Benefits of using a creative staffing agency
One of the more common freelance writing questions I get asked revolves around whether or not to become part of a creative staffing agency. The Creative Group and Creative Circle are the two most popular organizations out there who specialize in helping freelance copywriters find projects.
What is a Creative Staffing Agency?
Creative Staffing Agency is a firm that have cashed in on positions that are common to art departments, marketing projects, and IT departments are referred to as creative staffing agencies. The goal of a creative staffing agency is to work in order to present qualified, talent-ready creative in a range of creative and design disciplines. It may be for contract, full-time, or part-time work, these creative staffing agencies will always have a built-up pool of video editors, content writers, designers, and many more.
I have aligned myself with a couple of these staffing agencies before, so I can tell you the advantages and disadvantages of going that route versus finding your projects and clients. Do not miss reading 7 Things to Know About Working With Creative Staffing Agencies.
And in my opinion, the advantages of creative staffing agencies are few and far between. In fact, the only major advantage I see is that if you don’t want to track down your own freelance writing projects, creative staffing agencies might help. However, those projects you do receive (which aren’t as many as you might think) will require you to take a much lower hourly rate than you could otherwise charge.
These agencies generally pay you a max of $35 per hour, while charging the client a higher number and pocketing the difference.
To me, I would rather hustle and find my own freelance writing projects, where I can make double that amount, rather than depend on a creative staffing agency to give me the occasional project.
A creative staffing agency offers creative for free ongoing education to their students so they can build up their various skill-sets. The old way of hiring people by posting advertisements and waiting creates a load of resumes to sort through and possibly thousands of credentials to verify. At a creative staffing agency, these tasks vetting has already been done for you.
Below are benefits of creative staffing agency:
1. Great cost/benefit ratio
From the reports of Wall Street Journal, numerous companies are taking months to find new employees that fit into their needs; as a result, they are losing money because time equals money. Companies are nervous about the talent, they’re still sketchy about the economy and they just want to know they’re getting the best talent for their money. But these companies can actually save a lot of time and resources by relying on the staffing agency to find them a pool of qualified, vetted candidates because of their huge networks of active and passive candidates.
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2. Right hire for the right reasons
The best matches in the employment circle are those that have both the needs of the client and the needs of the talent closely synchronized. Their clients can customize their talent search to designate what skills and experience they need, whether the position is temporary, part-time or full-time, and the salary range. At the same time, their pool of talents are able to look through opportunities that fit their needs too, these agencies are always looking for a win-win setting.
3. Right match can hit the ground running
It is very true that there are always learning curves whenever a new hire comes on board. A digital and creative staffing agency can find you candidates with qualifications and talents that enable them to take the step at a time instead of getting stuck looking confused.
4. Saves Money/Time
Creative staffing agencies saves you money and time by eliminate the need for interviews, advertisements to announce new open positions, maintaining job listings on various websites, and verifying what’s on someone’s resume. Not that there is no need for such things, it is just that the staffing agency had already taken care of all of it.
5. Higher-quality talent pool
So many of the agencies only work with the top talent in the country to produce the best hands. Our designers, writers, presentation specialists, etc. have amazing portfolios and credentials. According to LinkedIn, some of the best candidates are “passive” and not actively combing help wanted ads. Every good staffing agency have long-term relationships with their talent, no matter where they are in their careers, and can easily contact these “hidden gem” candidates for you any time you need their services.
6. All background checks done
It is important to understand that over 80% of talented professionals from a creative staffing agency have had a full background check. The agencies vet and stand behind the talent they work with, and they only work with the best. They know them because they have interviewed them; they have seen their work and gotten feedback from their previous jobs.
