Basic Freelancer Interview Preparation Guide

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Clients are interested in freelancers who have a work process that is both effective and efficient. Without a process, it is easy for clients to assume that a freelancer is unorganized and will not meet the needs of the project. Define your work processes as best you can to the potential client, and let them know you are confident enough to make decisions but also understand when questions need to be asked.

This interview question demonstrates your willingness to stay sharp. Are you up on the latest technologies? Hiring managers are looking to gauge how strategically you approach your work as well as whether the company can support your equipment needs.

For the most part, the client knows what the benefit is. However, they want to see if you know and if you can meet the project demands. Tell them truthfully what the benefits are and show them how you can make each one a reality.

This is a fun question because it can throw freelancers for a loop and make them really think about what to say. The way that other people describe you also says a lot about you. Most freelancers will have an idea of what people would say about them based on their own self-awareness of their behavior at work.

If you can, call or email the freelancer's list of references to see if what they say about the freelancer matches up with the freelancer's response to this question.

Managers want to know that you're up on industry trends and that you draw inspiration from multiple sources. In addition to trade publications that focus on your area, don't forget to mention any creativity-oriented websites, blogs and social media accounts you follow.

Be honest and provide positive examples of how you work with others. With this question, it would be useful to have a few recommendations from prior clients or other freelancers you have worked with in the past.

If a client is asking if you can meet the deadline, the project is probably pretty time sensitive. Answer clearly with a "yes" or a "no," and provide reasons as to why you can or cannot meet the deadline.

This is a necessary question because all freelancers charge differently and utilize different pricing structures. You need to know if revisions or changes to the project will require additional payment if the project is a fixed price job. You also need to be aware of how hourly pricing will work if the job is going to be billed hourly. Discussing the approximate costs for projects and expectations on pricing from both sides can lead to a more harmonious working relationship.

Always be prepared with a portfolio of your best and most relevant work for each specific project. When you show the work samples, consider providing additional ideas of how you could do something differently that would be better suited for the project.

Before you ask for references, get a sense of the relationships that haven't worked out for a freelancer. Try to not judge if a client wasn't seeing the results they wanted, as you never know what their expectations were like. Instead, look for how the freelancer explains the situation and if they learned any lessons from. Look for someone who's always able to take a lesson or action item from an experience.

Hiring managers want to know that you have done your research and are familiar with their work - and that you have an educated opinion. Share your honest thoughts clearly, tactfully and succinctly.

You're not looking for specific tools here, but rather how the freelancer sets KPIs - how they determine what's most important to measure when working on a project. The best answer is going to say something like "it depends on your goals, but in the past I have…" and then they break into specific examples of KPIs determined, how they set benchmarks and how they measured against them.

In addition to revealing your approach to creative work, your answer can show how you view yourself, how you think others perceive you and where you think you fit within an organization. How you describe your style - quirky, clean, bold - also can help hiring managers determine if your design aesthetic will complement (or clash with) the company's branding.

If the answer is "no," then perhaps it would be better to part ways sooner rather than later. However, if you know that you can perform well on the project, tell them how and give specific examples of how you have performed on similar projects in the past.

As a freelancer is walking you through specific clients, campaigns or projects they've worked on, ask them to share specific results achieved.

It's one thing to say you worked on a Coca-Cola campaign, thousands of people worked on that campaign. Ask what they did, how they specifically moved the meter. Get them to dig into their experience. Their responses will help determine if they can really achieve the results you're looking for.

When you hire a freelancer, you are hiring someone who works on an as-needed basis for a number of clients. It is unlikely that you will be the freelancer's only employer and it is wise to make sure that the freelancer has enough time for your project. If the freelancer wavers while answering this question or is unable to commit to the timeline then you may want to look elsewhere.

With that said, you may find that the top tier freelancers are booked several months in advance. If your deadline can be extended or is not written in stone, then you should consider these freelancers. This is especially true for projects that require freelancers with more than a decade of experience.

