Outsourcing Work Samples (Book Excerpts)

If you haven’t already, register a username for yourself so you can discuss this topic in our Book Discussion forum.

Curious about outsourcing work samples? Our book, “Outsourcing Through RentACoder” explains it all. Below are a few selected snippets that describe its importance and why you, as an outsourcer, should care.

For details, head on over to this page and order the book.

Outsourcing Through RentACoder is a 418 page step-by-step user guide for entrepreneurs who want to reduce their workload and increase productivity at the same time.

Excerpts:

• When it comes to hiring competent coders, the website makes the selection process almost effortless. Buyers use resumes, work samples, certifications, ratings, and online feedback to identify qualified coders. (page 41)
• Let’s say you’re in the market for a company brochure and let’s say that your bid request asked each coder to submit a work sample along with a bid. After a few bids come rolling in, you download the work samples and find one of the most beautiful brochures you’ve ever seen. (page 268)
• You won’t actually pay for the work sample of course, but think about this: If you wouldn’t pay for a coder’s work sample in any other circumstance, you probably won’t want to pay for the coder’s actual work on your project either! (page 270)
• If you can’t select a coder based on work samples alone, expect to pay for demonstrative work. It’s the ethical thing to do! (page 153)
• That means that while you might have found a coder with a terrific resume, a great work record, and fantastic work samples, you might increase your project’s likelihood of success by hiring one of these gems — an Expert Rating certified coder. (page 243)
• The last step of selecting a bid winner entails looking at a few work samples. We walk you through the process of accessing and analyzing those work samples so that by the time it’s all said and done, you’ll have a definite bid winner in mind and you’ll know you made the right choice. (page 255)
• Although the foreign coders formatted their bids in English fairly well, we could see from their work samples that hiring either one of them would only consume our time with grammar edits, spelling corrections, and some pretty major syntax adjustments. (page 260)
• The problem with requesting sample work in a bid request is that upon viewing it – (and this is assuming the sample work is impressive) — it may tempt you away from properly disqualifying a problematic coder. (page 268)
• Hiring coders without taking the proper time to qualify or disqualify them is an extremely risky move. Only after you discover a coder is trustworthy, responsible, and recommended should you ask for work samples — just so you don’t fall victim to the same sort of temptation as described above. (page 269)
• You won’t actually pay for the work sample of course, but think about this: If you wouldn’t pay for a coder’s work sample in any other circumstance, you probably won’t want to pay for the coder’s actual work on your project either! (page 270)
• When the coder provides work samples, do not just tell the designer that you don’t like the work. Tell the designer specifically what you don’t like and if there is an element in the work sample that is usable, tell them. (page 407)

Order Outsourcing Through RentACoder:

Outsourcing Through RentACoder is a 418 page, 7.44″ x 9.68″ paperback book, fully illustrated and filled with everything you could possibly need to successfully outsource your tasks the first time.

Inside, you’ll find a slew of outsourcing know-how, over a dozen online checklists, worksheets, and more. It also introduces an outsourcing roadmap exclusive to the RentACoder website.

Order it here.