16 tips for employers hiring a lot of student, recent grads for gig and other freelance jobs

When hiring students and recent graduates for gig and freelance jobs, employers should focus on flexibility, skill-based hiring, and digital-first recruitment strategies. Many students and early career professionals seek short-term, project-based, or remote work that fits around their studies or other commitments. Employers can streamline the hiring process by using gig-focused job platforms, freelance marketplaces, and job boards like College Recruiter, which specializes in connecting early career talent with meaningful opportunities. Rather than relying solely on traditional resumes, employers can assess candidates based on portfolios, skills tests, and past project experience. AI-powered applicant tracking systems (ATS) and digital screening tools can help match students to relevant gigs based on their skills, availability, and preferences.

To efficiently recruit at scale, businesses can host virtual hiring fairs, run social media campaigns, and leverage gig economy platforms to attract a diverse pool of candidates. Quick and structured interviews—often conducted via video submissions or chat-based assessments—can help employers evaluate communication skills, time management, and problem-solving abilities. For roles requiring specialized expertise, short skills-based tests or sample project assignments can help determine a candidate’s ability to deliver quality work. Once hired, a smooth onboarding process with clear project expectations, payment structures, and communication guidelines ensures a positive experience for both the employer and the gig worker. Providing mentorship, networking opportunities, and pathways to full-time employment can also help companies build a strong pipeline of talent for future hiring needs.

We recently reached out to 16 hiring experts to ask for their suggestions for employers who plan to hire dozens, hundreds, or even thousands of students and recent graduates into gig and other freelance jobs.

• Prioritize Onboarding Procedures
• Set Clear Expectations Upfront
• Implement Trial Tasks or Tests
• Maintain Quality Over Quantity
• Provide Structure and Flexibility
• Use Portfolio-Based Assessments
• Treat Gig Workers With Respect
• Prioritize Demonstrated Skills
• Clarify Payment Terms Early On
• Conduct Quick Direct Assessments
• Verify Candidate Competencies
• Avoid Constant Check-Ins
• Provide Detailed Project Briefs
• Modernize Hiring Practices
• Offer Performance-Based Perks
• Automate Repetitive Tasks

Prioritize Onboarding Procedures

Having a well-organized onboarding procedure is essential when recruiting a large number of independent contractors. I’ve managed gig drivers before, and I can attest to the fact that unclear policies can result in expensive errors. Because drivers weren’t given consistent directions, we faced problems with variable vehicle handling early on. We addressed expectations, safety procedures, and the fundamentals of customer service in a brief digital training package that we designed to address this. 

This minor adjustment raised driver confidence and drastically decreased errors. Setting up freelancers for success benefits both the business and the individual, even though they may not be full-time workers. A thorough yet efficient onboarding procedure guarantees uniformity, reduces misunderstandings, and keeps things moving smoothly while preserving high-quality service.

James McNally, Managing Director, SDVH [Self Drive Vehicle Hire]

Set Clear Expectations Upfront

One mistake employers make when hiring a large number of freelancers or gig workers is rushing through the process without setting clear expectations up front. I’ve seen firsthand how rushing through freelancer hiring can backfire. A while ago, we needed a large number of contractors to help with a major event lighting project. The demand was high, and we brought people on board quickly without clearly outlining expectations. 

Some workers assumed they could set their own hours, while others expected different payment structures. This led to delays, miscommunication, and people dropping out midway through the job. Freelancers work best when they know exactly what is expected, from deadlines to communication styles to payment terms. The more upfront clarity you provide, the fewer issues you will have down the road.

Matt Little, Owner & Managing Director, Festoon House

Implement Trial Tasks or Tests

For high-volume freelance hiring, employers should avoid jumping straight into contracts without proper vetting or testing. When recruiting for short-term or gig-based roles, it’s tempting to quickly fill the spot, but without understanding a candidate’s work style or expertise, it can lead to wasted time and resources. I always recommend trial tasks or paid test periods to see if the freelancer can actually meet your standards and fit into your workflow.

A trial run ensures you’re not just hiring based on an impressive résumé but on actual performance. It’s better to spend a bit more time upfront to test candidates than rush through the process, only to discover that the freelancer doesn’t meet the expectations for quality or speed. This approach minimizes hiring risks and sets up both the employer and freelancer for a smoother working relationship. It also helps to build trust and clarity right from the start, which is vital when the work is project-based and less consistent.

Sean Clancy, Managing Director, SEO Gold Coast

Maintain Quality Over Quantity

Rushing the selection process is a common error made by employers when recruiting freelancers on a large scale. Hiring a lot shouldn’t come at the expense of quality. To make sure candidates meet expectations, companies should employ screening tools, skill exams, or trial assignments rather than hiring randomly. This strategy keeps high talent while weeding out people who might not be a suitable fit.

