What are the benefits to hiring a creative contractor or freelancer?
The world has changed a lot in the past year, businesses have had to become more flexible and take new approaches to working. Including flexible locations and flexible staff. One of the quickest, easiest and adaptable methods is hiring a freelancer or a contractor.
If you’re not sure what a contractor is or why your company might benefit from taking this hiring approach, don’t worry – that’s what we’re here to explain!
What is a freelancer/contractor?
A contractor is someone who works for you on a short-term basis (often a number of weeks or months) and is usually hired to help you with a specific project.
Why hire freelancer/contractor?
There are plenty of reasons why you’d hire flexible staff, below are a selection with the biggest pulling power.
1. MONEY SAVING
Contractors/Freelancers tend to have higher hourly rates but you save money by not committing to a salary.
2. SPECIALISED SKILLS
Say you needed help from a Videographer for three projects, that’s not enough to justify hiring someone full-time. Contractors/freelancers enable you to access a vast range of niche skill sets short term.
3. EXPERT HELP
Contractors/freelancers tend to have more experience, meaning that you won’t have to spend time and money training them up before they can start being productive in your business.
4. FINDING THE RIGHT FIT
If it’s not working out with a specific contractor you just don’t use them again! It’s much easier to terminate their contract quickly and hire someone else than it is to fire a full-time employee.
5. EASE
Hiring contractors/freelancers puts less of a strain on your HR Department too as they come with a lot less paperwork. They’re responsible for their own worker’s permits and professional licenses.
6. FLEXIBILITY
This generally means two things. You gain the ability to move the freelancer from one project to the next without the concern on impacting other areas in the business and it gives you the option to use the person’s services as needed.
7. FRESH PERSPECTIVES
Freelancers and contractors bring a fresh pair of eyes to a project and can often help see the way around roadblocks and challenges and bring new processes to help a team structure work better together. What comes with a freelancer/contractor is experience from many different projects and scenarios which your business may not have come across before.
8. FOCUSSED ENERGY
Contractors and freelancers often join a team and have deliverables that are critical to a business project. There may be an absolute need for that skill and their contribution is critical. This means that when they are hired they are aware of the skills they are being hired for, so the expectation of quality is immediate.
9. IMMEDIATE ASSISTANCE
For most businesses hiring an employee is not usually an instant process. This can cause huge problems when a project is approaching a deadline or more hands a on deck are needed. With a freelancer or contractor, you can get hiring in a more efficient manner. There is less paperwork and a lesser need for training.
10. FURTHER REACH
By using a contractor or freelancer whether working remotely or in-house there is the ability to search further afield and find talent outside of usual geographical limits. Using a freelancer may open the door to growth whilst minimising risk if things don’t work out.
BONUS: #WFH
Freelancers, in most cases have their own equipment, software and work spaces meaning in this new flexible world a freelancer can get to work right away and autonomously.
At Artisan we have one of Australia's largest creative and digital workforces of freelancers, contractors and permanent talent, ready to go and ready to work from home. Give us a call and let us help identify the right hiring strategy for your business.
IF YOU NEED A FREELANCER NOW, CLICK HERE AND GET THE BALL ROLLING.
Looking to hire a creative or digital professional? Then give our awesome team of recruiters a call today on (03) 9514 1000 to discuss how we can help find the right contractor for you