FAQs

WiseCrowd combines the efficiencies of an online platform with an intimate knowledge of the GRC (Governance, Risk & Compliance) industry to connect business Clients with freelance professionals to fulfil their project or consulting requirements in a timely, transparent and cost-effective manner. Concurrently, GRC consultants benefit from an easy-to-use, fast and transparent platform and become part of a GRC professionals community.

The WiseCrowd platform is powered by a proprietary algorithm matching freelance professionals with the exact skills, experience, location and availability required to deliver solutions to businesses and organisations across the world. By displaying the best matched professional profiles as well as Client reviews, the platform cuts the turnaround time for engagement drastically.

We give you access to a curated community of professionals to provide your business with Governance, Risk and Compliance expertise with a few clicks, whenever and wherever you are.

By using intuitive algorithms, we will match you with the right Freelancers for your requirements and connect you to get your job started quickly.

The WiseCrowd platform provides you with connectivity, transparency and ease of access, removing the middle man in the recruitment process.

You also get more control in the management of a job by defining the duration of work upfront, customising the terms and conditions of the work and managing quality and scope performed through our Timesheet functionality. This allows you to track hours spent on each deliverable and to approve the deliverable prior to payment being made.

With our platform, we aim to deliver a cost effective approach to hiring professionals by increasing the time to hire by doing some of the skill vetting and profile checks ahead of time – delivering you quality personnel for a fraction of the cost.

To get started on WiseCrowd, all you need to do is register. How do you do this? Check out our key points below

1. What should I do after I register? Once you sign up as a Client, it's time to define your job. Outline your goals, deliverables, the skills you're looking for, and your desired deadline. By thinking through and articulating your requirements, you make it easier to write an effective job post and explain your job to others. Now that you know what you need, post a job. We’ll instantly match you with promising Freelancers, but you can also search the entire marketplace for Freelancers and invite qualified experts to submit bids.
2. How do I hire on WiseCrowd? What do I look for in a Freelancer? First, think about the work and skills you need, then describe your job and post it. Freelancers will soon submit their best proposals for your review. You can also invite Freelancers to submit bids from a list of potential matches we highlight, or search our entire freelance community for that perfect fit. Next, evaluate Freelancers by reviewing their WiseCrowd profile – which can include their profile video, work experience and Client reviews. To enlist a Freelancer’s services, simply click the “Accept & Hire” button to get started.
3. How do I make my job a success ? Start by writing a clear and concise job post. When evaluating candidates, focus on Freelancers with proven work on similar jobs. Once you’ve selected your Freelancer, communicate clearly about your requirements.

Your Client public profile is something that is shared with all WiseCrowd registered users.

On your company profile there is a lot of content and imagery you can add/edit including:

• Company address
• Company logo if available and,
• A brief profile of what your company does

Note: It is important that you keep your Company profile as up-to-date as possible so that it is a true reflection of your business.

We want to connect you with the right professionals to get your job underway as quickly and simply as possible.

To be able to post a job, you will need to have been verified as a Client through our onboarding process which validates the following:

1. Proof of address and identification
2. Credit checks validation for individuals and companies (where applicable), and
3. Company verification (where applicable), then
4. The WiseCrowd team activates your account

Once verification is complete, you are then able to create a job specifying the

1. The expertise you need e.g. what skills are pertinent
2. The duration of the job and when you expect it to start
3. The bidding deadline
4. Any terms and conditions you would like to apply around the job e.g. you may want a Freelancer to work onsite once a week or you may be comfortable with remote working
5. You can decide whether you would like your job to be Featured, which means it will be prioritised and highlighted in search results

Once all this is done, you are ready to submit your job posting to get your job started!

The great news is that after your job is posted, you can search for available Freelancers, or you can also wait to get bids from Freelancers! Now how good is that?

Start by writing a clear and concise job post. Each Freelancer submits a bid and link to their WiseCrowd profile covering:

1. Introductory video about themselves
2. Skills and experience
3. Client reviews
4. Language and communication skills

You'll get applications from independent professionals, from there, just interview your strongest candidates and hire your favourite. In the unlikely event that we do not have a Freelancer in our community that fits your exact requirements we will find one for you!

Please contact our Customer Services team info@wisecrowd

WiseCrowd takes a small fee of 10% + VAT of the job value from the Freelancer to cover our service and to provide support throughout.

If you are a company registered outside the EU, please fill out the Contact Us form and we can schedule some time to work out a fee and billing to exclude VAT.

