{"id":148010,"date":"2022-10-13T01:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-10-13T06:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/?p=148010"},"modified":"2023-01-17T13:47:58","modified_gmt":"2023-01-17T18:47:58","slug":"hiring-freelance-writers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/hiring-freelance-writers\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Hire Freelance Writers in 5 Steps (Ahrefs\u2019 Process)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"intro-txt\">If you\u2019ve ever tried to hire freelance writers, you probably ended up with thousands of applications.<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>This usually leads to you asking yourself two questions:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>How do I choose the best&nbsp;ones?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>How will I even have time to filter through that many applications?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>In this post, you\u2019ll learn how we set up a process to answer these questions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"intro-tok\" id=\"intro_tok\" style=\"display:none;\"><div class=\"intro-title\">Contents<\/div><a href=\"#\" class=\"expand-dots\"><span><\/span><span><\/span><span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"Step 1. Create an application form\" data-section=\"1-application\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Step 1. Create an application form<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Most job listings tell applicants to email the hiring manager their cover letter and resume. That works well when looking for full-time hires but not for freelance positions because they often attract hundreds or thousands of applicants.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There\u2019s just no way you can review that many resumes without losing it. As a result, suitable applicants often slip through the net and you miss out on great writers.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One way to solve this problem is to have all applicants apply through a Google Form.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here are two reasons why this makes&nbsp;sense:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>It helps you vet applicants fast and efficiently<\/strong> \u2013 Google Forms funnels applicants into a Google Sheet, so you can review all applicants there instead of sifting through emails.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>It allows you to test writers\u2019 skills and knowledge at scale <\/strong>\u2013 You can easily ask questions designed to judge applicants\u2019 knowledge, skills, and experience with the topic at&nbsp;hand.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>In terms of what you should ask applicants, I recommend a mix of multiple-choice questions and ones with short answers. Multiple-choice questions help gauge knowledge and experience, whereas \u201cshort answer\u201d questions allow you to judge writing ability.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here\u2019s one of our multiple-choice questions:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1161\" height=\"505\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/1-multiple-choice-question.png\" alt=\"Example of a multiple-choice question in our application process\" class=\"wp-image-148018\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/1-multiple-choice-question.png 1161w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/1-multiple-choice-question-680x296.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/1-multiple-choice-question-768x334.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1161px) 100vw, 1161px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The answer to this question is something that we expect most experienced SEOs to know. But it may trip up those with less experience.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"sidenote\"><div class=\"sidenote-title\">Sidenote.<\/div> There\u2019s still a bit of \u201cit depends\u201d with this question. But generally speaking, there\u2019s a clear and correct answer that I think most knowledgeable SEOs will choose.<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Here\u2019s an example of a \u201cshort answer\u201d question:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1050\" height=\"214\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/2-short-answer-question.png\" alt=\"Example of a &quot;short answer&quot; question in our application process\" class=\"wp-image-148019\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/2-short-answer-question.png 1050w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/2-short-answer-question-680x139.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/2-short-answer-question-768x157.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1050px) 100vw, 1050px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>We designed this question to help us judge the applicant\u2019s ability to explain things succinctly and accurately.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re curious about our application form, <a href=\"https:\/\/docs.google.com\/forms\/d\/1Dzgk1-hZGlsKNga38Vn9Ue392X57YaLgd-sRq82mFrY\/edit\">here it is<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Only a handful of these questions are for vetting purposes; the rest are to get basic details like their names, email addresses, Twitter handles, etc. It\u2019s essential to ask for these details, as it\u2019s the only way to get them when applicants aren\u2019t applying by&nbsp;email.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"Step 2. Post your job\" data-section=\"2-job-post\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Step 2. Post your&nbsp;job<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>You now need to attract candidates to your application form, which you can do by creating a job listing and posting everywhere you&nbsp;can.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here are the four things you need to explain:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>What you\u2019re looking for <\/strong>\u2013 Keep it short. Tell applicants what the position entails.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>What skills you require <\/strong>\u2013 List everything you expect in applicants.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Who you are <\/strong>\u2013 Give some details about your company. (Keep it short; don\u2019t bore people.)&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>How to apply <\/strong>\u2013 Send people to your application form.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>There are plenty of job boards where you can submit your listing. We posted to <a href=\"https:\/\/problogger.com\/jobs\/\">ProBlogger<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/jobs.swipefiles.com\/\">Swipe Files Job Board<\/a> (prev. Hey Marketers), <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/jobs\">our careers page<\/a>, and a few others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"957\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/3-job-board.jpg\" alt=\"One of the job boards we posted on\" class=\"wp-image-148020\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/3-job-board.jpg 1999w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/3-job-board-680x326.jpg 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/3-job-board-768x368.