We all love those pop-the-sparkling-beverage moments that come with seeing a project come together. But what most of us don’t love? All the steps (and chaos) it takes to actually get there. Unless, of course, you’re a freelance project manager.
Of course, not every team actually has a project manager, which means the responsibility of, uh, managing the project, usually comes down to you.
Good thing this whole blog is about how—and why—you should hire a freelance project manager.
And because no one wants to spend hours scrolling through why your grandma loved to use self-milled oats before they get to the actual recipe, let’s just dive right in.
(But if you do want to know why all recipes are like that, send us a message; we’ve got the inside SEO scoop.)
Table of contents
- What is freelance project management?
- What is a freelance project manager and what do they do?
- Why hiring a freelance project manager is (probably) the right move for your next project
- What qualities make for a stellar freelance project management consultant?
- How to hire a freelance project manager
- Where to find high-quality freelance project managers
What is freelance project management?
Freelance project management is the process of organizing, managing, and executing a project to help a company reach its goals. Successful project management keeps everything moving smoothly while delivering all parts of the project on time—and most importantly, within budget.
But what makes freelance project management different from plain-old project management? Well, instead of having an in-house project manager to lead the team, you hire an experienced freelancer to steer the ship.
Which leads us to our next all-important question…
What is a freelance project manager and what do they do?
A freelance project manager is someone who oversees and leads projects for their clients.
While freelancer project managers are self-employed, they’re often hired by different companies to lead specific projects or teams on a contract or hourly basis.
The work that freelance project managers do is very similar to that of a dedicated project manager. The difference for them is that they get to choose which clients they work with and which projects they want to work on, depending on their interests, expertise, and availability. The difference for you is that you get all the benefits of project-by-project support without having the extra headaches and costs that come with headcount.
When you hire a freelance project manager, they’ll provide services like:
- Helping you define project goals and objectives
- Managing resources—including people—and delegating tasks
- Documenting project progress and reporting
- Communicating and coordinating between all stakeholders
- Planning for and navigating any challenges or roadblocks
We know what you’re thinking: none of these things include tasks needed to actually execute a project, like design, copywriting, or SEO.
And you’re right. But that doesn’t mean a project manager isn’t equally—if not more—important in getting your project to the finish line. In fact, the reason more than two-thirds (67%) of projects fail? Companies underestimate the importance of project management.
Think about it this way: you’d never see an orchestra perform without a conductor right? Well, that’s kind of like a project manager.
A conductor may not play an instrument, but they’re in charge of keeping the musicians on track and in sync. They schedule rehearsals, they assign homework, and they might even choose who plays what piece. You can have a team of extremely talented musicians, but they can’t perform their best without an equally talented conductor.
Unless you're this guy, of course.
The same goes for project management. You can have the most talented in-house or freelance designers or copywriters, but without a project manager, you probably won’t be able to reach your goals as quickly or as efficiently.
We’ve got tons more analogies where this came from, but you get the gist right?
Why hiring a freelance project manager is (probably) the right move for your next project
Lots of companies have permanent project managers on staff. So why would you opt to go freelance?
We’re not here to tell you what to do, but as it turns out, there are a lot of really good reasons for why you should hire a freelance project manager. Here are a few of the biggest ones:
Save money—and time with a freelance project manager
Project managers bring an invaluable skill set to your organization. But depending on your business needs, you might not need a dedicated project manager at all times. Between salaries, benefits, and payroll taxes, hiring a full-time employee can get expensive. And sometimes, it’s just not in the budget. (We’ll blame the economy on that one.)
Hiring a freelance project manager means you get the expertise of a project manager, but only when you need it, so you can save your resources in between projects.
Not to mention, a quality project manager can get your project moving more efficiently, saving you time and other resources as well.
Gain access to the specialized skills you need
Project managers aren’t just here to help you get things done.
Okay fine—they are. But they also have a very unique skill set that helps them be able to do that.
For example, an experienced project manager knows how to build processes and systems that help all parties do their best work. They can set up Notion project boards, facilitate communication between teams, and even help you onboard onto new project management tools. (More on the skills and qualities of a good project manager later.)
Move your project forward quickly and efficiently
Project managers know how to get things done, even if when unexpected changes pop out of the woodwork. (And trust us—they will. If you know, you know.)
Experienced freelance project managers have worked with a wide range of different clients and teams. So they have the experience to identify potential risks that can impact deadlines and results. They’re also well-versed in risk management, so they can quickly right the ship and put guardrails in place ahead of time to minimize any impact on your project.
Start your project right away with a freelance project manager—without the financial overhead
When you hire an in-house project manager, you’re also hiring an employee. And with that comes extensive hiring and onboarding.
And that’s totally fair. You want to make sure they’re the right permanent addition to your team. You’ll also need to spend time getting them familiar with your internal processes, peers, and anything else they need to know to be successful in their role. But this means that if you’re hiring a project manager for a specific project, it could take weeks or even months before they can get the ball rolling on that project.
When you go with a freelancer, you skip the song and dance of hiring. While you still want to properly vet a freelance project manager, it’s much less time and resource intensive. With a good reference, you might even be able to skip the vetting process altogether.
Plus, freelance project managers are used to quickly getting started with new projects and teams. They usually have a tried-and-true intake and briefing process that helps them get up to speed as quickly as possible. This helps you get your project going sooner rather than later.
