Who To Look For

What should you look for when hiring a Contract Technical Writer?

Here Are Some Suggestions:

Technical Writing Experience with Industry/Subject Matter Experience

A good technical writer doesn’t need to be an expert in your field. However, you might want to look for someone who understands the terminology and subject area. You may also want to focus on writers with five or more years of experience. It is always a good idea to ask for writing samples.

Work Location and Availability – Is the writer willing to work on and/or off-site or a hybrid? On-site visits (onsite 3 to 5 days every 6 weeks) and Off-site work for most of the development can often be very cost-effective to your company in terms of space and support resources.

• Requiring full-time on-site work may be a barrier to hiring some very competent writers given that virtual work is commonplace today in almost every industry.

• Do you need the writer full-time (40 hrs./week) or less? To answer this question, consider the start and end dates of the project Be sure to factor in holidays, product reviews, and turn-around times.

Other Skills and Experience – Familiarity and/or experience with specific software (tools), Project Management, Information Mapping, Flowcharting, Instructional Design, and other skills and experience may be important, but do not let these overshadow the need for professional technical writing.

References – Along with asking for writing samples, it is always important to check references from prospective employees and contractors.