There is no doubt that the freelance economy is on the rise and marketers are leading the way. Every day we see more and more freelance copywriters, designers, social media experts, and marketers enter the world of freelancing rather than taking a more traditional career path.
For companies, this opens the door to greater flexibility and options when it comes to recruiting talent. Rather than only looking for full-time employees, you can hire freelance marketers for special projects, specific tasks, or on a per needs basis. It’s an ideal option for companies going through a growth phase when they need to cut costs and get creative with talent management, and it allows you to continually bring new talent and perspectives into the fold.
As with any other approach to recruiting, there is a certain level of risk you take with each hire. Some freelance marketers will be great, others will be forgettable. If you are thinking about hiring marketing freelancers for an upcoming project or to become part of your team, consider these advantages and disadvantages:
The Advantages
Here are some of the key reasons to consider working with freelance marketers:
- If you find the right fit, you could increase their usage rate.
- If they are not working out, it’s relatively easy to cut ties and move on.
- It’s an effective way to diversify your workforce without a full-scale hiring effort.
- Good freelancers are experienced and require very little training to ramp up.
- Working with a freelancer is a pseudo long term job interview. If you find a great fit, you could always offer them a permanent position.
The Disadvantages
Here are some of the potential issues that could arise when working with freelance professionals:
- If you find a great marketer, you could be competing for their availability with other companies.
- It adds more complexity for managing your workforce.
- There is some uncertainty – freelancers may choose to move on, request a rate increase, or may have unique working condition requests.
- Their goals are not always in alignment with your goals.
- They may want to only work remotely, and there may be a disconnect between them and other team members.
The gig economy is heating up, and there is no doubt that working with freelancers will be part of your recruiting strategy in the future. Treat freelancers as you would other hires, and put the time and effort into finding the right fit.
More Advice for Hiring Marketing Job Candidates
4 Ways the Freelance Gig Economy Is Redefining Candidate Career Expectations
Why Marketing Careers Do Not Always Mean Full-Time
5 Important Job Search Considerations for Marketers
IQ PARTNERS is an Executive Search & Recruitment firm supporting clients across the country. We help companies hire better, hire less & retain more. We have specialist teams of recruiters in Financial Services & Insurance, Marketing Communications & Media, Emerging Tech & Telecom, Consumer Goods & Retail, B2B & Industrial, Technology, Accounting & Finance, and HR & Operations. IQ PARTNERS has its head office in Toronto and operates internationally via Aravati Global Search Network. Click here to view current job openings and to register with us.
