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You’ve been thinking about this for a while. 

There’s that project that needs a creative professional, but do you need a full time permanent employee or would a freelancer be better? 

Hiring a freelance creative makes a lot of sense and here’s why…

1.Fresh eyes, fresh talent 

Freelancers work on many projects in many workplaces delivering outstanding outcomes for clients. They are exposed to lots of different and varied people, teams, methods and skill sets. This immersion allows them to take a curious look at design dilemmas and projects with a fresh set of eyes. Working in varied locations exposes freelancers to different ways of thinking and ways of approaching a problem. In turn if you engage a freelancer it could be like a breath of fresh air for you current team, it can breathe life into a project.  Part of being creative in a team means that you bring skills with you to the table but it also means that you leave learning something new from each and every freelance job. 

Staying fresh and on trend is important for designers and this comes from research, reading and tuning in to what’s happening around them but it also comes from watching and experiencing the way others manage a task and the ideation process. Being able to tap into this by using a freelancer with experience is extremely beneficial. Chances are the experience they bring with them will make the management of the project easier and you may even learn something yourself along the way. 

2. Matching skills to the project

Engaging a freelancer allows you to be specific. You can find the perfect set of skills and align it to exactly what you need. Match the skills of the designer closely to the parts of the project that require a professional creative with experience in that specific task. You can build a team using freelancers who are happy to ‘stay in their lane’ and just focus on what’s required without getting distracted with the volume of work, or who’s working on what, like permanent employees can sometimes do. Freelancers are always looking to make a great impression and are experts in picking up where others left off or segmenting the work and skillfully finishing their delegated tasks. 

When sourcing the freelancer, you can be very specific.  Being selective allows you to find exactly what you need.  You can do this with more freedom and without having to worry about permanent employment considerations like soft skills, company culture and fit, working hours or location etc. Engaging a freelancer gives you choice and options. 

3. Industry knowledge & tech

Industry knowledge and high-level proficiency with technology and software is essential for the professional freelancer and part of their offer.  It’s what wins them more work. Often they have their own tech stack that they are expert in and you can take advantage of that expertise for your project. Many companies hire freelancers remotely now so using technology to manage workload, tasks and logging time makes this process easy and more transparent. 

Freelancers have an excellent understanding of their skills sets and expertise, they know what they are good at and are used to flexing their creative muscles. When you hire a freelancer you get to take advantage of these skills. Most professional freelancers want to stay freelancers and have no expectation to find permanent contracts, they enjoy the nature of varied work.

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4. Pay only for what you need

Let’s face it, you need to keep to a budget and you don’t want to spend more than you need to. Hiring a freelancer allows you to do just that. Simply set a timeline for the work required. No further expectations on both sides means that you're not paying wages while waiting for others to do their part. Freelancers are used to working with staff members and are skilled at doing what is required and navigating working with established teams.  

When you engage a freelancer it’s more about the work than anything else and so there is a level of concentrated focus that is sometimes lacking in permanent employees. With a deadline and clear expectations freelancers are expert at working to a timeline. In the long term this saves money and gives you control over what tasks can be outsourced and what tasks need to stay in house. Another added benefit is that you know what the cost is and you can cap the costs to meet your budget, no surprises, no budget blowouts.

With the rising cost of advertising for jobs, it makes sense to spend a few moments looking over that project and seeing what can be completed by a freelance creative prior to spending money. 

5. Quick & Simple

If you have been considering a freelance creative you know that not all platforms or portals are are created equal. There are many websites that promote gig workers but there is a huge difference between a person with abilities and a professional creative that lives and breathes design, attention to detail and works to a timeline. Many of these platforms do not verify the workers skills, and have no way of ensuring that you get the experience you seek and the skills offered. 

It’s really important if you want the engagement of a freelance creative to go smoothly that you seek out the following:

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• A portal that hosts many varied types of creatives with varied levels of experience

• A portal that pays the freelancer on your behalf so that you ensure compliance with legislation and requirements when hiring a contractor

• A portal that handles workcover and insurance requirements

• Freelancers have been verified, interviewed and skills offered have been confirmed

• Freelancers have the right to work and all the appropriate documentation and qualifications

• Freelancers who are at the top of their game and have exposure to varied work

• Freelancers that have a professional portfolio of work and you can view it prior to engagement

• A portal that understands rates, fees and what hourly rate is aligned to the experience of the individual

• Freelancers of various levels eg: senior, mid-weight and junior and a mixture of positions UX, UI designers, graphic designers, motion graphics, videographers etc

• A portal that can meet demand with lots of regular freelancers looking for work

Some of the types of roles that lend themselves to freelance work are:

• Copywriters, content creators

• Graphic designers, digital designers and motion designers

• Videographers, video editors and writers

• Product & Packaging designers

• Learning education designers and course writers

• Presentation specialists, powerpoint etc

So, now hopefully you're ready and better equipped to engage that freelancer.  Do your homework, find a professional portal, write up your brief and get searching. You could have that professional creative working alongside you in days. 

Creative Recruiters have an excellent portal that hosts hundreds of professional, creative and ready to work freelancers. Post your job for Free and find that perfect freelancer today. Click here​