How to Hire Independent Contractors in Podcasting

When looking for people to work with you on your podcasts, you’ll probably need to hire independent contractors. Podcasts are often sporadic and it is likely you won’t need people full time.

You’ll want to be sure that you meet all the requirements for hiring an independent contractor for podcasting so that you are legally covered and can be sure you’re getting the services you need. Therefore, there are certain parameters that you’ll need to follow in order to manage the hiring process efficiently.

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There are many different elements involved in podcasting. To put together a podcast, the following roles will need to be filled:

Host

The host of your podcast will arguably be the most important person you hire. The host is responsible for researching the topic and planning content, questions, and format. He or she works along with the other contractors to ensure a successful outcome.

In looking for a host, you’ll want to be sure you find someone with the right personality type. The candidate should be charismatic, people-oriented, and well versed in the podcast theme so as to be able to address questions with authority.

Producer

The producer serves multiple roles in the podcast. He or she works alongside the host to oversee the production of the podcast. The producer plays both content-related and technical roles, working with the audio engineer to ensure sound quality and utilizing the equipment used in editing.

Audio Engineer

The audio engineer plays the critical role of ensuring that the technical aspects of a podcast are handled correctly. He or she needs to be familiar with all of the relevant software involved in making the podcast. Audio engineers know how to mix different clips together when necessary to provide additional content for any given production.

Marketing Specialist

As with other types of productions, it is important to hire the right marketing specialist. The person you contract should be familiar with the appropriate media for marketing, understand the subject matter well enough to appeal to the right audience, and be familiar with the aesthetic components that match the theme of the podcast.

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1.    Be sure your podcasting series is completely planned from start to finish.

If you don’t have a complete plan, you will run the risk of misrepresenting parts of the positions you are trying to fill and leaving yourself vulnerable to legal problems. If you are planning a series for the first time, look at the plans of other companies who have conducted similar ones.

The following is a checklist for    planning a successful podcast:

• Think about your overall goal. What is the main theme you want to focus on, and what are the possibilities for episodes? If you’re in need of inspiration, perhaps you should check out some examples of successful podcasts.
• Determine who your target audience should be. Who would be the main group interested in your theme? Is there a sufficient audience out there to justify the expenditure involved in your production?
• Outline your content, and how many episodes you think it should be broken into.
• Think about the type of marketing you want to employ (this will help in writing the position description for your marketing specialist).
• Determine the technical requirements you’ll need to meet.

 

2.    Write contractor job descriptions carefully.

When it comes time to writing contractor job descriptions, look at an independent contractor agreement sample before you compose your own so as not to leave out any critical elements. Be sure you cover the following points accurately so as not to leave any room for confusion:

• Details of the position. Be sure you’ve thought through the entire process from beginning to end so that you preclude any possibility of disputes or encountering liability issues.
• Credentials. As with full-time positions, you’ll want to be sure that your independent contractors for podcasts are the right fit for the job. Do some research on similar positions so that you don’t run the risk of hiring someone who is over- or underqualified.
• Lay out the benefits clearly and accurately. Remember, contracting is not employment. You don’t want the people you take on to expect health insurance or paid vacation. Be sure to list very carefully exactly what you expect from each contractor and the time that you expect the work to be done in.
• Be sure to have a lawyer review your contracts. There may be some costs involved in doing this, but in the end you will be happy that you had a legal professional check everything for you. You might think that you have written your contracts accurately, but there are often subtle details involved in wording and formatting that only lawyers can detect. It is better to make sure you’re covered from the beginning.

 

3.   Be sure to plan several phases of the interview process and allow time for background checks.

Even if you are hiring people for short-term contracts, you want to be sure you’re getting the right people and that their stated credentials are legitimate.

Therefore, you’ll want to plan the appropriate amount of time into the hiring process to allow for at least two stages of interviews with different sets of people. It may be the case that one or more senior staff members at your business like a given candidate but that the candidate him or herself simply cannot work with other members of the team. Especially if yours is a small firm, staff members will have close and frequent interactions with one another, so a good rapport is critical.

Similarly, you’ll want to allow time to verify each candidate’s credentials. If a given candidate says that he or she has already run a successful podcast, don’t take it as given.  You’ll want to not only be sure that the person held the role in question, but that the venture was a successful one.

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Even when the hiring process is complete, you’ll want to keep the rules close at hand in case disputes arise or you need clarification at any point in a given contractor’s tenure. If you follow the protocol correctly, you should end up with a successful production every time.