FIELD ENGINEER
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Field Engineer
by
Mustafa Ali
|
April 23, 2018
Across developed economies around the world, an Inavero survey found nearly half of all hiring executives use freelancers to fill both, short-term critical roles and long-term revenue-generating positions. While it is common to use freelance workers, there’s not a lot of information to help to hire managers screen candidates and hire with confidence and rigor. Here’s everything you need to know to hire a freelancer in the telecom industry.
Projections show that by 2020, the number of Americans who are freelancers will have doubled. Already, there are over 55 million freelance workers. Which spells good news for employers: More candidates to choose from means that telecom employers can afford to be choosier when filling contract positions.
The first step, of course, is finding candidates to choose from—something online platforms make easy. There are many freelance marketplaces where workers and employers can see one another. Generic Services Marketplaces (such as upwork and freelancer) allow freelancers to create profiles that showcase their skills and work experience.
General marketplaces allow employers to search for freelancers by keyword (such as telecom field engineer). To find the right fit, employers can filter their search results by hourly wage, skills, or feedback from past employers. Employers have the option to contact a skilled freelance worker directly or create gigs and invite qualified candidates to apply for their freelance work.
Interested candidates can view the job description, bid on the assignment, and offer hourly or fixed rates for service. Employers can browse applications and move forward with one or more candidates who seem like a secure fit.
In addition to general marketplaces, telecom companies can use a niche marketplace that specializes in the telecom industry, such as Fieldengineer.com.
Fieldengineer.com allows companies to create free job postings, which are available to the thousands of industry candidates who use the platform to find jobs. Telecom workers can view and apply to listings directly within Fieldengineer.com; employers can then see bids, evaluate skills and fit, and determine who the right candidates for their needs are.
Fieldengineer.com uses an AI matching algorithm to connect interested candidates with employers, which makes it easy for both parties to find success. With candidates across the globe and an intuitive mobile platform, Fieldengineer.com makes it easy to find talent for short-term needs.
Whether it is through the bid process, matching algorithm, or browsing the platform, hiring managers should interview candidates before they extend an offer.
When interviewing candidates face to face, hiring managers can review body language, tone, and demeanor as well as the quality of an answer. Online, hiring managers have only written information about candidates—so there’s less certainty the fit is right.
To decrease uncertainty, hiring managers should ask freelance candidates how their skills reflect the position needs, how they will complete the work in the timeline, and how they approach remote work. The candidate’s answers will provide insight into how that individual manages clients, responds to deadlines, and views the project. Managers should be able to tell whether a worker has the right skills and experience for the position or if the fit is poor.
To further winnow the pool of candidates, hiring managers should ask about past successes, find out how the candidate would approach the work, and review references or client testimonials.
For telecom equipment installers and repairers, the median wage is $25 per hour, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports. The lowest-paid telecom equipment installers earned under $30,370 per year, while the best-paid candidates received over $79,500 in wages for 2016.
Telecom companies can take the average wage as a baseline when figuring out how much to pay freelance workers. Candidates who have demonstrated experience in the field, and whose skills may be more in demand among telecom companies, should receive higher wages. Those who are starting out in the field—or who live in areas where salaries are lower— can be paid at the lower end of the scale.
Other variables can affect pay, too. For instance, a company that needs someone in a rush may need to pay more to get the right person for the job immediately, versus a company that has no deadline to consider.
Ultimately, the question companies need to ask themselves is how much experience they need in a telecom freelance worker and how much they are willing to pay for this experience. By rewarding the right level of expertise with fair pay, companies will quickly fill their need. Companies who aren’t able to pay commensurate with experience required may have a more difficult time finding freelance telecom workers.
In selecting the right freelance worker for the job, you need to have a bright idea what you’re seeking and the rate range/structure you are willing to negotiate. It may mean it’s time to pause, take a step back, review the profile card/job requirements, check and understand any budget constraints, and define your non-negotiables before you post the opportunity.
As the machine learning algorithm identifies potential candidates, you may forgo the individuals who fall outside of your range and required skills. Select the freelancers who have the right level of career experience and with whom you would like to have a conversation. Ask these candidates precision-based questions, to compare their answers to determine the best fit for the current on-demand or project-based need is.
When you utilize FieldEngineer.com, you get matched to a skilled telecom freelance worker. It takes the guesswork out of hiring freelancers while reducing time delays in the process. Fieldengineer.com performs background checks on candidates, so you can rest assured that workers have the appropriate experience, history and client experience.
If you are seeking a freelance worker with telecom experience try fieldengineer.com to experience how simple, comfortable, and efficient it can be to find the right fit for your organization.
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