How to Build a Scalable Freelance Talent Pool in Just 6 Steps

The freelance economy is rapidly expanding, transforming traditional employment models worldwide. Consider this:

• 64 million Americans engaged in freelance work in 2023, accounting for 38% of the US workforce.

• The global freelance market reached $1 trillion in 2023 and is projected to grow to $1.5 trillion by 2026, reflecting a 15% compound annual growth rate (CAGR).

• The UK's freelance workforce grew by 11% from 2022 to 2023, reaching 2 million freelancers.

This rise in freelance talent presents both opportunities and challenges, particularly for MSPs and mid-market staffing firms. Access to specialized skills and rapid scalability are major advantages, but managing a large, dispersed freelance workforce—especially across multiple regions—introduces compliance risks and administrative complexity.

The solution? A pre-vetted freelance talent pool.

Such a resource helps organizations mobilize skilled professionals quickly, reducing recruitment time and operational friction. But how do you create a talent pool that works for your business? Stick with us as we explore six steps to building a reliable, easy-to-manage freelance workforce.

Why Building a Freelance Talent Pool Is a Smart Move

A freelance talent pool presents a reliable way to access skilled professionals without the delays of traditional hiring. Think of it as a VIP list of pre-screened experts, ready to jump into projects when needed. Instead of scrambling to find talent at the last minute, companies can tap into an internal database of reliable freelancers, saving time and resources.

With that said, freelance talent pools offer three major benefits for businesses:

1. Lower costs without compromising quality: A pre-vetted talent pool significantly reduces recruitment costs by cutting down on constant sourcing. Businesses can save up to 30% on labor costs by engaging independent contractors instead of hiring full-time employees.

2. Faster hiring: Half of organizations that rely on internal talent pools report speedier hiring times, as they can quickly assign pre-vetted professionals to projects without delay. Traditional hiring processes can take weeks, but a well-structured talent pool provides the agility to keep projects on track and meet deadlines.

3. Stronger working relationships with freelancers: Rehiring familiar, high-performing freelancers ensures project consistency. This is one of many reasons why repeat freelance work is on the rise. In fact, 37% of freelancers now receive daily jobs from clients, a trend that's been increasing since 2014.

Ultimately, an internal freelance talent pool gives businesses a faster, cost-effective way to scale their workforce while keeping projects running smoothly. This flexible model adapts to shifting business needs, ensuring you always have the right talent at the right time—without the stress of starting from scratch.

The Risks of Not Having a Freelance Talent Pool

Without an established freelance talent pool, companies risk avoidable setbacks that drain time, inflate costs, and make it harder to retain top talent. Every delay in finding the right freelancer and missed opportunity to re-engage trusted professionals creates setbacks—hurting short-term project success and slowing long-term business growth.

Here's a closer look at what could go wrong:

• Losing your best freelancers to the competition: Skilled freelancers are in high demand, so if you're not staying connected with top performers, other businesses will be quick to snap them up. Maintaining strong relationships ensures their expertise remains within reach rather than being lost to faster-moving competitors.

• Last-minute scrambles can derail projects: When deadlines loom, finding the right freelancer at the last minute can cause unnecessary delays. Without a pre-vetted talent pool, you're stuck racing against the clock—risking missed deadlines, rushed work, and, of course, added stress.

• Paying more for last-minute hiring: Without a freelance talent pool, businesses often face higher costs, whether through expensive recruitment services or premium freelancer rates on short notice. But with a well-maintained pool, the right professionals are already within reach—at a more competitive rate.

6 Steps to Building Your Own Freelance Talent Pool

The good news? The above challenges are entirely avoidable. You can easily build a well-structured freelance talent pool for your business.

Here's how:

1. Define Your Needs

Before diving in feet first, pinpoint the skill sets your business needs most. This might include roles such as:

• Developers: For web, app, or software programming.

• Designers: For graphic design, UX/UI, or branding.

• Marketers: For digital marketing, content creation, or SEO.

• Writers: For blog posts, copywriting, or technical writing.

• Animators and video editors: For video production, motion graphics, or 3D animation.

Identifying these roles is just the starting point. To make your freelance talent pool truly effective, you'll need to define the exact expertise required for each position. For example, hiring a web developer isn't enough—you need to specify the languages and frameworks they should know, such as React, Angular, or Python. Getting this level of detail right means freelancers can jump in with confidence to move projects forward without delays.

2. Leverage Your Immediate Network

Now that you have a clear picture of your ideal freelancers, it's time to start finding them! Begin by tapping into your existing connections—these professionals already know your business and work style. Starting here helps you quickly build a talent pool with familiar, dependable freelancers who can hit the ground running.

To get the ball rolling, focus on these key sources:

• Current and former freelancers: The easiest and most reliable option is to start with professionals you've already worked with. Since you're familiar with their output and work ethic, rehiring them usually minimizes onboarding time and ensures project continuity.

