diiirect
PlatformTalentDataPricingFuture of work
Sign inPost a role

Explore

  • Platform
  • Talent
  • Data
  • Pricing
  • Future of work
Sign in

Get started

Hire talentI'm looking for work

First shortlist in 5 days

diiirect

Hiring, but direct. A platform and talent marketplace where companies, recruiters, and skilled professionals work together to move from role brief to qualified shortlist faster.

Product

  • Platform
  • Intelligence
  • Categories
  • Talent
  • Pricing
  • Changelog
  • Roadmap

Who it's for

  • For talent
  • For companies
  • For recruiters
  • For non-profits
  • Compare all four

Company

  • Manifesto
  • Case studies
  • Contact
  • Book a demo
  • Press & Media
  • Investors
  • Partners

Resources

  • Templates
  • Assessments
  • Experts
  • Nominate an Expert
  • FAQ
  • Hackathons
  • Apply as talent
  • Start hiring
  • Blog

Tools

  • All tools
  • EOR calculator
  • Resume generator

Legal

  • Privacy
  • Terms
  • Data deletion

Categories

  • Software & Web
  • Data & AI/ML
  • DevOps & Cloud
  • Cybersecurity
  • Blockchain & Web3
  • All categories

By tool

  • HubSpot

Alternative to

  • Upwork
  • Toptal
  • Fiverr
  • Freelancer
  • Guru
Made with🧉in🇦🇷🇺🇸byDraidel
Template library

Templates for every step of hiring and working

Home/Templates/Freelance business/Client onboarding questionnaire
Template & guide

Client onboarding questionnaire

Intake questions that surface goals, constraints, and decision-makers before work starts — so the project begins aligned instead of discovering misalignment mid-flight.

  • Made forTalent
  • Reading time~1 min
  • What's includedA complete, professionally written document you can adapt to your team.
Sign up to customize & send

The template

Every project problem you've ever had was visible in week zero — you just didn't ask the question that would have exposed it. Send this questionnaire after signing, before kickoff, and use the answers to run the kickoff meeting.

Goals and success

  • What outcome makes this project a clear win six months from now?
  • What triggered this project now, rather than last year?
  • How will you measure success — what number or event? {{Metric}}
  • What happens if this project doesn't get done?

Context and history

  • Has anyone attempted this before (internally or with another provider)? What happened?
  • What's working well today that must NOT break?
  • Are there existing brand guidelines, systems, or codebases I must work within? {{Links}}

Decision-making

  • Who gives final approval on deliverables? (One name, please.)
  • Who else will give feedback, and whose feedback wins when it conflicts?
  • What's your realistic turnaround for reviewing deliverables? {{N business days}}
  • Are there dates that matter — launches, board meetings, campaigns? {{Dates}}

Constraints

  • Budget range beyond this engagement, if follow-on phases emerge: {{Range}}
  • Legal, compliance, or industry rules I should know about?
  • Tools you require or forbid ({{project management, file sharing, communication}})?

Working together

  • Preferred communication channel and meeting cadence?
  • Time zones and no-meeting windows?
  • Who is my day-to-day contact, and who do I escalate to if they're unavailable?
  • Anything about working with your team I wouldn't guess from the outside?

Access checklist

  • {{Accounts and permissions needed}}
  • {{Files, assets, credentials — delivered via a secure channel}}
  • {{Introductions to stakeholders}}

How to use the answers

  1. Read for contradictions — two stakeholders naming different success metrics is your first agenda item, not a footnote.
  2. Restate the top three answers back at kickoff: "Here's what I heard; correct me now."
  3. Park anything that changes scope into a written change before it silently becomes expectation.

Not legal advice

This template is provided for general informational purposes only and is not legal advice. Laws differ by jurisdiction and change over time — have a qualified professional review any document before you rely on it.

Related templates

Template & guide

Availability communication template

Communicating capacity, vacations, and response windows to clients — proactive formats that protect focus time without ever looking unavailable.

Talent
Template & guide

Client offboarding email

A ready-to-send wrap-up email that closes an engagement warmly: results summary, handoff location, support terms, and a soft testimonial and referral ask.

Talent
Template & guide

Difficult conversation scripts for freelancers

Word-for-word scripts for the hard moments — late payment, endless revisions, disrespectful feedback, and ending a relationship — that stay professional under pressure.

Talent
Template & guide

Freelance business setup checklist

Entity, banking, contracts, insurance, and tax basics for going independent — the foundations to put in place during your first months, in a sensible order.

Talent
Signable template

Freelance client agreement

A talent-side services agreement that protects the freelancer: defined scope, limited revisions, clear payment terms with late interest, a kill fee, and IP that transfers only on full payment.

Talent
Template & guide

Freelance invoice template

A clean, professional invoice structure: itemized lines, payment methods, terms, and the small details that get invoices paid faster.

Talent