important. If this doesn't set clear goals at the beginning and chains of command/communication, your freelancer will find it harder to meet your expectations and you'll find it harder to manage the project." (Tonia Collett)

• “Being honest, approachable, and clear in communications. Don't be bashful in talking about money, time, deadlines, or priorities - it is much more productive to be upfront.”

• “A big thing is understanding on both sides - for a manager to a freelancer, the freelancer could very well be working across several different projects, be flexible where you can and support! And being a freelancer right now is particularly is a challenging position. And for freelancers to managers... Museums are odd places to work with a lot of pressure and challenges. There may be a lot internally that are not in their control - again, understanding that times are tough. And with all of that comes communication - keeping close in contact, being honest and open, and asking for help or flexibility when you need - both sides.”

4.      Can you share any good or bad examples of commissioning processes or working relationships (without mentioning names)?

Good examples:

• “For me working with freelancers brings a wealth of different and new experiences, ideas, approaches and creativity that enriches all areas of our service delivery.”

• “Worked with small consultancy to develop and deliver engagement for small network with ACE funding. We worked collaboratively and creatively to develop ideas into activity together and it was amazing.” (Zara Matthews)

• “The digital quilt community project was a particular highlight and people involved felt genuinely touched by the outcome and the opportunity to be involved.” (Hastings Museum)

• “We were recently approached by a freelancer who we've worked with for years, they suggested a partnership arrangement to deliver a schools outreach offer on our behalf. They knew us and our schools learning offer really well, knew they could deliver a high quality offer out in schools, whereas we didn't have the capacity. It was a win-win arrangement as far as we were concerned. Having worked together for years, we have built up a lot of trust, so even if it doesn't work out, or isn't well taken up, we're prepared to take a punt on this because of that relationship.”

Bad examples:

• “A freelance practitioner called in sick on the morning a school group were due to visit. There was no back-up in place, (my fault as well, for not asking this question in advance), so I had to hurriedly improvise an activity to make sure their visit was not in vain. I learnt my lesson and now always have a back-up plan in place!”

• “Only bad experiences have been rooted in changes to agreed/understood scope of work (from either party), especially if not identified early on due to lack of communication (deliberate or otherwise). In my experience this has been more common in developmental artist led commissions.”

• “Commissioned someone for a large project, overlooking her personality (she'd worked with us on a smaller project) which was needy and abrasive when she felt undervalued. She created discord amongst the volunteers, was incredibly demanding of me (an average email ran to 5 pages and there were several of them every week) and genuinely made a few of the volunteers feel so undermined, they left the project. Her behaviour ultimately threatened the future of the project.”

• “Quite often frustrations levied at orgs by freelancers and at freelancers by orgs seem to be two sides of the same coin. For example, the classic time-based 'I need this/you now/today' issue works both ways.”