What are some avoidable communication problems?
For every manager with a horror story about a freelancer, there’s a freelancer with a horror story about a client. Most of these problems center on lack of communication. Sometimes the communication issues take place within the hiring organization, resulting in conflicting messages given to a freelancer who may understandably be upset at being told to rip up a previously agreed-upon section of work. Often, the problem can be traced to a vague or incomplete set of instructions. A contract may ask for a “website design” but not specify whether the freelancer is to convert the approved design into web-ready code. Other times, a freelancer or company may claim expertise in several areas, but will really only have one core set of skills. This is where it’s important to be clear with agencies and candidates. If what you really need is a writer with some web competence, be sure you’re not really hiring a coder who dabbles in writing.