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/3-job-board-1536x735.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>We also posted in a few Slack and Facebook groups.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Given that every applicant goes through the same process, the more places you can post your job listing, the better.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"Step 3. Vet applicants\" data-section=\"3-vetting\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Step 3. Vet applicants<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Every aspect of the vetting process takes place in the Google Sheet. This makes life super easy, as everything is in one place. I recommend splitting the process into automated and manual vetting to make things as quick and efficient as possible.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Automated vetting<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Here, the idea is to disqualify applicants who don\u2019t fit the bill, give a preliminary score to the remaining ones, and clean up the sheet to make manual vetting as quick as possible. Here\u2019s how to do it in three&nbsp;steps.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A. Disqualify<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>There\u2019s no point wasting time reviewing applications from folks who can\u2019t follow basic rules or don\u2019t meet basic criteria. So it pays to disqualify them automatically. The beauty of Google Sheets is that you can do this easily with filters and formulas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You\u2019ll recall that we asked all applicants to define two terms in under 50 words. As we wanted to disqualify those who exceeded the allowed word count, we added two additional columns with formulas to count the number of words in each definition.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/4-response-formulas.png\" alt=\"Columns calculating the word count of &quot;short answer&quot; responses\" class=\"wp-image-148021\" width=\"498\" height=\"465\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/4-response-formulas.png 996w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/4-response-formulas-455x425.png 455w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/4-response-formulas-768x717.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 498px) 100vw, 498px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Then we filtered to exclude rows where the definitions were above 50&nbsp;words.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/5-filtering-responses.png\" alt=\"Filtering out short answers that exceed the specified word count\" class=\"wp-image-148022\" width=\"593\" height=\"413\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/5-filtering-responses.png 1186w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/5-filtering-responses-610x425.png 610w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/5-filtering-responses-768x535.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 593px) 100vw, 593px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>We then filtered for a few more criteria:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Rate per 1,000 words<\/strong> \u2013 We excluded anyone who didn\u2019t put 10\u20131,000. (This was primarily to exclude applicants who couldn\u2019t follow instructions and gave a price per&nbsp;word.)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Years of experience in SEO <\/strong>\u2013 We excluded anyone with \u201c&lt;1\u201d year of experience.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Have you ever used Ahrefs before? <\/strong>\u2013 We excluded those who answered \u201cno.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">B. Score<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Next, you want to give each applicant a preliminary score to get a better sense of their knowledge and experience at a glance.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To do this, we created a formula that checked their answers to our multiple-choice questions, their Ahrefs experience, and whether they still had an active Ahrefs subscription. The result was a score between 0 and&nbsp;5.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/6-applicant-score.png\" alt=\"Preliminary applicant score in Google Sheets\" class=\"wp-image-148024\" width=\"443\" height=\"466\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/6-applicant-score.png 886w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/6-applicant-score-404x425.png 404w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/6-applicant-score-768x808.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 443px) 100vw, 443px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">C. Simplify<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Even with the filters and scores in place, your sheet will be overwhelming because it contains so much data. So it\u2019s worth hiding columns you don\u2019t need for the vetting process, such as applicants\u2019 names and email addresses. This also helps to eliminate potential biases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For us, we added conditional formatting to our preliminary score to make eyeballing the quality of each applicant easier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here\u2019s what we ended up&nbsp;with:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1164\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/7-applicant-sheet.jpg\" alt=\"Final applicant sheet\" class=\"wp-image-148025\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/7-applicant-sheet.jpg 1999w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/7-applicant-sheet-680x396.jpg 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/7-applicant-sheet-768x447.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/7-applicant-sheet-1536x894.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Manual vetting<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>We skimmed applicants\u2019 preliminary scores and definitions to decide whether they should progress to the next stage of the process. Each applicant took no more than a few seconds, allowing us to vet over 100 applicants per&nbsp;hour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, it only took a second to decide not to continue with this applicant because they defined SEM rather than&nbsp;SEO.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"822\" height=\"142\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/8-bad-definition.png\" alt=\"Example of a not-so-good definition from an applicant\" class=\"wp-image-148026\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/8-bad-definition.png 822w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/8-bad-definition-680x117.