How I hired a 40 hour per week video editor, for free

Aug '23 (edited) in Other

I hired a full-time video editor this week and I wanted to share my process in case anyone else found it useful.

I’m already quite busy running several businesses, and I’m a 3/10 editor at best. I wanted to focus my energy on writing scripts and recording videos for the real estate coaching YT channel I’m launching. So I went looking to hire an editor. I looked at all the usual online suspects and decided to go for hiring from the Philippines. Many reasons for this; good English, good work ethic, high level of education, at a cost of 10-25% of the cost in the US.

I’ve previously employed around 20 people from the Philippines: FB/Google ads, admin assistants, and even bookkeepers with masters in accounting. Some were with me for as long as 10 years. I’ll include a link to the job board I use below.

I used a 4-step process that took 1 week to find several qualified individuals. I hired 1 for $1,200 per month for 40 hours per week (but got it to zero with Step 5).

1. Post a job (screenshot of post: https://www.screencast.com/t/2RjjmrD6oEjH)

2. Received 37 applicants. Review applicants, review their bio, review their portfolios, etc., and then invite all qualified applicants to interview via a test video edit. I gave them the raw footage for a 10-minute talking head video, with stop/starts, bad lighting, mistakes, with all the warts. I provided them with a few samples of creators I liked and minimal direction. I wanted to test their creativity and editing skills. I also offered to pay them, in advance, for 3 hours at the hourly rate from their profile. I did this to show that I’m serious and not looking for free work. I got 7 to agree to a test edit (6 completed the test, 1 was a no-show, I lost $25 on that one…). The most I paid was $30, the average was $23. (screenshot of invite: https://www.screencast.com/t/ks5ShMvFr)

3. Review the test video edits and invite the top 3 editors for 2nd round of test video edits. For the 2nd round, I wanted to test how well they understood & followed instructions, how well we could collaborate together, and if they were open or resistant to criticism. This was a very details list of instructions. (screenshot of instructions: https://www.screencast.com/t/1FSzECcpvO)

4. Video interview with top 2 candidates after 2nd round of test. I already had a good idea of their skill level, strengths & weakness. I wanted to meet them “in person” and ask probing questions, how long did it take you to edit the video? What software do you use? Do you have access to paid video/music creatives or do I need to provide it? Are you looking for f/t vs p/t employment? Do you already have a job? Why did you leave your last job? How much are you looking to earn per month? I picked the best of the two I interviewed. He also had graphics skills for thumbnails, etc.

Step 5 (optional) – as part of the coaching I do with real estate agents, we ask them to produce content, e.g. video market updates, neighborhood videos, etc., most are 3-5 minutes long. I only plan on producing 2 videos per week myself, so at best that’s 2 days' worth of work for my editor. I could have offered to pay per video or hired a part-time editor, but wanted someone who was 100% committed to working with me. I offered to edit videos for other agents with a subscription plan, $147/mo. for two 3-5 minute videos per month, or $247/mo. for four 3-5 minute videos per month. Got 7 that signed up and that just about covers the $1,200 I’m paying the editor. If there is more capacity, I may take on more, or if I end up producing more videos myself, I may discontinue it for other agents.

Hope this helps someone, happy to answer any questions.

Here are the round 2 videos from the 2 finalists if you want to see the quality of their work. Will need further revisions, but should give you a decent idea (these are also not in full resolution…):

· Editor 1 - https://youtu.be/i4czqGvJZss

· Editor 2 - https://youtu.be/qyAsGxILxBM

I’ve used this job website since about 2010. They’ve got great articles on best practices for hiring and employing people from the Philippines. They also have a done-for-you service, but I’ve never used it, so can’t speak to how well that works.

Without a referral link: https://www.onlinejobs.ph/

With a referral link (no cost to you): http://store.onlinejobs.ph/?aid=16423

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