5 REASONS TO CONSIDER HIRING A CONTRACTOR FOR THAT MARKETING, CREATIVE, OR OPERATIONS POSITION

Creative and marketing roles often comes with special projects like creating infographics and one-off campaigns and events. A contractor allows you to hire someone just for those individual projects.

If the contractor provides value, you can always hire them for future work. When you have an open creative marketing spot, it always makes sense to fill it with the person who will provide your organization with both the best experience and the most value.

Digital marketing and creative experts can be a game changer for small and mid-sized companies. While the hourly rates are typically higher than you would pay a permanent hire, you only pay for the time you need.

If you hire additional full-time staff members, you may lose precious time to training and onboarding. You may pay your contractor more, but you receive high-quality work that creates future business.

When you find a qualified expert, you may hire them regularly. They internalize your value and expectations, providing you quality work within a set timeline and budget.

The full-time employees in your marketing or creative departments may have been doing a good job in their position for years. They would probably know everything there is to know about your products and services. They intimately understand the value you provide. They may have designed your website, so they know how each aspect functions.

But their very familiarity can at times be a disadvantage. Prospective clients don’t already understand what your brand has to offer. They don’t understand what makes you unique or how to use what you make. When they visit your website, they don’t know where everything is located.

A specialized contractor has training and experience that allows them to evaluate your creative initiatives, marketing and technology through the consumer’s eyes. They may find unique pain points and offer a point of view that is more reflective of your target audience than your current staff can.

Because contractors work with such a wide range of clients, they also develop a broad knowledge base. They have the opportunity to try the most innovative technology and work with experts in a number of industries.

You can choose someone with a wide range of basic skills to fill a variety of roles, or hire a contractor who specializes in the area you need most. If you need help with your SEM campaign or content marketing, for example, some talent have advanced training in those specific areas. If there isn’t someone already on your team with advanced SEM knowledge, hiring a specialized contractor can save you time, money and stress.

Creative, marketing, and operations professionals come with the network and connections of their own. If you are looking to sign a new vendor, additional PR connection, a lead at a prospective company…etc they can connect you with those additional individuals.

80Twenty represents thousands of digital marketing and creative local contractors in San Francisco / . Bay Area, Los Angeles, and New York City who may just be your next best hire. If you are short in time, have a deadline to meet, we can help you source and recruit talent so you get the best marketing, creative, and operations talent without the long term commitment. Contact 80Twenty today to find out more.

It is a much-debated topic among our design candidates on whether or not the design test is an effective leg of the hiring process. For more senior candidates it can be unnecessary and overly time consuming. However, for junior candidates it’s one of the most effective ways for a prospective hiring manager to test a designer’s time management, accuracy, and creativity. If you are asked to do one, do it. I have seen candidates offer to do one without the hiring manager asking and making it to the offer stage several times. In a crowded marketplace, a design exercise is a great opportunity to stand out.

Perhaps the first role you are offered after you finish school isn’t where you would like to be, not the role in the creative process you are most passionate about, or not with a highly-acclaimed brand. As a professional, every opportunity is a chance to sharpen your craft, network, and find where you would like to end up.

No one expects someone to remain in a role for a lifetime as was the culture decades ago. Signing on for a role does not mean an absolute, decided trajectory. In fact, some of our clients find it to be a bit of red flag when a candidate’s resume doesn’t reflect steady advancement. Nothing says ‘good designer’ like someone who is both creative and always looking to improve. You can demonstrate a desire to learn through collaboration and time. Though, its important to note that a wise creative realizes that advancement does not simply come with time but with intention.

Okay, okay – this may seem like an obvious bias, but based on conversations that I have with numerous junior candidates they all agree: a recruiter that advocates for them is vital to enhancing their chances of getting hired. As a recruiter, we can explain each designer’s unique background to the hiring manager. Essentially, recruiters are the modern, walking, talking replacement for a cover letter. Our direct line of communication with the hiring manager gives a personal impression of each designer we represent – that’s not something you can get with just an amazing portfolio.

Here at 80Twenty, we pride ourselves on our boutique approach to sourcing for designers and often when a client approaches us to consult on what level of talent they need, we first look to see if a well skilled junior designer could work well for their brand and need. Companies need all kinds of people. It’s each person’s background and practice that make someone “the right fit” not an unlimited source of original creativity. Check out our current open roles and submit your resume today.