• Silver medalists: These are candidates who came close to landing a full-time role but weren't hired. Since they're already familiar with your company, they may be eager to take on freelance opportunities when they arise.

• Employee referrals: Your team can be a valuable resource for finding talent. Encourage employees to recommend freelancers they've worked with or know personally—this helps bring in professionals with reliable experience and a track record of delivering quality work.

• LinkedIn network: Sharing freelance opportunities on your profile or in relevant LinkedIn groups can help you connect with industry professionals and tap into a network of trusted contacts.

3. Expand Beyond Your Network

Once you've leveraged your immediate network, it's time to expand your search to find more talent. By broadening your reach, you'll uncover a wider variety of candidates, bringing fresh perspectives that can enhance your projects.

Here's where to find them:

• Freelance job boards: Platforms like Upwork, Freelancer, and Fiverr are well-established hubs for freelance talent. These sites allow you to browse freelancer profiles, read reviews from past clients, and explore their portfolios to evaluate their skills and experience.

• Your business's careers page: This is a great place to attract freelancers. Adding a clear call to action can encourage professionals to apply or sign up for job alerts, helping build a steady stream of applicants.

• Online job marketplaces: Explore platforms like Behance or Dribbble for creative talent or GitHub for developers. These job marketplaces are frequented by freelancers showcasing their work and actively seeking opportunities.

• Create a dedicated landing page to attract freelancers. It should highlight the available opportunities, showcase the benefits of working with your company, and include a simple, user-friendly sign-up process.

• Self-service sign-up: Building on the above point, make it easy for freelancers to express interest in working with your business by offering a simple, self-service sign-up form. This lets them submit their skills and experience at their convenience, helping you grow your talent pool without extra administrative work.

4. Use The Right Tech

Attracting talent is just the beginning. To keep your freelance talent pool efficient, you'll need the right tools to:

1. Track performance

2. Streamline hiring

3. Maintain engagement

The first step is identifying your top freelancers. Performance-tracking tools highlight your best talent by assessing their past work and reliability, so you can consistently collaborate with freelancers who deliver strong results.

Once you've pinpointed your top talent, a freelance management platform helps you monitor their:

• Availability

• Skills

• Project history

• Rates

• Time zone

With this system in place, you can quickly match the right freelancer to each project—reducing time spent searching and hiring while keeping work moving efficiently.

Engagement also plays a crucial role in maintaining strong working relationships with freelancers. Integrated messaging and real-time project updates keep them responsive and invested, fostering smooth collaboration and preventing bottlenecks—which leads us nicely to our next step:

5. Maintain Engagement

Keeping freelancers engaged increases the likelihood that they'll be available and interested when new opportunities arise. Here's how to strengthen that connection:

• Keep freelancers in the loop: Regular updates on upcoming projects and company news help maintain their interest and prepare them to jump in when needed.

• Provide opportunities for feedback: Creating a two-way feedback loop builds trust and helps freelancers refine their skills based on your needs—leading to stronger collaboration and better results over time.

• Send targeted job alerts: Keeping freelancers informed about relevant opportunities based on their skills and interests helps them act quickly—reducing hiring delays and keeping your talent pool active.

6. Monitor Your Talent Pool for Long-Term Success

A talent pool is only as strong as the results it delivers. To keep it performing at its best, you need to track key metrics that show its impact on your hiring success. Monitoring these indicators helps you spot gaps in freelancers:

• Availability

• Skill coverage

• Engagement levels

....so you can address issues before they disrupt your hiring process.

With that said, below are a few metrics to keep an eye on to maximize your talent pool's effectiveness:

• Sign-up rates: How many freelancers are joining your talent pool? A steady influx signals strong interest and reinforces your reputation as a great company to work with.

• Quality of applicants: Are you attracting highly skilled freelancers, or do you need to refine your sourcing strategy? Monitoring applicant caliber helps ensure your pool remains a reliable source of top-tier talent.

• Engagement levels: How often are freelancers responding to opportunities or staying active within your network? Higher engagement means a more dependable talent pool when new projects arise.

• Conversion rates: How many freelancers in your talent pool actually get hired? This is the ultimate measure of success, showing how well your talent pipeline translates into actual business results.

How Bubty Can Help

Managing a freelance workforce can be complex, but Bubty makes it easier to stay organized and efficient through:

• Automated talent pool management: Track freelancer availability, skills, and project history effortlessly, making hiring faster and more efficient.

• Gain data-driven insights: Use real-time analytics to assess freelancer performance and improve engagement.

• Enhance communication: Keep freelancers informed and responsive with seamless messaging and automated updates.

With Bubty, you can spend less time managing freelancers and more time getting work done.

Ready to start building your own freelance talent pool? Download our free Freelance Management Blueprint for an in-depth exploration of this topic, or book a consultation with one of Bubty's experts for personalized advice on scaling your freelancer workforce.