These websites can help you locate fresh talent as your business grows.
Alongside the boom in freelancing talent, there has been a change in how companies approach the idea of outsourcing. In recent years, businesses have seen the benefits of not doing everything in-house and are more open to hiring freelancers to lend them a hand. This new reality in the world of employment has spawned a massive explosion of websites that cater specifically to professionals providing services to companies.
Many of these websites offer businesses access to a wide pool of qualified candidates, as well as the possibility of fine-tuning their search so as to identify the most relevant candidates. Filters you can use might include the location (for local or regional talent), ratings and expertise. All of these are critical factors in determining whether a freelancer or professional will fit the business’s needs.
However, not all of these websites are built with the same goals in mind. Here are 17 valuable pieces of advice on the best websites for finding outside talent—local or not—and why those resources are vital to your business.
1. AngelList
“I recommend AngelList if you’re looking for particularly entrepreneurial or startup-focused individuals that can drive a project forward for you. Sites like Upwork are best for hiring overseas labor for cheap, but when I need a real rockstar, I like to look on AngelList.” – Andy Karuza, LitPic
2. College recruitment boards
“Local college recruitment boards are a good source. You can find engaged students or fresh graduates that are looking to get into the industry. We have found they are often eager and highly motivated individuals. It’s a great way to vet out potential full-time employees before a formal hiring process.” – Matthew Podolsky, Florida Law Advisers, PA
3. Dribbble
“Dribbble is the best platform we’ve used, because everyone is judged based on their portfolio and nothing else. You don’t look at their background or personal profile – you just assess individuals purely based on their skill set. As a result, the talent is actually far more competitive. No one can rely on anything but their true ability to provide quality work.” – Ryan Meghdies, Tastic Marketing Inc.
4. Dynamite Jobs
“Dynamite Jobs is our go-to when hiring remote employees. They’re known for sourcing the best remote work opportunities on the web and this helps them attract the best talent, which is critical for us. Other than that they’re also super hands-on with the process, helping us improve job listings, helping conduct interviews and ensuring we’re happy.” – Travis Jamison, Smash.vc
5. Facebook Groups
“For my content-based businesses, I outsource a lot. Over the years, I’ve tried all of the usual suspects, like Upwork and even Fiverr. But now I use dedicated Facebook groups for recruiting freelancers. For example, I outsource a ton of content creation work. I use a FB group named ‘Cult of Copy’ to recruit talented writers from there. I have been very pleased with the results.” – Matt Diggity, Diggity Marketing
6. Fiverr
“I recommend Fiverr. Yes, you might be laughing and thinking this is a joke, but there are some really good talents to be found on this platform. And the concept that jobs are $5 each is no longer an issue. Many freelancers on this platform offer introductory services and custom quotes, while still delivering better quality than many competitors and usually at lower cost. It’s definitely worth considering.” – Zac Johnson, Blogger
7. FreeUp
“FreeUp is a great platform for hiring quality freelancers that have been highly vetted. After several years of using freelancing platforms, I’ve found that FreeUp has the most rigorous standards. In fact, they only admit about 1% of the freelancers who apply to list their services on their platform. They vet applicants based on both technical and soft skills, like interpersonal communication.” – Tyler Gallagher, Regal Assets
8. Freelancer.com
“Freelancer.com offers vetted talent using a clear and simple interface, and communication is fast. When we are hiring for simple tasks, usually in design, we need to see a portfolio quickly, read reviews, and assign the task with a proven turnaround and without too much hand-holding. We find Freelancer.com to be a go-to resource for talent.” – Matthew Capala, Alphametic
9. Job boards
“When outsourcing, you have many options to find qualified candidates. Job boards are the most popular option, as freelance and contract work often gets posted on these forums. You can also scour social media and use relevant hashtags to find opportunities. Social media is a great resource for finding employees because it’s straight to the point.” – Stephanie Wells, Formidable Forms
10. LinkedIn
“I mean, the platform was built for the sole purpose of networking with talent. Right now, LinkedIn is taking off since they’ve incorporated certain features that encourage content creation. It won’t be long before they catch up with their social media cousins.” – Samuel Thimothy, OneIMS
11. ProBlogger
“When we want to outsource a project, we like using the ProBlogger job board. We can easily filter through and look for freelancers capable of handling our project. What I like most about the website is how all of the freelancers are experienced and capable of producing high-quality work. You don’t have to worry about investing time in unreliable, lackluster candidates.” – Chris Christoff, MonsterInsights
12. Textbroker
“I recommend outsourcing via Textbroker.com, where you can select a writer to create content for your project. You can also check out Upwork.com. They will connect you with talented people who are up for taking on any sort of project.” – Patrick Barnhill, Specialist ID Inc.
13. Upwork
“If I ever need to outsource work that my internal team can’t do, the first website I go to is Upwork.com. They do an amazing job of showing you the best possible candidates based on your keywords, and it’s really hard to get ripped off because of their escrow policy. Hands down, Upwork is one of the best outsourcing websites on the internet.” – Laura Egocheaga, Viral Growth Media
14. Virtual Assistant Assistant
“In my opinion, one of the best websites for locating talent when outsourcing a project is virtualassistantassistant.com. The reason being is that this website helps you identify the best virtual assistant companies out there to outsource different tasks related to your industry or needs. This website has hundreds of honest reviews of different VA companies to help you make the best decision.” – Alfredo Atanacio, Uassist.ME
15. Product Hunt and LinkedIn
“I use Product Hunt and LinkedIn, but not in the way you might think. Usually, instead of searching for great candidates to build the product, I go the opposite way and search for a great product and then contact the team behind it to hire them. I already know the team will be great and it’s usually not hard to find their contact details.” – Joey Bertschler, bitgrit
16. We Work Remotely
“We Work Remotely is an amazing place to find high-quality remote workers for all types of positions. Any time we need to bring on new talent to help us out with a project, WWR is one of the first places we go.” – Dave Nevogt, Hubstaff
17. Google search
“There is no singular website where all the local talent is hidden and waiting to be discovered. The truth is that talent is everywhere around you, but if you fail to look, you won’t see it. The simplest way is through a Google search, where looking up relevant keywords shows you the latest postings and opportunities.” – Jared Atchison, WPForms