How to Hire Someone on Upwork: Small Business Step-by-Step Guide

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Everything you need to know to hire your first employee
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Your business is growing and you're ready to hire your first employee—congratulations! If you're intimidated by this process, you're not alone. Fortunately, Upwork makes it easy for you to hire freelancers so you don't have to worry about payroll and can keep your business growing. Read on to find out what you need to do.

Using Upwork to Hire Employees for a Small Business

If you don't have an EIN, register with the government to get one. Then, create a plan for the work you need done and set a budget for how much to pay a prospective employee. Write the listing, then create an Upwork account and post it. Once you have applicants, interview candidates to find the employee that fits best.

Section 1 of 3:

Planning & Preparation

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  1. Get an employer identification number (EIN) from the IRS. You can think of your EIN as your business's Social Security number—except it isn't private information like a Social Security number would be. You might already have one if your business has filed taxes, even if this is going to be your first employee. But if you don't, you can easily get one online for free. [1]
    • There are services out there that will offer to get your EIN for you for a fee. Don't fall for this! They're all scams. You can quickly and easily get an EIN yourself for free using the Internet EIN application .
    • You'll typically use your EIN to register with your state as well, although some states do have separate state identification numbers. Your state's department of revenue will have more information. [2]
  2. Create a plan that details the specific work you want completed. Typically, freelancers are hired on a temporary basis to work on a particular project that you need completed. This could be anything from designing your website and setting up your business social media pages to handling shipping or customer service. [3]
    • Based on the work you need completed, decide whether you need local freelancers or freelancers located anywhere in the world. Their location will likely impact the price you offer.
  3. Estimate the total cost for the work you need done. Since many freelancers are also business owners, you'll likely need to pay them a little more than you would employees to get the job done. Set a fair price for the work you need completed. Generally, your price depends on how much experience you want your freelancers to have and where they'll be located. [4]
    • When you post your job on Upwork , the platform's AI shows you the typical pay range for projects like yours, so that can also help you if you're unsure about what you should pay. [5]
    • It's also helpful to have a realistic deadline for when you want the work done. This allows interested freelancers to budget their time and ensure they can take on your project.
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Section 2 of 3:

Posting on Upwork

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  1. Attract qualified candidates with a detailed description. Don't hide the ball with the description of your project! Write a detailed description that lays out exactly the work you need done and when you need it done by. Upwork's job posting platform will prompt you for different information about the project, but you'll need to include at least the following: [6]
    • Start and end dates for the project
    • A brief description of the work you want the freelancer to complete
    • Any applicable deadlines for completing the work
    • Your overall budget for the project
    • How you'll pay for the work (hourly or flat rate)
    EXPERT TIP

    Charbel Atala

    Talent Acquisition Strategist & Managing Partner
    Charbel Atala is a Talent Acquisition Strategist & Managing Partner at Talent Gurus, a game-changing retained search firm located in the heart of San Francisco, California. With a unique blend of over five years in talent acquisition and a solid 15-year background in corporate law, Charbel crafts performance-driven talent solutions that are tailored to each client's unique culture and needs.
    Charbel Atala
    Talent Acquisition Strategist & Managing Partner

    Be transparent in your employee selection criteria. Keep qualification requirements concise and clearly defined. Divide criteria into “essential” and “desirable” if that's helpful. Offer guidance and support to attract, not overwhelm, applicants.

