Dealing with outsourcered workers

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So awhile ago i put up a job on a freelance site to get some research work outsourced for me. A guy responded to me and I was emailing a guy back and forth the type of work i was interested in. I went in good detail about the work but never hired him or told him to start the work for me. A few days later he emails me saying that he started working on it. Mind you I never told him to start or hired him. I am kind of upset about this. Is he just being really pushy or is this normal when dealing with people on these freelance sites
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  • Hi there.

    Can I ask you something.

    Why did you not hire this person? and yet discuss the details of the job?

    Where is he from?

    MAYBE, he thought that since you discuss the job in details to this person, he might be in the impression that you are wanting him to do the job. Again, its a MAYBE.

    As I see it, it just boils down to the most important thing in outsourcing, COMMUNICATION. Making yourself heard, making yourself understood; that is leaving no questions unanswered.

    Don't feel upset, just get over it and find another person to do the job. This is a learning experience for you, and also (hopefully) for that freelancer to learn from this incident.

    There are great freelancers out there, I'm sure if you will look more, you'll see them.

    Chris
    • [ 3 ] Thanks
    • [2] replies

    • The guy is from India. I discussed the details of the job with him because i wanted to see how capable he was with the tasks required with the job. I dont see where i lead him on. Back in the day when i was looking for a 9 to 5 and going on interviews. companies would describe in detail the job, show me tours of the place, and even treat me to meals. Only to find out they hired someone else. lol

      When he told me he started the job. I told him i never asked him to start. and I also asked him why did he start without approval. He just said, "he can have the project done quickly now that he started".

      I just wasnt sure if this was common or not with dealing with overseas freelancers. And i also got the feeling that he started on purpose for me to be like "awww you started now i have to hire you". You are definitely right of learning from your mistakes. I know now if i want to get a VA be very clear and tell them exactly when to start!

    • Chris,
      Absolutely right. Always remember you are the sum of the words you use when sending emails, etc. Nobody can read minds and this is a two way street.
      I have had potential customers 'assume' I was going to do a job because I said I was able to; even though they never complete the actual 'order' process.
      It is all about being Very clear and avoiding words that may be taken the wrong way. Pushy/aggresive people are everywhere, on and off line, and many people tend to read their own inferences into some things.

      Andie
  • it's nice that he started, but if you have no agreement, you don't owe him a dime.
    • [ 1 ] Thanks
    • [1] reply
    • You should explain to him the entire details. Workers from free lancer are very pushy in terms of work because most of them really needs money.
  • Chrisbiz is right, it sounds like you led him on.

    Steve
  • Free lancers can be pushy as they are eager to work and get some cash. If you never had an agreement then you don't have to pay him. Don't take any work from him, if you have already received work from him such as research reports in your case then you probably should pay him.
    • [1] reply

    • this is what i was thinking...I will pay him for a few hours of work.
      • [1] reply
  • Outsourcing through freelance networks like odesk will help you avoid that kind of thing.
  • This is one of the cons when hiring a freelancer. We all know that these are individual person who are working from home. They tend to be pushy since they are self-employed, they are naturally in the pursuit of more projects to sustain them. As this is a good motivation, it also limits the freelancer to devote all his mind and time to a project.

    I always suggest to look for a reputable firm/company for an outsourcing tasks.
  • Yeah, I've come across it before when outsourcing. A lot of freelancers are just trying to show how keen they are. One time I put up a job for a Greasemonkey script I wanted done. One guy did the whole thing in like four hours when I'd already hired someone else. I felt kind of bad, but it was his choice though.
  • Next time -
    Write a full job description.
    At the bottom of the description put a line something like:

    I will be looking over responses for a few days then will contact those who seem to match my needs best for further discussion. I will be finalizing my decision on Whateverdate.
  • As a freelancer, I find the actions of the OP's prospective freelancer somewhat unprofessional. Desperate or not, that is no way to start
    a relationship with a new client.

    Of course, good communication is important to forming a new business relationship. Being able to provide job parameters is key to getting the results you want.

    On the other hand, having such a go-getter of a freelancer could be a good thing, so long as they understand that any work done before being hired is not "paid" work. This is where using a freelance site such as Freelancer or Guru can save you some headaches.
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    Dealing with outsourcered workers

    So awhile ago i put up a job on a freelance site to get some research work outsourced for me. A guy responded to me and I was emailing a guy back and forth the type of work i was interested in. I went in good detail about the work but never hired him or told him to start the work for me. A few days later he emails me saying that he started working on it. Mind you I never told him to start or hired him. I am kind of upset about this. Is he just being really pushy or is this normal when dealing with people on these freelance sites