Finding freelancers on the Marketplace

Hiring freelancers is a common need for many project managers and businesses. Smartcat provides a streamlined solution for this. As a platform, Smartcat hosts a large database of vetted linguists and translation agencies, making it an ideal place to find and hire freelancers. Whether you need to expand your team or are seeking professional translation services, Smartcat simplifies the hiring process, saving you time and effort.

The benefits of using Smartcat

Smartcat stands out as a hiring platform due to its extensive database of vetted linguists and translation agencies. This large pool of professionals ensures that you can find the right fit for your specific needs, no matter how unique they may be.

But the benefits don't stop at selection. Smartcat also offers a comprehensive platform for tracking the progress of your hired freelancers. You can monitor their work in real-time, providing you with greater control and peace of mind.

When it comes to payments, Smartcat has you covered. The platform allows for seamless financial transactions, making it easy to pay your freelancers promptly and securely. With Smartcat, you can manage the entire hiring process, from selection to payment, in one place.

Methods of hiring freelancers in Smartcat

Smartcat offers multiple methods to hire freelancers, catering to different needs and preferences.

  • Using Smartcat AI to hire a linguist: With a simple click on the "Get professional review" button on the Translation overview page, Smartcat's AI will select the best-rated professional for your language pair. This feature takes into account both quality and cost, ensuring you get the most value for your money.

  • Hiring a professional from your project page: If you prefer a more hands-on approach, you can go to the "Find Freelancers" tab on your project page. Here, you can use various criteria to screen freelancers and find the best match for your project.

  • Posting a job on the Smartcat board: For those who prefer to wait for freelancers to come to them, you can post a job on the Smartcat board. This allows freelancers who are interested and qualified to offer their services to you.

  • Each of these methods provides a different approach to hiring, allowing you to choose the one that best fits your style and needs.

Detailed guide on how to screen freelancers

Smartcat provides a variety of tools and filters to help you screen potential freelancers. Here's how you can make the most of them:

A. Using filters and search criteria: On the "Find Freelancers" tab, you can use various filters to narrow down your search. These include language pairs, services provided, areas of expertise, competency levels, translation samples in the freelancer's portfolio, the time in the freelancer’s location, and if different dialects could be included in the search. You can also screen freelancers based on the cost of the services they provide.

B. Viewing detailed freelancer profiles: Each freelancer on Smartcat has a detailed profile that you can view by clicking on "View Profile".

These profiles provide valuable information such as the number of words and projects translated in Smartcat, prices, and review results. Some freelancers even include additional information like their personal details, education level, and work experience. An important feature on the profile is the competency level, which gives you an idea of the freelancer's skills and expertise in a specific topic. By understanding these levels and other profile details, you can make more informed decisions when hiring freelancers.

Freelancers on Smartcat can have three competency levels:

- Certified: This means that one of Smartcat's LSP partners certifies that this freelancer performs excellently in a specific topic.

- Tested: This indicates that the freelancer has been tested for a specific topic.

- Course Passed: The freelancer has taken a course for a specific topic.

These levels give you an idea of the freelancer's skills and expertise in a specific topic. By understanding these levels, you can make more informed decisions when hiring freelancers.

By using these tools and understanding the information provided, you can effectively screen freelancers and find the best fit for your project.

Long-term collaboration with freelancers

Smartcat is not just a platform for one-off projects. It also facilitates long-term collaboration with freelancers.

A. Adding freelancers to your team: Once you've found freelancers who meet your requirements, you can add them to your team on Smartcat. This is done by clicking on the "Save to My Team" option on the freelancer's profile.

Once a freelancer is added, a pin icon appears on their picture, sections for notes and client information are added, and the "Save to My Team" option is replaced by a "Remove from My Team" option.

You can also switch back to the public profile view of the freelancer at any time. Note that any comments added to the "My Team" profile of the freelancer remain visible only in your corporate account and are not shared with other Smartcat Marketplace users.

B. Negotiating rates and editing service details: Smartcat gives you the flexibility to negotiate rates with your freelancers. You can also edit the services provided by the freelancer, including prices.

This can be done by hovering over the different services in the freelancer's profile and clicking on the edit pencil.

The new rate is applied to invitations sent since the rate adjustment. Note that changes made to the "My Team" profile are unique to a corporate account and do not affect the public profile of the freelancer that is shared with other Smartcat users. Freelancers also do not get any notification that they have been added to a team until they receive some communication from the project manager.

Remember, any changes to rates and services should always be done in collaboration with the freelancers. The rates you edit here will be used for payment calculations.

By fostering long-term relationships with freelancers, you can build a reliable team that understands your needs and delivers consistent results.

Additional services

Besides the traditional language services, freelancers on the Marketplace offer a range of other services that could be helpful to language providers looking to expand the services they offer to their clients. These additional services add to the flexibility that service providers might need in dealing with fluctuating volumes of work.