  2. On Upwork’s Talent Marketplace , easily post your job listing and start getting proposals. Upwork is a great option for small businesses with a limited budget that need quality, highly-rated talent. Here’s how it works: you post your job listing to Upwork’s Talent Marketplace , then wait for the proposals to pour in. Upwork’s algorithm creates a shortlist of the best candidates for the job, saving you the hassle of sifting through lots of applicants. From there, you can check out candidate profiles, portfolios, and feedback before making your final decision.
    • For one-off projects, like logo design or website creation, try using Upwork’s Project Catalog . Just search for the type of project you’re hiring for, review candidate rates and ratings, and choose your favorite candidate.
    • You can sign up for Upwork [ https://www.upwork.com/nx/signup/?dest=home here .
  3. Create a new job posting from your client account dashboard. Your dashboard is the first page you see after you log in to your account. Choose "post a job" from the dropdown "jobs" menu to get started. Then, give your listing a title. [7]
    • Upwork will automatically suggest a job category based on your title. Check that category to make sure it's accurate—if it's not, you can change it.
    • Include the full project description you've already drafted, then double-check the post to make sure everything's correct and there aren't any typos. You're all set!
  4. Screening questions enable you to filter applicants. Upwork offers a number of suggested screening questions you can use, or you can feel free to create your own. These questions aren't required to post a job listing on Upwork, but they can help you create a shortlist of qualified candidates more quickly and easily. Suggested questions include: [8]
    • Any certifications related to your project
    • A link to the freelancer's portfolio or website
    • A description of the freelancer's experience with projects similar to yours
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Section 3 of 3:

Interviewing & Hiring

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  1. Conduct video interviews with selected candidates. Make a short list of candidates, then interview them. Brainstorm a list of questions you want to ask each candidate before the interviews, and have in mind the answer you want to hear to each of those questions. [9]
    • Allow the candidates to ask you questions throughout the interview and be prepared to give open and honest questions.
    • Tell each candidate a little about your business and your company values. Make them want to work for you!
  2. Choose the candidate with the skills and experience you need. Because you're hiring an independent contractor, expect this offer to be a negotiation. The candidate will tell you what they expect to be paid and how much time they need to complete the project. Typically there's a little back and forth until you arrive at terms that work for both of you. [10]
    • Remember that, unlike an employee, you don't have any control over how a freelancer does their work—they're in charge of all of that. All you get is the final product.
  3. Use the contract immediately generated by Upwork. Drafting contracts for freelancers can be quite a hassle, but Upwork makes it easy for you. As soon as you click the "hire" button, the platform automatically generates a contract based on the details in your job listing. This is yet another reason why it's important to have a detailed job listing. [11]
    • Read through the contract generated by the Upwork platform and make any necessary changes. Don't just sign it without being sure that it's 100% correct.
    • One advantage of hiring your freelancers through Upwork is that you don't have to worry about filing tax forms in the US (or in another country, if the freelancer you choose is based elsewhere). Upwork takes care of all the return filing for you. [12]
  4. Get together everything your contractor will need to get started. Have everything organized so that your new freelancer can hit the ground running on their first day. If the freelancer will need access to any accounts or internal networks, set up usernames and passwords for them so they have access to everything they need. [13]
    • You might also put together some documents that will help them do the work more easily. For example, if they're going to be creating ad copy, you might create a document with information about your company's voice.
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      References

      1. ↑ https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/how-to-apply-for-an-ein
      2. ↑ https://dor.wa.gov/manage-business/grow-business/hiring-employees
      3. ↑ https://www.bdc.ca/en/articles-tools/employees/recruit/recruiting-plans-small-businesses
      4. ↑ https://www.upwork.com/videos/how-to-create-a-budget-on-upwork-estimating-project-costs
      5. ↑ https://www.upwork.com/resources/how-to-post-job-on-upwork
      6. ↑ https://www.upwork.com/resources/how-to-hire-freelancers
      7. ↑ https://www.upwork.com/resources/how-to-post-job-on-upwork
      8. ↑ https://www.upwork.com/resources/how-to-post-job-on-upwork
      9. ↑ https://hbr.org/2015/01/how-to-conduct-an-effective-job-interview
      1. ↑ https://www.upwork.com/resources/how-to-hire-freelancers
      2. ↑ https://www.upwork.com/resources/how-to-hire-freelancers
      3. ↑ https://support.upwork.com/hc/en-us/articles/211067918-Tax-Requirements
      4. ↑ https://www.upwork.com/resources/how-to-hire-freelancers

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