Gain a fresh perspective with a freelancer
When we become super familiar with a brand or project, we can often get set in our ways (we’re only human after all!) So bringing in an outside perspective can be super valuable in staying creative and moving things forward.
A freelance project manager is a great way to do that. Not only do they bring experience and expertise that you might not have on your team, but they can look at your goals and projects objectively and make recommendations to improve your results.
Avoid internal burnout
Project management isn’t for the faint of heart—much less on a busy team.
There’s often this assumption that someone on the team can double as a project manager. But there’s a reason project management is a whole job in and of itself. Asking your team to self-manage or putting the role on another employee is a recipe for burnout. (Speaking of burnout, check out some tips from our friends and clients over at 10KC on spotting the signs of burnout. )
A project manager not only takes on the additional responsibilities of managing a project, they can also find ways to reduce the lift of the project. For example, a project manager can set up automations to keep all stakeholders in the loop. So instead of wasting time chasing each other down for updates, your team can focus on doing better work.
What qualities make for a stellar freelance project management consultant?
Project management consultants are a dime a dozen. But a successful and experienced freelance project manager can be a bit trickier to find.
Consider this your official checklist for finding the project management superstar your company needs.
They know their way around a project management system
The best way to tell if someone’s a project manager? They’re probably nerding out about a good project management system on a random Tuesday.
But seriously, knowing how to keep everything organized and moving forward is critical to a successful project. So having someone who’s familiar with project management frameworks and software is key. Whether they’re Notion nerds, Monday.com obsessed, or they dig Dubsado, every PM is going to have a favourite project management system.
Consider asking a potential freelance project manager about the systems that they like to use and their experience with the software that might already be in place for your project. Most freelancer project managers can work with any system, but it’s a great way to get a sense of their experience and if they’re the right fit for your project.
They have a proven track record of success
The benefit to hiring a freelancer is that they bring a level of expertise that would otherwise be unavailable to your team. Most project managers should be able to speak to their previous successes. They should be able to provide you with KPIs such as on-time completion rates or execution timelines.
Of course, every project has different goals and different success metrics. So make sure you hire a project manager who has experience delivering value in the areas most important to your project and business.
Project managers are strategic thinkers and problem solvers
Managing a project is like putting together a puzzle that’s constantly changing. The best PMs are able to think on their feet to strategically guide their team toward the end goal.
Even when the unexpected happens or things don’t go as planned, successful project managers can put on their problem-solving hats to minimize delays and impact on the project.
Your project manager upon waking up to 71 Slack messages and 34 emails:
Project managers are excellent communicators
Here’s the thing about projects: there’s usually a ton of people involved. Project managers are responsible for keeping everyone on the same page. This means everyone understands the vision and everyone knows where the project stands.
But to do that well, project managers need to be able to communicate important information with everyone on the team effectively. They know the tricks to increasing transparency so they’re not stuck constantly being stuck in the middle and playing a game of broken telephone.
They’ve got organizational skills that would impress even Marie Kondo
When it comes to project organization, Marie Kondo has nothing on the best project managers.
Just like when you decided to clean out that closet that hasn’t been touched for the last decade, even simple projects can get complicated real fast. Project managers are good at balancing that mess and staying on top of all the tasks that come up along the way, so it feels less chaotic for everyone else involved.
They might not spend their days asking you if something sparks joy (although never say never). But what a good project manager will do is make sure nothing gets left behind so your project is delivered successfully.
How to hire a freelance project manager
If you’re still reading, you’ve probably come to the same conclusion as we have: hiring a freelance project manager is the cat's meow.
But before diving into hiring, here are a few steps for how to better help your new freelance project manager help you:
- Define the project: Set clear goals, objectives, and scope. This way, the project manager knows exactly what they should be working towards.
- Gather all documentation: To help your project go off without a hitch, the project manager needs to know the ins and outs of the entire project. Giving them access to the resources they need can help them with this. (Not sure what your project manager needs? Ask them!)
- Know what questions to ask: Your standard interview questions aren’t always the right fit for hiring a freelance project manager. Make sure you ask questions to help determine if they’re the right fit. (The list above can help!)
- Get the resources: Every project manager needs resources to be successful. So make sure they have access to the budget and talent they need to execute the project to your expectations.
- Hire away: Okay, now we give you permission to sign on the dotted line and hire that project freelance manager. But first, scroll for the secret to finding the best ones.
Where to find high-quality freelance project managers
There are project managers and then there are high-quality project managers.
So, how do you find the second one?
You could shop the job boards or pursue LinkedIn. But while you might find a gem, the reality is that you’ll probably be searching for a needle in a less-than-qualified project management-shaped haystack. A recruiting firm is another popular choice. Buuuuut you might find yourself saddled with some costly finder’s fees.
Or, you could go the new and improved route for hiring a freelance project manager: through the Freelance Squad.
What’s the Freelance Squad? Well, we’re so glad you asked.
The Freelance Squad is your new go-to for all things freelancers. We’re a collective of vetted (yep) independent freelancers who are ready for whatever cool project you’re ready to throw our way. From experienced project managers to graphic designers—and everything in between—we’ve got you covered.
Our goal? To make hiring a freelance project manager (or really, any freelancer) as easy and affordable as possible. Luckily, we have some pretty rad project managers on our team to help us do that.
