How Successful Product Managers Build Amazing Freelance Teams

As a product manager, you have a talent for leading teams of individuals with varied talents toward a unified goal. It takes more than one person to research the market, launch a product, and promote it to the widest audience possible. Finding the right professionals for the job can be a challenge in itself, but the advancement in technology allows you to broaden your search beyond the confines of your office and the surrounding area. Learning how to oversee team members around the world should be part of your ongoing Spice Catalyst product management training. With the right knowledge at your fingertips, you will be empowered to build an amazing team of freelancers all over the world.

Find the Right Freelancers

Recruiting talented workers into your team is the first step, but it’s also the largest hurdle in your product management workflow. With any luck, you can tap into your extended network of professional contacts to find trusted freelancers that are perfect for your project.

As another option, consider browsing online job boards. You can narrow down your search for prospective candidates based on reviews, delivery times, and cost. You might even consider hiring an agency that can efficiently source your work to their in-house professionals. For example, an agency that specializes in direct marketing can give you a quick turnaround on new material you can use to revamp your marketing efforts.

Know Which Roles to Fill 

You might have a few quality leads on where to find freelancers for your new team, but there remains a question of which roles are suitable for remote workers. While many of your team members will be able to submit their work digitally, other employees may require direct physical access to you or the product you are marketing in order to better accomplish their tasks.

Graphic designers can typically create beautiful imagery with little more than the software on their home computer and a few directives from you as their client. Copywriters can also complete their work from anywhere in the world, providing captivating written content that will inspire audiences to try your latest product. You might also recruit a remote market analyst who can provide valuable insight into trends and patterns that you can use when planning your launch window.

Prioritize Effective Communication

Communication is never more important nor more difficult than when you are working with many remote freelancers. It is important to provide a platform for sharing progress and keeping all team members on the same page.

One survey shows that at least 43% of employees use instant messaging at work, and that number is sure to increase as workflow applications continue to streamline the communication process for users. When starting a remote team for the first time, seek feedback from your freelancers as to which communication platform can satisfy everyone’s needs.

Understand the Payment Process

When it comes time to pay your freelancers, you might think it’s as simple as using one of the ubiquitous payment processing systems on the market. The process can become slightly complicated when working with international freelancers, however.

Be aware that payments might experience delays as the involved financial institutions perform currency conversions before your worker can perform a withdrawal. If it becomes necessary to mitigate delays, you might have to pay your team members in their native currencies.

Opening up your team to remote workers will vastly expand your company’s prospects. There is talent to be found all across the world, and your product management workflow can only benefit from tapping into that global potential.