While our new membership structure offers a more rounded experience for freelancers, helping them develop their portfolios, learn new skills and meet other freelancers in addition to landing paid jobs, we’re always delighted when we hear about members and clients who’ve had a positive experience working together after connecting on our platform.

Úna Herlihy, founder of The Indie List, recently hired Andrew Rosenbaum for a paid project through Freelancer Club. We recently sat down with both individuals to talk about the hiring process, the positive experience they’ve had working together so far and the key elements that have helped them to develop and maintain their strong relationship.  

The players

Andrew Rosenbaum is a journalist and freelance content marketer who has produced work for a range of high profile clients including KPMG, Bloomberg Tax, The Wall Street Journal, Time Magazine and The New York Times.

Úna Herlihy is a marketing consultant and facilitator who has been a member of the advertising and marketing community for over 25 years. During the pandemic, Úna founded the Indie List, a marketplace for freelancers in marketing, communications and e-commerce to find work, network and to feel part of a like-minded community. 

Using Freelancer Club to Source a Writer 

When Úna was asked by a client to source a pool of writers for a specific project, she was forced to get creative in order to find suitable talent.

“We had been asked to put forward a team of copy editors who could work in a B2B capacity and who had a lot of relevant experience.“

“At the Indie List, we don’t have too many of these types of freelancers and the ones we do have are always booked up, so I needed to get access to freelance copy editors outside of Ireland and I needed to find them fast.”

Having previously discovered The Freelancer Club after reading an interview featuring our CEO Matt Dowling, Úna decided to see if we might be able to help. 

“I came across an interview with Matt Dowling and was so impressed with the ethos of Freelancer Club which is quite similar to our own, that I wanted to check out how it worked.”

The process of hiring talented, committed and professional freelancers is not an easy task. Hiring platforms may have made it easier to post a project and receive applicants but their relevance, buy-in and ability to deliver quality results is generally lacking.

“Honestly I didn’t expect to be able to find people as quickly as I did but within minutes I came across a fantastic freelancer who I was able to start communicating with immediately and I was able to speak to him directly.  I was blown away with how easy and fast it was.”

A professional working experience

Clear communication, encouragement and support are key to creating a strong relationship between a freelancer and in this case, an agent.

With Andrew and Úna, these elements we’re at the core of their interactions from the outset, which Andrew was impressed with, as these attributes are not easily found among many agents.

“We've all had experiences with agents who, at first, don't understand what the role really is about, and then who haven't a clue what it is you personally do. These are usually the same agents who get off the phone after a five-minute conversation, hurrying on to the next prospect.”

“Úna was the polar opposite of this kind of agent. She took pains both to understand just what the client needed and then explained to me why she thought I would fill the bill. We talked for a good 30 minutes, and by the end of the conversation, I knew just what I was getting into, and, better still, why I wanted to do it.”

Andrew's positive correspondence with Úna is also a reflection on him, his vast experience, and his superior professionalism. After all, Úna explained that she only approaches freelancers who are dependable and serious about their work. 

“In our business we are only interested in working with professional freelancers who are very serious about the work they do for and on behalf of their/our clients.”

Creating and maintaining healthy collaborative relationships

When asked for their insight on how freelancers, agents and clients can best respect each other and establish fruitful working relationships, both Úna and Andrew shared some valuable thoughts. 

There were some minor complications when onboarding Andrew with the client in question. As Úna explained, “onboarding Andrew to the job was less straight-forward than I would have liked it to be but it was all down to a specific and unavoidable protocol at the client end.”

Úna pointed out that Andrew remained patient, professional and respectful during this period. 

“Andrew however, has been so professional and gracious during what has been quite a stressful time for him.”

It’s clear that a strong show of respect and understanding from both Úna and Andrew throughout the hiring and onboarding process has been key to them maintaining the strong relationship that they established during their initial correspondence.

The small obstacles encountered during the onboarding process were resolved and Andrew is currently working well with the client. 

If you’ve ever wondered what best practice looks like when a freelancer works with a client through an agent, Andrew and Úna are a fitting example. 

Due to the nature of freelancing, many freelancers often work for a client on a one-off project for a short period of time.

It’s important to realise however, that all parties' attitudes and professionalism throughout a project can really impact the quality of the work that's eventually produced. 

Furthermore, the nature of an agent-freelancer and client-freelancer relationship can also determine whether or not a freelancer will be offered (or will accept) future projects with that client. 

Next time you’re about to embark on a paid job, it’s worth keeping Úna and Andrews professional relationship in mind as a benchmark for success. 

Why not follow Úna Herlihy’s lead and hire freelance content marketer Andrew Rosenbaum for your next job. Check out his profile here.

Looking for a freelance graphic designer, ux/ui designer, videographer or photographer? Check out the talented creatives available for work on our platform here.