Everyone has a different approach to getting work done, particularly when you aren't working face-to-face. Are your priorities in sync?

☛ Things to listen for: Communication style. Does their response reflect an understanding of remote work? For example, collaboration, good communication, and accountability can be critical in any freelancer-client relationship. How do they manage these challenges?

☛ Follow-up question: "What tools do you use to manage your work?" There are many different tools available and you'll want to rely on your freelancer to determine and provide the tools needed to get your work done efficiently

This question is an excellent question because it allows freelancers to share their most valuable skills, but in relation to the scope of your project. Freelancers should be able to describe how they can help you and your project succeed through their skill set.

We like this question because it gives you an opportunity to differentiate between candidates and to see whether or not the freelancer understands what it is that you need in the project. In some cases, you may even learn about new skills that you did not know the freelancer possessed. Ask the freelancer to describe the skills and to detail why those skills would be useful throughout the project.

You're going to be working with this person for a given amount of time, so you should enjoy working with them. Having common or complementary interests make this easier. Get to know what makes your freelancer happy, what they enjoy doing and how they spend their time outside of work. You'll want to hire someone who has a healthy sense of work-life balance so that they don't burnout and have to quit.

This question is less about specific tasks and more about how they approach and prioritize the work.

☛ Things to listen for: Organization and consistency. Their response should reflect your earlier discussion including their project management skills, understanding of your project, and ability to prioritize.

☛ Follow-up question: "Given your understanding of the project, are there any potential problems we might run into and how would you address them?"

This question will help you understand how the freelancer works and how you can help the freelancer excel on your project. Pay attention to what the freelancer liked about the project and the style of working. If you can mimic the working environment and add the same sensibility or creativity to your own project, then you are more likely to receive the freelancer's best work.

To follow up, ask the freelancer what they might have changed if they were given more time or if they were able to revisit the project? It is always interesting to see what a freelancer might have done differently on a project whose outcome they already love.

Many employers believe that people who are passionate about interests outside the office typically perform better on the job. Hiring managers want to know what drives you - whether it's mentoring kids or making cootie catchers. Who knows, maybe you'll have a hobby or interest in common.

If your project is time sensitive this should be one of the first questions to ask. Remember you're trying to weed out every candidate who isn't a good fit. If you know you need a website done by next month then be clear about that.

And if the prospect answers this with, "Maybe" ask them to please tell you, "Yes" or "No." Maybe doesn't cut it. And you don't want to maybe count on this guy to screw up your project. It's pretty simple… "'Yes I can meet the deadline" or "No, I can't."

Also remember to be clear about time of day you expect it delivered and which time zone you're in. If your freelancer is in Portland, OR and you live in London that's an eight hour difference. So end of business day Thursday in London would be 5:00am in Portland.

A side note here: the good freelancers are typically booked out at least one month. So if you're looking for quality work I'd giving yourself plenty of time to find a good freelancer. The freelancer who has nothing scheduled for the next week makes me wonder, "Why not?"

► What is the purpose of this project?
► What sort of background do you expect a freelancer working on this project to have?
► How technical is this project?
► Describe how you envision the finished project?
► How many (words/pages/screens) are needed? (Modify this question for your own specific field.)
► What are the specific project instructions?
► Do your customers have any special requirements or needs to be met by this project?
► Can you show me an example something like what you have in mind?
► Who will be my contact for this project?
► How available are you (or the contact) to answer questions during the course of the project?
► If necessary, will I have access to (your website/company-specific information/etc.)? (Choose one.)
► Is it necessary to have any special (equipment/software) to complete this project? (Choose one.)
► Do you envision any potential problems with this project?

► What is most important to you, quality or speed?
► How often do you want updates on my progress?
► Do you hire freelancers very often?
► Is your preferred work process structured, or unstructured?
► If necessary, would it be okay if I used subcontractors or outsourced parts of the project?