Freelance Friendly, what is it and does my company qualify for the label?

A while back, entrepreneurial organization Unizo East Flanders and matching platform GIGHOUSE joined forces. Their mission? To develop a quality label for companies that work correctly and conscientiously with freelancers. It helps freelancers during the search for new clients and is a token of good entrepreneurship. Wondering if your company qualifies for such a label? See below which criteria your company has to meet to get the freelance friendly label.

10 requirements for a freelance friendly business

1. Your company always considers the possibility of using a freelancer

The first condition your company must meet is also immediately one of the most important: does your company always consider the possibility of using freelancers?

Do you have an open position that can also be filled by freelancers? Are you as a company open to hiring freelancers for that position? If your answer here is twice yes, then you are on the right track!

Freelance market gaining momentum

The freelance market is gaining momentum; in just five years, the number of freelancers has increased by 37% (Starters Lab 2022).

GIGHOUSE research shows that even among students, the urge to start as a freelancer is high. 50% of those surveyed in the future become self-employed or freelancers.

Opening your job openings to freelancers is the message!

2. Your company has successfully worked with freelancers in the past

Cooperation with freelancers is obviously also a very important aspect for freelance friendly businesses. Did your company work with freelancers in the past? Did that collaboration go smoothly?

Unknown is unloved

From experience, we see that many companies that have worked with freelancers in the past, start using them more often afterwards. Freelancers are flexible, have a lot of expertise and experience and there are also financial advantages. Once you get to know the convenience of a freelancer, you often don't want to do anything else. Unknown is unloved 😉.

3. Your company welcomes freelancers in the same way as your permanent employees

Bringing in freelancers is one thing, but are they part of the team?

A freelance friendly company treats its freelancers just like its own employees, and that starts with the reception.

Does your freelancer know where the coffee is? Are they having lunch together? When colleagues go for drinks are freelancers invited to join them? In short, do freelancers feel welcome when they come to work?

Why is an equal welcome important?

Freelance assignments are short-term, or are they not? We see more and more freelancers working for a company for a long time. Assignments can sometimes run for years (think freelance web developers). With such a long collaboration, satisfaction is key and with a good welcome you are already on the right track.

4. You regularly poll the freelancer's satisfaction with the collaboration

Not only your permanent employees deserve an evaluation interview. Your freelancers will also thank you when you ask them for their opinion. You may not have an evaluation meeting with the freelancer, but you may have a performance review meeting. But what do you discuss during such a meeting?

This is what a good performance review looks like:

A performance review is there to foster collaboration, so be sure to take a pulse on what the freelancer thinks of the collaboration so far. What goes well, what doesn't, are there areas for improvement, what can be done differently? Be especially open to criticism here.

Such a conversation is also the ideal time to discuss the further course of the assignment. Will the freelancer be able to work longer/less time, are there additional assignments you want to give the freelancer? Transparency is very important here.

You read it, a performance review is good for many reasons. So scheduling one regularly is the message.

5. You pay freelancers in a market-based and correct manner

What about remuneration? Are you paying your freelancers in a market-based and correct manner?

Freelancers spend a lot of time calculating their hourly rate, it is based on the content, duration and complexity of the assignment. The industry and the freelancer's level of expertise also play a big role; a high hourly rate often means more expertise.

To give an example:

The average hourly rates of HR freelancers

(from: NextConomy)

As you can see, there is a big difference in rates based on work experience. If the assignment is very complex, then you can also expect a higher rate. To remunerate your freelancers in a market-based way, trust in the freelancer is very important. Do you have a question about the remuneration of your freelancer? Click here.

6. You involve freelancers in all kinds of internal activities to which permanent employees are also invited

In addition to treating freelancers and permanent employees equally, involvement is also important. Do they get a say, do you involve them in all kinds of internal activities to which permanent employees are also invited?

A staff meeting, team building activity, staff party... They sometimes seem like trivial formalities but they are crucial for the group feeling within your team. And that team is just something your freelancer is bound to want to be a part of. Especially if the freelance assignment is of longer duration.

Engaged freelancers are often satisfied freelancers, and you need them for a good collaboration.

7. You are transparent at the outset about the duration and length of the project

What is the process when you hire a freelancer? Are you transparent at the outset about the duration and length of the assignment? Obviously, sometimes an assignment can take longer/shorter than expected, but do you let the freelancer know in time?

The notice period for freelancers from GIGHOUSE is standard 30 days, but you can also stipulate this differently with your freelancer. You guessed it, also here clear written agreements are crucial for a good cooperation.

8. You respect the freelancer's freedom; there is no relationship of authority

A freelancer is not a permanent employee. The biggest difference? Freedom.

So, as a company, you also have to respect that freedom. He is providing you with a service, so he may choose where and when he wants to work. It is important not to create a relationship of authority. Is there one? Then you are dealing with false self-employment.

Sham self-employment, what is it?

Sham freelancers are employees who have the status of a self-employed person, although in reality they are performing a professional activity under the authority of an employer. And in this relationship of authority lies the greatest risk, because if there is one, the freelancer must be an employee by law.

Sham self-employment is a form of social fraud that is severely punished, so be alert!

9. Your company communicates inside and outside the company that it works with freelancers

In addition to hiring freelancers, it is also important that you, as a freelance friendly company, communicate about that collaboration. Both internally and externally.

Do your employees know that you work with freelancers? And especially that they are part of the team? Do you clearly communicate in your job postings that freelancers are also welcome?

Clear communication ensures not only more candidates, but also satisfied freelancers.

How can you better communicate that your company works with freelancers?

The easiest and most effective way to make it clear that freelancers are welcome is through your job postings. Social media is another useful tool to put your freelancers in the spotlight, both internally and externally.

In addition, you can use your website and write a news or blog post about your collaboration with freelancers. This way, not only does everyone know that you are pro freelancers, but you also demonstrate that you are keeping up with the times as a company.

Finally, the freelance friendly label is of course the way to show that your company is open to freelancers. If you take the test today, you can win a physical version of the label, delivered completely free of charge. Ideal for the reception desk of your company!

10. You provide clear agreements that are recorded in writing

We have cited these clear agreements before, but what do we mean by that?

To ensure a smooth operation between your company and the freelancer, it is best to make agreements about the start-up, duration, fee, payment conditions... It is important here to put the agreements made in writing, that way there are certainly no misunderstandings.

Doesn't this create additional work?

Are you now thinking, "ow all that paperwork"? No problem! Clear agreements on paper are important, but should not cause extra paperwork and extra stress. To counter this, there is GIGHOUSE, the online matching platform for you and your potential freelancer.

Through the web portal, you submit your assignment, choose your freelancer and the rest is automatic. GIGHOUSE takes care of the paperwork, so you can focus on the onboarding of your new freelancer without any stress.

Did you answer "yes" everywhere? Then your company undoubtedly has a chance to win the freelance friendly label. Take the test quickly!