When it comes to outsourcing elearning design or development the complexity of the overall project is reduced to a simple choice. Do you hire a freelancer or an agency?
But that simple choice has important ramifications for the project and for some projects can be the difference between success and failure. So how can an L&D teams make the right choice?
As a global online marketplace for elearning services, Jam Pan has helped deliver a wide range of outsourced elearning projects produced by agencies and freelancers. From this experience we have gleaned some important insights into when to use a freelancer and when to use an agency.
When to hire a Freelancer
To build capacity
L&D teams, like any other team or department in a business, plan their workflows according to business need. However, there are plenty of occasions when an unexpected project requires urgent attention. At this point, do you jeopardize other projects or build capacity to ensure that urgent project is delivered on time without negatively affecting the team’s other work? Freelancers enable you to build capacity quickly.
For speed
These urgent, unplanned requests from the business tend to need immediate attention. By accessing trusted freelancers you will be able to fill jobs within hours. Some freelance requests are filled in minutes on Jam Pan.
For smaller jobs
Freelancers are a great option for smaller jobs that require a fast turnaround. That might be a new module on a course or developing content from a subject matter expert. The key here is to know the limits of a freelance job.
For a fresh perspective
Freelancers are used to working across a variety of organisations and therefore have a broader perspective on how elearning could be designed and delivered. They are also free from approaching the project in the way an internal team member might be expected to do the job. That means they can challenge mindsets and ‘the way things are done around here’.
To quality assure the work
Freelance elearning designers tend to be very experienced and are therefore well placed to look at a brief and question how it will be rolled out and what the success criteria will look like. Savvy L&D teams will involve freelancers in this evaluation of the work to ensure the brief is a success.
To support the learning design process
Finally, freelancers should be seen as playing a part in a process. They are not managing the process, simply fulfilling their role. This is important because it helps L&D teams focus on the role of the freelancer in the process of designing and delivering elearning. This typically involves them in developing content.
When to hire an Agency
The job needs project management
Once a project involves more than three subject matter experts it requires project management. At this point you should look to an agency to manage the work as it can bring in the design and development skills as well as project management skills.
The job is complex
Bigger elearning projects require a mix of skills which can be delivered by an agency. These jobs become a process in themselves and therefore require management, both on the agency side and the client side.
The job is likely to grow
Bigger elearning projects can grow as internal stakeholders start to see successes and that the agency approach is working. This can lead to projects becoming bigger as they develop. Agencies are better placed to fulfill these projects as they have the capacity and project management skills.
They are the only people who can do the job
Some elearning jobs don’t require an elearning solution at all. They may require an app or an animated film or a virtual reality experience. These specialist skills tend to be delivered by bespoke agencies.
The decision to hire a freelancer or agency requires a lot of thinking through and there are benefits to both.
However, our experience shows that despite the fact a freelancer might be the best option, organisations are not set up to use them effectively.
There are a couple of reasons for this. First, the freelance market is very fast-paced which means someone could be available in the morning but hired by the end of the day. So, you need to be in a position to hire someone and that means having a good brief that outlines the job, the timescales and the fee. This is the basis upon which a freelancer can make a decision to do the work or not.
The second reason is payment. Many organisations have payment terms that preclude freelancers from pitching for the work – 90-day payment, for example. Some organisations pay on completion of the project, which means a freelancer could wait for months before they are paid. In order for freelancers to consider working for you, you will need freelance friendly payment terms such as 30 days.
Currently, the jobs won on Jam Pan show that there is increasing interest in hiring freelancers. However, organisations must work harder to make their projects more attractive to them.
Agencies continue to win larger-scale, more complex work but the message from our data is that there is a bulk of quick-turnaround elearning work that is well suited to freelancers. The challenge for organisations is to know when to use them and how to be ready to use them.
About Jam Pan
Jam Pan is a global On-Demand eLearning Services Platform founded by David Wood in 2014. Jam Pan connects expert freelancers and agencies from around the world with businesses that need them.
Platforms like Jam Pan are transforming how business services are purchased. In finance, marketing, technology, HR and right across business, marketplaces offer customers greater choice, ease of buying, lower prices, faster delivery, more customer-focused terms and greater purchase security. http://www.jam-pan.com
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