Staff vs. Freelance: What Do You Need?

If you’ve been in business for a while, you know by now that finding great talent is not the easiest task! However, even more challenging is making the decision whether or not your company should hire in-house staff or freelance professionals. In our experience, there are a few considerations to factor in:

1. Niche Markets: Are you looking for a specific skill set that is not common in the current marketplace. If so, recruitment might prove to be a daunting endeavor, particularly if you don’t have an in-house human resources department to devote to filtering through resumes and conducting interviews. There are several online resources that cater to specific niche markets, which often contain a database of professionals who may be looking for the type of job you have to offer. Dribble.com is a “show and tell” for designers to showcase their work to prospective employers. Toptal.com is also a top resource specifically for developers and programmers.
2. Project Term: Are you working on a short-term project, or do you foresee needing this type of work on a recurring basis? The reality is, hiring someone on-staff can not only be more cost-effective in the long run, but also gives you the benefit of training the employee to get to know your brand and/or products inside and out. As a result, they can produce better quality work that is more in line with your expectations, branding guidelines, and corporate culture.
3. Logistics: A challenge that employers often face when outsourcing or working with freelancers is the logistical factors like distance and time zones. On one hand, you may be used to the flexibility of teleconferencing, Skype calls, emails, and SMS messaging, however, the downside is that schedules tend to conflict – especially when you’re dealing with a significant time difference that has you waking up at 4:00 to have a meeting… On the other hand, you can’t argue with the benefits of face-to-face communication. There’s nothing like a good old-fashioned brainstorming session in the conference room over coffee and donuts!

In the end, there is no golden rule or best practice when it comes to this question. Every business has its own specific needs. That being said, the decision should always be made on a case-by-case basis. At the end of the day, finding the best talent is priceless – so take the time to consider all your options carefully!