The rise of remote work and freelancing has opened up new opportunities for businesses to hire developers by tapping into a global pool of talent. Multiple platforms have emerged since then to provide hiring opportunities for businesses. One of these platforms that remains prominent among its competitors is Toptal. But is Toptal the right choice for your business as of 2023? Keep reading to find out!
You can go over this comprehensive guide before using Toptal. This guide presents Toptal reviews as of 2023 and compares Toptal with alternatives present in the market.
What is Toptal?
Toptal is a global talent marketplace that connects companies and businesses with freelancers. Freelancers, specialities include software design, development, testing, project management, and finance. Toptal was founded in 2010 and stands for ‘Top Talent.’ It has gained a reputation for providing access to high-quality freelancers because of its condensed screening process which results in 3% of top talent being accepted. Using Toptal as a part of your business in the modern digital age can provide various advantages and opportunities. Let’s explore some of them in this article.
Toptal’s Stringent Review Process
Toptal’s reputation as a premier freelance platform is underpinned by its rigorous review process that selects only the top 3% of candidates.
Timed Skills Test
Applicants face a challenging skills test with a tight time constraint, leading to the exclusion of around 90% of candidates who don’t make the cut.
Video Call Interview
English language proficiency and soft skills like communication and collaboration are evaluated through video interviews, ensuring well-rounded candidates.
Simulated Real-World Project
Applicants are assigned real-world projects to complete, providing practical insight into their capabilities within a specific time frame.
Screen Sharing Testing
Screen sharing tests assess speed, accuracy, and problem-solving creativity, ensuring a high standard of technical competence.
Streamlined Client Experience
For clients, Toptal offers a straightforward invoicing process, ensuring seamless transactions and access to top-tier freelancers.
Invoicing Made Easy
Toptal invoices clients directly for freelancer services, handling payment processing and commission deductions.
Empowering Freelancers
Freelancers have the flexibility to set their hourly rates, factoring in their location and experience level.
Market Leadership Through Investment
Toptal’s commitment to marketing, branding, and sales has solidified its position as a market leader, attracting top talent and clients alike.
Benefits of using Toptal
Toptal has garnered a reputation for offering access to the world’s best professionals through its rigorous screening process. Let’s take a look at the benefits of having professionals from Toptal onboard:
- Toptal’s famous ‘no-risk’ trial: Are you worried about the freelancer you just hired not fitting in your project? Toptal provides a no-risk trial in the case of you not being satisfied with your hire. During this trial, the customer is not billed. This means that the customer can evaluate the professional’s abilities without incurring any financial obligations. This provides clients/customers peace and security when hiring freelancers through their platform.
- Flexibility: Some of your projects might differ in scope and size leaving you with different long-term and short-term goals. With many organizations, you do not have the comfort of hiring professionals on an hourly basis. Toptal offers flexibility in terms of project duration and scope. Toptal’s flexibility extends to allowing a mix of both hourly and project-based engagements. For example: you may hire a software designer for the entire term of the project while a maintenance engineer may be required on an hourly basis only. This helps businesses in staffing appropriately according to their needs.
- High-quality global reach: Freelancers from all over the world go through a comprehensive evaluation to ensure that they possess the required skill set to be a part of the Toptal community. This means that when you’re hiring through Toptal you’re bound to reach highly professional candidates from all across the globe belonging to different countries and cultural backgrounds. This can be beneficial for projects with diverse backgrounds and a diverse community of customers.
Is Toptal right for your business?
Whether or not Toptal suits your business requirements depends on some factors. As of 2023, g2 reports suggest that 222 out of 256 people are satisfied with having Toptal as their marketplace for hiring professionals. The platform has been given a rating of 4.7 out of 5 on g2. Toptal has also showcased client testimonials and video reviews on its official website.
However, Glassdoor users craft different opinions about the platform. 72% of users are likely to recommend Toptal to their friends. Moreover, it shows a rating of 3.9 out of 5 as of current reviews. The rating has decreased -1% over the last 12 months according to Glassdoor.
Some factors to consider while hiring professionals through Toptal are:
- Budget: Toptal’s pricing rate includes hourly, part-time, and full-time options. If you have the resources to spend on highly skilled professionals, then Toptal might be the right choice for your business. With the flexibility and credibility that it offers, it could be a great fit for your operational profile as well as cost controls.
- Skill set: Toptal has a pool of talent if you’re looking for professionals in the software and financial domain. However, for other fields like creative roles or niche domains, you might need to explore options alternative to Toptal.
- Scalability: If you’re looking to scale your business anytime soon, Toptal offers you the option to scale your team as well. This scalability is essential for startups and companies experiencing rapid growth and Toptal helps you meet the increased demand.
Final Words
In the digital age at present, agility, innovation, and access to world-class skills are essential for business success. Toptal offers a versatile and excellent solution for businesses that seek to navigate the digital landscape with innovation and excellence by providing access to high-quality talent that can adapt to the changing needs of the technological world.
It is also important to note that while hiring professionals for your business needs, more than the platform the expertise and skills of the professional are what matter most. And for that, Toptal makes sure to give you the best.