If you hire one of our Freelancers as an employee on a permanent basis there will be a charge of 20% + VAT on their earnings in their first 52 weeks.

Beginning with the hiring process and through job completion, WiseCrowd makes it easy to communicate with and pay your Freelancers online. This includes real time chat functionality within your Workroom - providing you with real-time sharing and collaboration.

Our top tips for working with Freelancers include:

1. A good brief : a detailed brief that explains your expectations and deadlines is always a good start
2. Communication : with the real time chat function, you are able to speak directly to your Freelancer and discuss how or when deliverables are met without having to rely on a barrage of emails
3. Responsiveness : communication is a two-way street, to get the best out of your Freelancer you will need to be able to respond within an acceptable timeframe that enables the Freelancer to do their job. For example, responses on deliverables and clear direction on what needs to change. Also, responding to requests for payment is a key part of managing the working relationship to make sure they are rewarded for a job well done
4. Fair treatment : Our Freelancers are human at the end of the day and they expect to be motivated and treated fairly and reasonably. Respect for their work and the time they put in is a key part of motivation that makes the Freelancer enjoy the working relationship and could lead to important referrals. Don’t forget that Freelancers will also rate their experience with you over the duration of the job

The job will only be able to be closed 1 week after the job completion date to allow the Freelancer to submit the final timesheet and to ensure the last invoice is paid.

A prerequisite to job completion is that the following have completed

1. Freelancer has submitted all their timesheets
2. Client has approved all time sheets
3. All payments to the Freelancer have been completed

Once all the above is completed, you as a Client are able to confirm the job as closed – and both parties (Freelancers and Clients) are able to rank each other based on their interactions throughout the project. For more information, please see our How do I get rated or ranked? section

Please note that in cases of an extension, you will have to create a new job that allows you to extend your job within a time frame that is acceptable to both yourself and your dedicated Freelancer.

You need to ensure you have sufficient funds prior to paying each invoice.

Step by Step Guide :

1. Agree contract : Set up and agree job duration and specify your terms and conditions including day rates and filling out timesheets. Once both parties agree, our system will automatically generate a contract that will have to be signed by both parties. As a Client, you also get the opportunity to specify any unique terms and conditions that apply to you
2. Manage job : This includes agreeing the specifics of the job and agreeing how communication will work during the duration of the job. This point is particularly pertinent when your Freelancer works remotely and does not work in the same time zone as yourself. For more information, check out our top tips for working with Freelancers

WiseCrowd recommends putting together an accurate brief and spending time on job planning prior to when the job starts. This will ensure that both you and your Freelancer understand the job requirements and there is a clear brief to work from.

We also suggest breaking down your job into clear deliverables that can be managed within the duration of the job.

Additionally, at the end of a job you will get a chance to review your experience with the Freelancer by providing a review on their expertise, quality of work, and timeliness of deliverables.

No one likes to see disagreements, however, they do happen. At WiseCrowd, we take our professional relationships very seriously.

When a dispute is raised, the WiseCrowd team will investigate both sides of the dispute and make a decision based on the audit trail available in our secure Workroom. When the resolution is in favour of the Client, the Freelancer will be contacted and provided with an update on the actions required as part of the resolution.

We regret to say that a project cannot be cancelled before the end date once contracts have been agreed. In the case of a dispute, please refer to our information on disputes.

Using our automated billing system, your Freelancer will bill you each week using our integrated timesheet functionality.

Once you review and approve each weekly timesheet (you have one week to do so), WiseCrowd automatically generates a corresponding invoice. The Freelancer will then request payment. You will need to manually release funds in the Workroom to pay the invoice by direct bank account or by PayPal, which can be set up ahead of the start of a job.

WiseCrowd accepts payment by PayPal or direct bank transfers. Any payments are subject to a small processing fee – please refer to our terms of use page.

You are rated or ranked against an agreed contract with a Freelancer that has been performed to an agreed standard and completed.

After job completion, your Freelancer will rank you on a scale of 1 – 5 on the following:

1. Payment on time
2. Responsiveness
3. Work environment, and
4. Referral to other Freelancers

It is important to note that a combination of all the reviews you receive create an average rating, which becomes part of your public profile.

Consistent positive feedback put you above the crowd and means that Freelancers may choose you follow you to know when you have jobs they can bid for. This definitely puts you above the crowd in terms of having our preferred Freelancers bidding for any job you post.