Even though the number of people looking for jobs by far outnumbers available job slots, human resource managers still have a nightmare finding the right person for the job. The case is no different to those seeking to hire freelance journalists. However, with the advent of the internet, hiring the right freelance wouldn’t be any difficult if you know where to take your hunt. Understanding what to look for when vetting your journalists ensures that you get the right skill at a budget you can deal.
The Freelancer’s Skill
Every freelancer has a price tag. This could depend on the portfolio or the specific skillsets on offer. This is the first cost determinant that you can easily leverage long before getting into the market. You would want to hire someone with the proper skills but who is still strategically placed on the importance ladder to let you pay for the services amicably.
The range of skills in question could vary from the mere ability to write or present a compelling story to the courage of venturing into dangerous situations in search of a unique and intriguing presentation. Understanding what you want in your freelance journalist before entering the market will give you a concise mindset. You will know what is necessary, and what is a fantasy. You stand a better chance at hiring the perfect person this way.
The Locality
Naturally, every freelancer will price his or her services depending on the local conditions and risks of the job. Someone in New York, for instance, will be more expensive than a journalist in some calm Texas town. A journalist in a war torn locality will cost you more since he or she is interested in making good money fast and running to safety.
Understanding the kind of news you are hunting for and matching your budget with the conditions on the ground will help you estimate the cost of hiring that freelancer.
Remember that the current situation can determine the demand for freelance journalist in a given region. As more and more people look for freelancer in a given region, for instance in Wessex, the journalist will get wind of the demand and hike their prices. The key to avoiding such a rush is entering a market in advance. Always be up to date with events and hire before the gather momentum. Alternatively, you could wait for the hype to die off and get an investigative journalist to unearth a story everyone forgot about.
Your Contract Format
Per hour, per report, and per story. This is the most common freelance journalist payment schedules. While each is a complete and perfect approach in its own rights, matching your needs with a format will help you save on money. Per hour plans might cost you more if you are dealing with uncertain stories. A per story approach, though sometimes costly, is a perfect way to covering an investigative piece whose fact gathering period is unknown.
Before hiring, ask yourself a couple of questions
- Do I know how long it might take to cover the entire story?
- Do I need to do a follow up piece on the same within a short timestamp?
- Are we investigating or are we just reporting on what is going on?
Understanding your needs before hiring will let you match your journalist needs with both the appropriate person and the right story.
Pricing a freelancer is like taking a shot at astrology. You can just but estimate the cost but you never have solid proof to how much it will actually cost. Working with a platform that gives you access to a bunch of freelancers at a go will however turn the odds in your favor. Competition forces prices to go lower. You will always find some impressive freelancer who is trying to make it on the platform. You can benefit from their amicable pricing plan.
With http://www.paydesk.co/ giving an elaborate freelance journalist directory by locality, you can always get someone on the ground without having to use any liasons. Such an elaborate freelancer client meetup platform not only simplifies your hunt but also offers some contract formality blueprint. You can rest assured that the freelancer is serious as you can peruse through his or her bio and portfolio on the website.