Five Ways to Make Sure You Get the Best Out of the Human Cloud

The cloud is a virtually infinite pool of excellent resources – but you need to know how to use it well. (If you don’t, it could be a minefield.) Here are five tips for you to get the best out of the human cloud.

1. Set a contract. While there are many differences in working with people in an office and working with them through the cloud, one thing that should always be present in either situation is a contract that both parties have agreed to. The contract should, at its simplest, specify the service provider’s specific tasks, deadline, and the compensation amount for the project. Not having a definite contract will put both of you in a guessing game of time and numbers.
      
2. Give detailed instructions. A finished project will not be of any use to you if it isn’t done the way you need it to be done. Do not assume that your service provider thinks the same way as you and has the same image of the final product as you have in your head. Give as many details as you can regarding the project so that you will get exactly what you need.
      
3. Answer e-mails promptly. Both you and your service provider will always have time constraints. To make sure that the project gets done properly and on time, always check your e-mail for questions or clarifications that your service provider might have. It is common e-mail etiquette to answer all emails within 24 hours.
      
4. Don’t send too many e-mails. It is perfectly fine that you check on your contracted work’s progress every once in a while. However, you don’t have to do so every day. To get assurance that the work is progressing as it should, it is better to ask your service provider to e-mail you updates daily or every other day. But it’s another thing if the e-mails come from you. Even in the human cloud, there is such a thing as micromanaging, and very few people work well with somebody hovering over their shoulders while they work, even if that somebody is half a world away.
      
5. Always leave feedback. After every project, don’t forget to leave feedback on your service provider, whether the feedback be positive or negative. Positive feedback helps a good service provider get more work – a fitting reward for doing a good job for you. On the other hand, negative feedback helps your fellow outsourcers avoid unprofessional and incompetent workers.