Maintaining constructive relationships with freelancers is another crucial strategy. Many businesses view gig workers as expendable, which reduces engagement and productivity. Instead, creating a sense of community through frequent check-ins, feedback loops, or even minor benefits can boost performance and retention. Strategic high-volume hiring should guarantee that employees feel valued and motivated to consistently deliver their best work.

Danilo Miranda, Managing Director, Presenteverso

Provide Structure and Flexibility

When managing high-volume freelance recruitment, clear expectations and streamlined onboarding make all the difference. Successful gig relationships depend on this foundation.

Freelancers need specific information upfront. They require detailed project scope documentation. They want concrete deadlines without ambiguity. They expect transparent payment terms and schedules. They need to understand preferred communication channels and frequency.

Creating efficient processes benefits everyone involved. Standardized contracts eliminate repetitive negotiations. Self-service onboarding portals let freelancers complete requirements at their convenience. Clear work guidelines set consistent quality standards across your talent pool.

Many companies make the critical mistake of treating gig workers like traditional employees. This approach creates problems on multiple fronts. Legal compliance issues emerge when freelancers are misclassified. Top talent often leaves when micromanaged instead of given appropriate autonomy.

The most successful organizations maintain a careful balance. They provide enough structure to ensure quality and consistency. They simultaneously preserve the flexibility that makes gig work attractive in the first place.

This balanced approach yields significant benefits. Freelancers can contribute immediately when expectations are clear. Project outcomes improve with proper alignment. Your company develops a reliable network of gig workers eager to collaborate on future projects.

A thoughtful, efficient hiring process ultimately creates a more sustainable freelance relationship for both your organization and your contingent workforce.

Brittney Simpson, HR Consultant, Savvy HR Partner

Use Portfolio-Based Assessments

One thing employers should not do when hiring high-volume candidates for freelance/gig jobs is use the same rigid evaluation criteria as traditional employees. This mistake filters out exceptional talent and slows down your hiring process unnecessarily.

When helping clients build freelance hiring portals, we’ve found that portfolio-based assessment consistently outperforms credential-based screening for gig workers. The most successful freelance hirers evaluate candidates primarily on relevant work samples and project-specific skill tests rather than formal qualifications.

For example, a digital marketing agency client switched from requiring specific certifications to implementing skill-based challenges relevant to actual client work. This approach increased their talent pool by 65% and improved project success rates by identifying candidates with practical abilities that didn’t always align with traditional credentials.

The freelance marketplace thrives on demonstrated skills rather than pedigree. Using practical, project-based assessments allows you to identify the highest-performing talent regardless of background while significantly reducing your time-to-hire for these roles.

Remember that freelancers are essentially small business owners themselves. Respecting their time with efficient hiring processes signals that you’ll be a good client to work with, helping you attract the best talent in competitive markets.

Harmanjit Singh, Founder & CEO, Website Design Brampton

Treat Gig Workers With Respect

One mistake employers make when hiring a large number of freelancers or gig workers is assuming that loyalty doesn’t matter just because the work is temporary. A lot of companies treat gig workers as disposable, focusing only on filling the role instead of building any kind of long-term connection. But freelancers talk, and a company that gets a reputation for being difficult to work with, unreliable with payments, or dismissive of its workers will struggle to attract good talent over time. Even in short-term roles, people remember how they were treated.

We’ve learned that treating every worker with respect makes a difference. We make sure temporary staff feel welcomed, not like outsiders who are just there to fill a gap. I’ve seen skilled professionals choose to come back and work with us again simply because they felt valued the first time. Something as simple as checking in to see how the work is going, following up after a contract ends, or leaving the door open for future opportunities creates a better experience. That kind of reputation travels, and in the long run, it makes hiring easier.

Moti Gamburd, Chief Executive Officer, Raya’s Paradise

Prioritize Demonstrated Skills

In my experience, hiring for gig jobs should prioritize demonstrated skills over résumés or formal education. If I’m dipping into the gig economy, it is usually to find people with one particular set of skills, regardless of their formal credentials. In my opinion, employers should use work samples, skill assessments, or small paid test projects to evaluate a candidate’s abilities rather than relying solely on their experience or credentials. This approach ensures that freelancers can meet the job’s specific requirements while allowing access to a more diverse talent pool.

Kate Kandefer, CEO, SEOwind

Clarify Payment Terms Early On

One of our best hires almost walked away because we delayed discussing payment terms. Now, we lay out rates, invoicing schedules, and deadlines upfront. It eliminates misunderstandings and keeps everyone happy.

