How should you handle independent contractors and freelancers?
That answer depends on their necessity to you and your media production company. If you only want to hire employees, then freelancers or independent contractors won't be a factor on which you need to focus too heavily. Conversely, if you want a more flexible base through which to delegate longer-term work, outsource shorter-term projects, or gain varied perspectives without the formality of a standardized training pipeline, freelancers may be your primary contracting base.
According to https://buff.ly/3f0VL58, "a freelancer is an independent contractor who earns wages on a per-job or per-task basis, typically for short-term work...for a flexible work schedule or working environment." There are even platforms online now that will help you to craft your "want" advertisement which prompted vocabulary to help supplement the terms with which you may be unfamiliar. You can save those profiles of freelancers that you prefer to work with, schedule video calls to talk prior to hiring if you prefer, or even review the contracted work prior to releasing escrowed payments. There is more security than may at first seem apparent in the process too.
How "should" you handle these purveyors of the gig economy is entirely up to you. Informed consent used to be the burden of someone else pushing information our direction. Again, as with everything else, informed consent today though is more quickly becoming a burden of our own to pull the information that applies to us and our situations. Bridging that gap falls to the experts as long as we ask the appropriate questions. Working with freelancers also can minimize the costs associated with hiring more dedicated, persistent or formalized employees and contractors. This can also help us vet our ideas and gain clarity prior to committing a larger sum of money, while better hedging the risk of its loss.
To whatever degree you choose to work with freelancers, the concept isn't fading and won't disappear. Familiarity is key over acceptance within your hiring pool. Talent is everywhere and everyone has something to offer.
