3Howards Media Blog
Benefits of hiring interim design professionals
Posted July 24, 2009 | 0 Comments
The trend towards hiring temporary staff for design and other functions is growing. According to CareerBuilder.com, 29% of hiring managers expect to use freelancers in 2009. In this post, we'll examine the key benefits to hiring an interim design professional, how to find them, how to pay them and the outline the value they can bring to your organization.
The benefits of interim design talent are numerous:
- Bridging the gap between open or new positions and full time hires.
- Controlling and managing workloads.
- Exploring new products, services or business ideas.
- Providing an outside objective point of view.
- Backfilling maternity, family or medical leave.
- Expediting a critical project.
- Offering a skill set that you don't currently have in your organization.
- Access to skilled qualified resources without the risk of hiring full time staff.
Companies now recognize the benefits of outsourcing design help and even using those workers on a "trial basis" for future hiring.
Where to Find Interim Design Resources
There are a number of temporary staffing services, however, many of them focus on less skilled staffing needs such as clerical, warehouse, and manufacturing. Although some may have access to design professionals, chances are, your best bet will be to perform a Google search for interim designers, freelance designers and temporary designers to find resources in your area. Word-of-mouth, professional networking groups and the Chamber of Commerce can also provide great insight into finding design professionals that will be interested in working with your organization.
Commom Payment Structures
There are a few common methods used to pay for interim designers for their services.
Hourly: This method ensures that you, the client, only pay for the time/work provided. Hourly rates vary from designer to designer, and is usually equated to the level of skill and experience a certain individual possesses. We recommend that you speak to several designers to get an accurate "going rate" for interim help.
Project: This method is preferable amongst many employers who simply want to know the total cost to design, develop and launch a project. Many factors are taken into consideration when providing a project based fee, such as changes in parameters, delivery time of content, and unexpected delays.
It is important to remember that independent contractors do not have taxes withheld from their paychecks. They are still entitled to pay taxes under current IRS laws and are not entitled to any benefits that normal employees receive. We suggest you use a W9 form for interim staff and provide a 1099 form for the individual or company at year's end. This is the freelance equivalent to a W2 form for employees.
Value Added Services
If you are looking for a skilled professional with established credentials to add value to your organization, to provide external insight into your design needs, or simply to fill in for absent employees, then hiring an interim design professional might be the perfect solution.
If you are an employer looking for a design professional, we'd be happy to answer your questions. Simply fill out our contact form and we'd be happy to assist.