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/8-bad-definition-768x133.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 822px) 100vw, 822px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>For the applicant below, on the other hand, we could tell pretty quickly that it\u2019d be worth giving them a shot. Both of their definitions were accurate and well written, and they scored well on our multiple-choice questions:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1868\" height=\"214\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/9-example-applicant.png\" alt=\"Example of a good applicant\" class=\"wp-image-148027\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/9-example-applicant.png 1868w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/9-example-applicant-680x78.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/9-example-applicant-768x88.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/9-example-applicant-1536x176.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1868px) 100vw, 1868px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>To track our decision for each applicant, we added one final column:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/10-decision.png\" alt=\"Decision column for the applicants\" class=\"wp-image-148028\" width=\"382\" height=\"303\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/10-decision.png 764w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/10-decision-536x425.png 536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 382px) 100vw, 382px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"Step 4. Test applicants\" data-section=\"4-vetting\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Step 4. Test applicants<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Most people test writers by having them write a test article from a content brief. We do the same but don\u2019t send unique briefs to each applicant. We send them all the same&nbsp;brief.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here are three reasons why we recommend this:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>It\u2019s easier to grade their work <\/strong>\u2013 You can create a checklist to score writers on the same criteria.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>It\u2019s quicker <\/strong>\u2013<strong> <\/strong>You don\u2019t have to create a new content brief for each writer.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>It can be automated<\/strong> \u2013 You can set up systems to send the brief to writers when they hit this&nbsp;stage.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>Let\u2019s look at how to ensure tests run smoothly and efficiently.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A. Explain the deal and get their details<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>For applicants who pass our initial vetting process, we need to explain the deal for the test article and get their details. We created a template in Gmail for&nbsp;this.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It explains that&nbsp;we:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Want to offer them a paid test article.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Pay a flat fee per test article (and how&nbsp;much).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Send the same brief to every applicant and that their article won\u2019t be published.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Own all the work they produce for&nbsp;us.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Pay invoices at the end of the&nbsp;month.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1136\" height=\"852\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/11-deal-email.png\" alt=\"Email we sent to approved applicants\n\" class=\"wp-image-148030\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/11-deal-email.png 1136w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/11-deal-email-567x425.png 567w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/11-deal-email-768x576.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1136px) 100vw, 1136px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>That may seem like information overload, but it\u2019s best to make sure everyone\u2019s on the same page from the beginning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Our email ends with a link to a Google Form asking for their invoice email address (this is often different from the one they use daily) and how they want to be&nbsp;paid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1122\" height=\"224\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/12-instructions-form-link.png\" alt=\"Link to the next part of the process in the email we sent to applicants\n\" class=\"wp-image-148031\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/12-instructions-form-link.png 1122w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/12-instructions-form-link-680x136.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/12-instructions-form-link-768x153.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1122px) 100vw, 1122px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">B. Send the content brief for the&nbsp;test<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>We show a confirmation message when an applicant submits the Google Form in the previous step. It links them to a Google Doc with the content brief for the test article.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/13-content-brief-link.png\" alt=\"Link to the test job at the end of our Google Form\n\" class=\"wp-image-148033\" width=\"509\" height=\"216\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/13-content-brief-link.png 1018w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/13-content-brief-link-680x289.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/13-content-brief-link-768x326.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 509px) 100vw, 509px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Here\u2019s what that looks&nbsp;like:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1628\" height=\"1994\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/14-content-brief.png\" alt=\"Our content brief for writers\n\" class=\"wp-image-148034\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/14-content-brief.png 1628w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/14-content-brief-347x425.png 347w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/14-content-brief-768x941.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/14-content-brief-1254x1536.png 1254w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1628px) 100vw, 1628px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The document also contains instructions that tell the applicant to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Make a copy of the document.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Write as much or as little as they like (no word count quotas).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Email us the test article and invoice us when they\u2019re done.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Read our content guidelines before they start writing.