A Training Precaution: The Risks of Low Costs Freelancers

No one will deny that being a one-person training department can be challenging. There is always a growing list of requests and maybe a limited budget. You may decide to outsource instructional design work if you can fit it in your budget. Outsourcing some of your work can be extremely valuable. Hiring an outside freelancer MAY reduce your work. Notice my use of the word,"may." You may encounter times when utilizing freelancers creates more work for yourself. Allow me to share one of my experiences.

One my positions required me to develop over fifty courses, both classroom-based courses and eLearning modules. This would take forever to complete considering I oversaw the learning management system, third-party training providers, and our eLearning library. I did some research online and discovered several freelance networks. Essentially, these websites act as the contractor for the freelancer. You merely put your project on the website and wait for several bids. You can also search their directory of freelancers.

I thought I found the jackpot. There were many freelancers outside of the US that would do the work at a fraction of the cost. How could I say know? I made sure to interview the freelancers and required them to share some work samples. Many of them were not qualified but I managed to find one candidate. I hired him and began working on the project.

It was a disaster.

Here are some of the issues I experienced:

• The freelancer did not ask any questions during the task analysis with the SME. I had to probe the SME for specific details to ensure the freelancer received the necessary information. I provided feedback but the trend continued.

• The freelancer's activities were boring and uneventful. I explained that our employees want interactive training. He seemed to understand how adults learn in the interview. However, his activities were lackluster and typically not related to the topic.

• He copied my work from the previous project without updating details. I asked the freelancer to use our design templates. I reviewed his first deliverable and noticed something odd. He literally took the introduction from the template. He copied and pasted it into his new document. The introduction included tons of information that did not relate to the new topic. Instead, it referenced the topic discussed in the template.

• I spent hours modifying his work. I provided feedback in the first review sessions and asked him to make revisions. The freelancer delivered a second version of the training without incorporating the edits. In addition, there were many typos and grammar mistakes. I would expect some given English was his second language. Sadly, I found myself rewriting entire sections of training. 

I quickly ended this project and finished development myself. My SME was happy with the final product but I was embarrassed about this experience. 

You may be thinking,"Ian, that was one person. There may be another freelancer who does great work." Let me tell you, I spent hours trying to find an instructional designer at a low cost. I will say you get what you pay for.

Here is my advice if you decide to utilize a freelancer outside of the United States:

• Ask for one or two references who you can contact. Obviously, you are going to ask for work samples. Take it one step further. t. They freelancer may have reviews on the website but you don't know the scope of their work. They could have been tasked with reformatting documents. There is also a risk that they may use work completed by someone else.

• Consider using a writing proficiency assessment. I would not recommend administering this yourself. It can be time-consuming. There are many providers who can conduct this assessment online. Just be sure to check the terms and conditions of the website you are utilizing. They may not allow the use of such tools. 
• Review the work more often than normal. Save yourself time by reviewing pages as they are finished. You will find red flags earlier and reduce costs if the work is not up to your standards.

• Do not permit the freelancer to track time manually. The website I used took random screenshots of the freelancer's screen. I was able to see how he spent his time and the work he was doing. I allowed my freelancer to charge time off-line, meaning without screenshots. There were over 20-25 hours of offline work. The freelancer had nothing to show for these hours. I felt like the freelancer was charging me the time when he was not working. Ask your freelancer to do all work on the computer, even if it is brainstorming. Inform them that visibility is critical to the project. 

• Pay more than you plan. Think about how much you want to pay per hour. Add at least $10 to that hourly rate. You will increase your chances of finding valuable employees.

I am not trying to deter anyone from outsourcing. Instead, I am sharing my story to make you aware. Outsourcing can be beneficial but costly. It is important to maximize use of your funds.