Sahil Kakkar, CEO / Founder, RankWatch

Conduct Quick Direct Assessments

It can be tempting to cut corners here. When you have hundreds of candidates to get through, lots of positions to fill, and you know they’re just doing short-term jobs anyway, you’ll feel like approving candidates in a hurry is a good way to just get the job done. This is almost always a mistake. The cost of a bad hire, even for a short-term gig, is always higher than the cost of handling the hiring process correctly in the first place. 

Instead, focus on quick, direct assessments. Don’t waste time getting to know a candidate; find out if they have the skills you need and the professional attitude to communicate well and follow up. Be aggressive about cutting anyone who doesn’t follow directions or doesn’t respond to emails.

Hayden Cohen, CEO, Hire With Near

Verify Candidate Competencies

When it comes to freelance or gig positions, resumes alone rarely capture the complete picture of a candidate’s competencies. Instead, focus on verifying competencies while preventing deepfakes or AI impersonation to validate expertise. Solicit work samples, portfolios, or other verifiable evidence of completed projects. For example, corroborate submitted projects with their timestamps, client testimonials, and project repositories like GitHub. Where possible, request that candidates provide contacts to previous employers who can provide references to their work.

To eliminate the possibility of pre-written or falsified submissions, execute real-time assessments. For example, a developer could solve a coding problem in a collaborative platform while explaining their approach to the task. A designer could perform some basic design edits during a screen-sharing session to prove that their hands-on capability aligns with the portfolio presentation.

Moreover, plagiarism detection systems or other custom-developed programs should be used to check for originality in submitted works. CodeSignal, for instance, is able to verify the coding submission, and a reverse search of the images would validate the visual assets. The focus on live performance and validation of the assigned tasks helps ensure that only employees with genuine, demonstrable skills will be hired for the role.

Damien Filiatrault, Founder & CEO, Scalable Path

Avoid Constant Check-Ins

One mistake I made early on was constantly checking in on freelancers. It slowed them down and frustrated both sides. Now, I set clear expectations upfront, check progress at milestones, and trust them to do their job.

Jason Hennessey, CEO, Hennessey Digital

Provide Detailed Project Briefs

We found that detailed project briefs with explicit deliverables and timeframes reduced misunderstandings and improved contractor retention.

Our approach evolved after analyzing why freelance relationships frequently broke down. Instead of vague project descriptions, we created standardized templates outlining specific deliverables, quality standards, and payment milestones.

When onboarding a team of content writers recently, providing comprehensive style guides and example deliverables from day one led to fewer revision requests.

This structured approach proved especially valuable during a major website project requiring multiple contractors. By documenting exactly what “done” looked like for each component, we eliminated scope creep and payment disputes that typically plague large freelance projects.

Clarity beats assumptions. When expectations are documented upfront, both sides work more confidently toward shared goals.

Aaron Whittaker, VP of Demand Generation & Marketing, Thrive Digital Marketing Agency

Modernize Hiring Practices

If you’re hiring for the hourly and part-time, mobile workforce, what worked in 2019, probably isn’t working anymore. 

1. The non-desk workforce doesn’t read and respond to emails.
2. Candidates aren’t picking up the phone because they don’t recognize your number.
3. 95% of visitors to a career site won’t complete an application (source = Appcast)

Posting a job on Indeed and sending a candidate to your ATS to apply isn’t working like it used to.

For the hourly and mobile-first workforce, acquiring and engaging candidates is shifting quickly, but some employers are getting great results.

Candidates want instant results, a transparent application process, and responses from the company.

Here are some of the top ways employers are getting creative and increasing their efficiencies by over 400%!

1. Now Hiring Signs with QR codes that attach to Apply by Text.
2. Smart automated text message pre-screening, with integrated self-select interview scheduling.

Jonathan Duarte, Founder and CEO, GoHire, Inc

Offer Performance-Based Perks

Freelance is quite a tricky arrangement. Although it has its benefits in the form of flexibility and enhanced freedom, you have to understand that freelancers have little to no guaranteed stability. Therefore, this is your chance to provide them with additional motivation. I advise companies to implement perks based on performance. For instance, a bonus system should work well. That is, you reward highest performing employees with higher pay. This is a basic motivation system that puts control in the freelancer’s hands. 

Additionally, I would also consider offering a long-term contract as a reward for best performance. This way, after some time, freelancers would have the chance to join your company full-time. This is how you create an environment in which freelancers can grow and achieve professional goals.

Vlad Polyanskiy, CMO, FlightRefunder

Automate Repetitive Tasks

When hiring high-volume freelance/gig workers, automate repetitive tasks first. Take the help of tools for handling tasks like pre-screening, scheduling, and onboarding. This speeds up hiring while keeping candidates engaged. For example, auto-send skills assessments or interview invites. It cuts admin work allowing you to focus on quality talent. Try to avoid a robotic vibe by balancing automation with quick personal check-ins!

Fergal Glynn, AI Security Advocate | Chief Marketing Officer, Mindgard