5 Common Mistakes When Hiring Freelancers in Bali

There are many freelancers available for hire in Bali such as content creators, virtual assistants, developers, and more. When you hire freelancers, you can work alongside professionals who have skills and expertise that you don’t need on a full-time basis. 

Independent contractors may not be full-time members of your team but there are still many aspects to keep in mind to make sure the cooperation goes smoothly. Read below the common mistakes that can ruin your experience when hiring freelancers in Bali.

5 common mistakes when hiring freelancers in Bali

#1 Skipping background checks when hiring freelancers in Bali

The foremost step you should not miss when hiring freelancers in Bali is a background check. A background check is more than reading the freelancers’ profile on a marketplace.

Checking their identity, social media platforms and criminal records are some of the vital screenings you will need to do. It all can ensure you that the freelancers are legit and will not be a liability when working for your business.

Another way to check your candidates is by contacting their past clients. This way, you can verify that the freelancers have not had any issues in their previous works.

#2 Disregarding the hiring formalities

These days, it can be hard to know whom you can trust. Trusting your gut feeling when hiring freelancers in Bali is not a bad thing.

Yet, it can be detrimental for your business if you only rely on trust. There must be a clear level of trust. That is why we always recommend having clear contracts and agreements when doing business.

Yes, even when hiring a freelancer in Bali. A freelance contract must be mutually signed by you and the freelancer with the following details: 

• Terms and conditions
• Project scope and deadline
• Pricing and payment terms
• Changes and revisions
• Copyright
• Non-disclosure
• Termination or cancellation terms

Such formalities can protect you and your business, avoid risks, and resolve issues. Moreover, they are beneficial in cases when you want to end the contract or when the freelancers steal clients or leak your data.

#3 Lacking communication with freelancers

Don’t neglect your freelancers after giving them the initial brief. Keeping a good communication line can prove that your freelancers are on track with the project. And any miscommunication can lead to bad project outcomes or no outcome at all.

Send thorough and concise briefs, clarify the end goal, and give feedback on their progress reports. These not only help the freelancers tackle their challenges and be on the same page as you are.

But, good communication can also help the freelancers provide you with a job well done. Thus, building a better bond with them for your future projects in Bali.

Also, Indonesians prefer to have gratitude and avoid conflict when working. Learning words of appreciation in Indonesian or Balinese language such as ”terima kasih” or ”suksma” can improve the bond.

#4 Expecting too much when hiring freelancers in Bali

As their job title, freelancers are free to work for anyone else while working for you. And in most cases, freelancers have many clients and they leave you after completing a project.

It is a mistake to expect the hired freelancers in Bali to exclusively work for your project. That is unless you have stated so in a binding contract.

Moreover, the total cost of hiring freelancers can be less expensive than hiring employees. Hence, expecting them to have the same dedication for your business and commitment after a finished project is a mistake.

#5 Not paying your freelancers on time

If you have a history of missing payments to freelancers, odds are, they will refuse to work for you again.

The worst-case scenario of missing payments is getting sued for it. Besides paying for their service, you will also need to pay for late interests, attorney fees, and settlement fees. But, it is not only about the money.

Bali is community-based. A simple word of mouth can lead to you and your business getting a bad reputation. The freelancing communities will blacklist you. And your clients may not want to be involved in your reputational damage, and end any partnership with you.

Avoid mistakes by using employer of record service to hire freelancers in Bali

An employer of record helps you to hire freelancers as employees in contract with the service provider. So, it will not be necessary for you to have a legal entity in Bali to hire freelancers.

The following EoR services provided by Emerhub can be a way to mitigate mistakes when hiring freelancers in Bali.

Employment contracts and agreements

Contracts and agreements keep professionalism in check when working with freelancers. Based on your requirements and needs, Emerhub can provide professionally structured drafts. And collect the freelancers’ documents for you.

HR support

Emerhub’s HR support can help build a good working relationship with freelancers. We can answer the freelancers’ and your inquiries and concerns. Thus, you can easily navigate through if there are any cultural differences.

One invoicing

Emerhub can manage the payroll of all your freelancers and send it to you as one invoice. By having one invoice, you will not miss any payments to your freelancers.

In addition, the experts at Emerhub can provide background checks of freelancers if needed. Contact us at emerhub@bali.com or fill in the form below for more information on our employer of record service.