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>I recommend everyone create content guidelines when working with freelance writers. We link to ours in the doc. It explains what we expect regarding style and content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here are a couple of excerpts:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1564\" height=\"876\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/15-style-guidelines.png\" alt=\"Excerpt from our style guidelines\n\" class=\"wp-image-148035\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/15-style-guidelines.png 1564w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/15-style-guidelines-680x381.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/15-style-guidelines-768x430.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/15-style-guidelines-1536x860.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1564px) 100vw, 1564px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1598\" height=\"854\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/16-style-guidelines-2.png\" alt=\"Excerpt from our style guidelines\n\" class=\"wp-image-148037\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/16-style-guidelines-2.png 1598w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/16-style-guidelines-2-680x363.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/16-style-guidelines-2-768x410.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/16-style-guidelines-2-1536x821.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1598px) 100vw, 1598px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">C. Review their content<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Given that you\u2019ll be testing a few writers, you need a fair and consistent way to judge their relative quality. For this, we created a checklist to review and score their efforts quickly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here\u2019s an excerpt from our checklist:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1382\" height=\"588\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/17-content-checklist.png\" alt=\"Our content checklist for vetting submissions\n\" class=\"wp-image-148038\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/17-content-checklist.png 1382w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/17-content-checklist-680x289.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/17-content-checklist-768x327.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1382px) 100vw, 1382px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>You can see that we check the article as a whole for a few basics, then review each section in more&nbsp;depth.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, here are a few of our criteria for the definition:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Is it written in the correct format (according to our guidelines)?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Is it accurate?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Is it well written?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>In total, there are 30 things on our checklist. Each one equals one point, so we score each applicant out of&nbsp;30.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"Step 5. Hire applicants\" data-section=\"5-hiring\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Step 5. Hire applicants<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Hiring is the easy part. If an applicant scores well on their test article, we assign them an actual one to write. If that goes well, we give them&nbsp;more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here are a few things to look out for when working with freelancers:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Quality deterioration<\/strong> \u2013 Freelancers can sometimes get lazy or even begin subcontracting work. Both of these things lead to a reduction in quality.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Reliability issues<\/strong> \u2013 Life occasionally gets in the way for everyone but watch out for consistent unreliability.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Communication issues<\/strong> \u2013 For whatever reason, disappearing off the face of the earth is surprisingly common.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Don\u2019t hesitate to drop writers if you face these issues. Continuing to work with them will suck your time and energy.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>By that same token, when you come across reliable freelancers who consistently produce high-quality work, treat them well. Great writers are worth their weight in gold, so keep giving them work and review their rates periodically.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Final thoughts<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Hiring freelance writers is easy when you have a system in place. You can even automate many of the steps with tools like Zapier.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, we have zaps for outline requests, logging details, and sending payment requests to our office manager.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1582\" height=\"756\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/18-zapier-automation.png\" alt=\"How we automated our freelance application process with Zapier\n\" class=\"wp-image-148039\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/18-zapier-automation.png 1582w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/18-zapier-automation-680x325.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/18-zapier-automation-768x367.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/18-zapier-automation-1536x734.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1582px) 100vw, 1582px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Got questions? Ping me <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/joshuachardwick?lang=en\">on Twitter<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This usually leads to you asking yourself two questions:&nbsp; In this post, you\u2019ll learn how we set up a process to answer these questions. Most job listings tell applicants to email the hiring manager their cover letter and resume. That<span class=\"ellipsis\">\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"read-more\">Read more \u203a<\/div>\n<p><!-- end of .read-more --><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":114,"featured_media":148042,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wp_typography_post_enhancements_disabled":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[335],"tags":[],"coauthors":[336],"class_list":["post-148010","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-general-seo","odd"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>How to Hire Freelance Writers in 5 Steps (Ahrefs&#039; Process)<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Learn how to use the freelance funnel to vet thousands of writer applications and find the best ones.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, 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