Online Collaboration Software for Freelancer and In-House Employee Connections
Running a business may sometimes necessitate the need to hire external employees such as freelancers on top of the regular staff members. Freelancers provide another option when it comes to employment arrangements and are best for tasks that are required only for a limited time or tasks that don’t require the labor of a regular staff member. Some individuals who already have a permanent job may go freelance on a part-time basis to earn extra income while some choose to do freelancing as a full time job. There are also individuals who prefer more flexibility with their work options such as stay-at-home parents who opt to become freelancers.
Freelance employees, along with other independent workers such as contractors, consultants, and small business owners, represent about 31% of the total labor force in the U.S. as of 2011. There are actually four types of workers recognized as alternative employment arrangements namely independent contractors, on-call workers, workers provided by contract firms, and short-term help agency workers. The type of work to be done plays an important role when hiring a freelance worker and could have consequences in the form of tax when the freelancer was hired to do work that should be done by a full-time employee.
Freelance workers are usually hired for services such as writing, Web design, graphic design, programming, consulting, and office administration. Services of freelancers are commonly required for a few weeks and require intensive labor. They usually work in their own homes or office space but may sometimes work in on-site. As such, it can be difficult to communicate effectively between the in-house employee and the freelancer and information may not be passed on in a clear, timely manner.
Online collaboration software can be an indispensable tool when it comes to building freelancer and in-house employee work relationship. Good work management is always important when it comes to finishing a project and communication between different parties should be done honestly, clearly, and constantly. Although a partnership between a freelance and an in-house employee doesn’t usually last for long due to the nature of the tasks involved, it is important to show a joint effort in making sure that a project is completed on time without compromising quality.
Such software can be used throughout the different phases of the project from planning to organizing, implementing, and evaluating. Online collaboration software enables the freelancer and employee to discuss important points in the project and set individual tasks to meet milestones in the project. The progress of the project can easily be viewed with the help of the software and files can be exchanged without the need to go to the in-house employee’s workplace or to the freelancer’s house.
The in-house employee and freelancer can simply upload and download necessary files with the help of the collaboration software. Regardless of geographical location, both parties can check the activities of each other and divide the workload if needed. Updates can be sent in real time so that both parties are always informed on the latest developments. Online collaboration systems can produce projects with great results even if two different parties are working on the same project through effective communication.