Should You Hire In-House Or Freelance Employees?
As the economy fluctuates and the landscape of business changes, the way you do business needs to flex, too. This holds especially true when it comes to hiring. The hiring decisions you make are an investment in your organization, and there are now more ways than ever before to tap into diverse talent that will benefit you now while also allowing you the ability to adapt to whatever the future holds.
Making strategic hiring decisions is imperative to the long-term health of your company. Your company doesn’t need to exclusively bring on permanent employees or hire with the long-term in mind. You can simply go online to hire a personal assistant, hire an accountant, or search for other services from a pool of talented freelancers online. This opens up a world of opportunities for businesses and freelancers alike.
Knowing the big picture of your company's goals and objectives will help you determine the type of hiring necessary to meet your needs. Every situation is different. Sometimes, a full-time employee will offer you the best fit for your needs, while often, you can fulfill the unique skills your company needs if you hire freelancers.
For most organizations, there is a happy middle ground. Tapping into both the benefits of in-house longevity and familiarity while simultaneously benefiting from the expertise and flexibility of freelance will help you build an organization that runs like a well-oiled machine.
The Benefits Of Freelance
With the uncertainty of the economic future, hiring freelance allows you to run a leaner operation while still tapping into the expertise that your core team lacks. The freelance pool is now more saturated than ever with talent that can benefit your organization without the long-term commitment and cost of hiring a full-time employee. These are a few reasons why considering a freelancer may be the best choice for your organization:
Access To Specialized And Diverse Talent
Diversity makes us all better. While culture is crucial to any organization, introducing new thoughts and viewpoints allows your team to approach things in a way that is new and innovative. Freelancers are specialized experts in their field and will work with your existing team to grow your business and achieve your goals.
Efficient And High-Quality Work For Specific Projects
Freelance workers can typically focus their time and energy exclusively on your project but will be eager to move through their work quickly to generate more income with future projects. Freelance workers generally finish projects at a faster clip than office-based employees who are juggling multiple tasks. Being driven to deliver excellent work on time in hopes of return-client business means you may see your project completed faster if you choose freelance.
Reduced Costs
Freelancers are the most cost-effective way to bring talent into your organization. All of the expenses that you save from employment costs can be poured right back into your projects, allowing you to grow and drive productivity.
Large Hiring Pool
Working remotely from anywhere in the world is one of the greatest advantages of freelancers. Companies are now open to more than the hiring pool in their local area and don’t need to worry about the expense of trying to relocate new talent.
The specific expertise your company needs is now literally at your fingertips. You can seek out the perfect freelancer with the specific skill set your business needs to thrive, no matter where they live.
Flexibility For Your Company
If you want to move quickly on a project, freelance will allow you the flexibility to do that far faster than searching out a perfect-fit long-term employee. You can now hire for your short-term goals while maintaining the flexibility to grow and flex with the market.
Reasons You May Need In-House Employees
While there are endless benefits to choosing freelancers for your next project, there are circumstances where in-house employees are invaluable to an organization. The value that longevity adds can only sometimes be replaced with freelance work, which is why your organization can benefit from the balance of both types of workers. These are a few reasons your company would need to hire an in-house employee to fill the gaps:
Long-Term Familiarity
Developing long-term familiarity with your organization is the greatest advantage of hiring in-house employees. You need people who understand the intricacies that make you stand out. This sense of familiarity takes time to develop and will benefit you long-term.
While freelancers give you access to immediate talent, there is simply nothing that can replace an employee who is a product of your culture and knows your processes inside and out.
Ability To Supervise Closely
If you are looking for more hands-on project oversight, you'll likely want to keep it in-house. The ability to closely monitor and supervise employees while keeping tabs on in-progress work is one of the significant benefits of hiring permanent employees.
Train To Your Specifications
With the long-term relationship formed by hiring in-house employees, you also reap the benefits of honing in on specific skills and nuances vital to you or your organization. The ability to train an employee to your specifications is a unique benefit of bringing someone on full-time.
The options are endless. More people than ever are striking out on their own, resulting in a freelance marketplace that can connect any company with the talent they need. Wise leaders can identify where they would benefit the most from in-house talent and supplement with freelance employees to fill in talent gaps. Don’t forget you can still use freelance platforms to hire those permanent employees, too. This hiring model is allowing businesses to achieve more than they ever thought was possible.