A Topdown of Toptal

Technology has changed the way employers hire top talent these days. Instead of advertising job posts in newspapers, employers and recruiters turn to freelance websites. Due to so many of these online marketplaces, quality candidates are sometimes compromised. And this is why most employers and recruiters turn to Toptal when searching for the best freelance talents.

In this review, we’ll tell you what Toptal is about, why companies use the platform, how much they charge, and its pros and cons. 

What is Toptal?

Toptal boasts of a stringent hiring process and claims that they hire only the top three percent of freelancers worldwide. Toptal isn’t named “Toptal” for nothing. The reason why they’re called that way is that they only consider the top talents in every industry. 

They want to find the best professional talents worldwide and connect them to small and big brands. The platform has hired the most skilled individuals from CERN, MIT, Wharton, Google, and other top schools and organizations worldwide. 

Toptal’s mantra is to “connect the world’s top talent with the world’s top organizations.” 

These are some freelancers you can hire from this platform:

• Developers (Architects, software engineers, coders, etc.)
• Designers (Illustrators, graphic designers, interaction engineers, animators, expert UX/UI designers, etc.)
• Project Managers (Technical and digital project managers)
• Finance Experts (Financial and valuation experts, startup funding experts, CFOs, etc.)
• Product Managers (Scrum product owners, digital product managers, experts in various industries like healthcare, eCommerce, and more)

Why Recruiters Search from Toptal?

So the question remains: Why do most recruiters hire from Toptal? Besides it being a high-end freelance website, the platform’s elite professionals make it the go-to marketplace.

On top of that, here are some benefits you’ll get when hiring freelancers from this platform:

Hire Quickly

Toptal assures that you can hire in as fast as 48 hours. Plus, there are no strings attached, so you can scale up or down whenever you want. The negotiations are also flexible, ranging from hourly, project-based, to full-time. 

Stringent Hiring

Toptal has one of the most stringent hiring processes compared to other freelance websites. This is the reason why the platform takes pride in hiring only the top three percent of the world’s top talent. It takes three steps: 

1. Toptal’s industry experts will connect with you to know your goals and needs
2. The platform will then match you with the right professionals for the project within 24 hours
3. Work on a trial basis with the freelancer and pay only when you’re satisfied

Specialized Skills

Toptal is a quality freelance marketplace that’s constantly updated on recent trends and industries. You can hire experts with specialized skills in AI and blockchain technology from this platform. 

Two-Week Trial

Employers can work with the candidate for two weeks and pay only when they’re satisfied. If not, the platform pays for the services rendered.

How Much Does Toptal Charge? 

Employers can expect to pay freelancers a minimum of $60 per hour to over $6,400 weekly. In addition to that, employers would have to pay a deposit of $500 once they start hiring. 

The platform claims that this fee is to determine if employers are indeed serious recruiters. If they’re not satisfied with the candidates, they will refund the deposit in full amount.

Pros and Cons of Hiring from Toptal 

Here are some pros and cons of hiring from Toptal to know if the platform is fit for you or not:

Pros:

• Quick hiring in under 24 hours
• Proven 98% hiring success rate
• Quality freelancers
• Risk-free initial project engagement
• Fluent representatives

Cons:

• Too expensive for simple projects
• Not suitable if you’re looking for in-house talent

Toptal Alternatives

If you find that Toptal isn’t the right platform for your needs, here are some alternatives for you:

• Upwork
• Crew
• Lemon.io
• Gigster

Is Toptal Worth the Search? 

When you’re looking for quality talent and have the budget, Toptal is your best bet. Hiring the best candidates from this platform is also risk-free with Toptal’s two-week trial. Finally, get a full refund if you’re not 100 percent happy with the work. Overall, it’s a win-win when hiring freelancers from Toptal.