Finding the right talent for your marketing and creative team is a perennial challenge. You need people who are not just skilled, but who also understand your company culture and can hit the ground running. Partnering with a creative recruitment agency can make all the difference, but with so many options out there, how do you choose the right one? Here are five key questions to ask that will help you evaluate potential creative recruiting partners and find the perfect fit for your needs.
1. What is your recruiting specialty?
The creative field is vast and varied. It's important to find an agency that specializes in the specific areas you're looking to hire for, whether it's digital marketing, web development, UX design, or something else entirely.
Why it matters
- Access to a specialized network: An agency focused on your industry will have a built-in network of qualified candidates, giving you access to talent you might not find on your own.
- Industry understanding: They'll understand the specific skills and experience needed for roles in your field.
- Effective evaluation: They'll know how to assess portfolios, conduct technical interviews, and identify candidates who are a good cultural fit.
What to look for
- Clear focus: Look for a recruitment agency that has a clear specialization and can demonstrate a track record of successful placements in your field.
- Industry knowledge: Ask about their understanding of current trends, technologies, and challenges in your industry.
- Portfolio reviews: Inquire about their process for evaluating creative work and how they assess candidates' technical abilities.
2. What hiring models do you offer?
Your staffing needs might vary from project to project. A good creative recruitment agency will offer flexibility with different hiring models to suit your specific requirements, like temporary staffing (also known as contingent staffing, contract talent, or freelancers), contract to hire (also known as temp to hire or temp to perm), and direct hire (also known as permanent placements). Though not a recruitment solution per se, many agencies also offer employer of record services (also known as payrolling or payroll transfer services)
Why it matters
- Flexibility: You want an agency that can adapt to your changing hiring needs, whether you need someone for a short-term project or a full-time hire. And if you have pre-identified talent, having a partner who can onboard them as an employer of record can help you mitigate risk and reduce the administrative burden while ensuring they are taken care of from an employment, pay, and benefits perspective.
- Talent evaluation: Contract to hire is an approach that allows you to assess a candidate's fit before making a permanent commitment, so this might be particularly appealing if you want to mitigate some of the uncertainty involved in permanent hiring.
- Cost-effectiveness: Different engagement models come with different costs. With temporary staffing, you're charged an hourly bill rate. For direct hire, you're charged a placement fee that's a percentage of the role's annual salary. And, contract to hire includes an hourly bill rate during the contract period and a conversion fee if you bring on the talent as a permanent hire. Having these different options allows you to choose what works best for your budget.
What to look for
- Range of options: Ask about their available engagement models, including freelance, contract to hire, and direct hire or executive search.
- Customization: Inquire if they're willing to tailor a hiring model to your specific needs.
- Transparent pricing: Ensure they provide clear information about the costs associated with each hiring model.
3. How do you find and evaluate candidates?
A great creative recruitment agency doesn't just wait for candidates to come to them. They actively source talent, build relationships, and have a rigorous evaluation process.
Why it matters
- Access to top talent: Proactive sourcing helps you reach passive candidates who might not be actively looking but would be a great fit for your company.
- Quality over quantity: You want a recruitment agency that presents you with a curated list of highly qualified candidates, not just a long list of everyone who applied.
- Thorough evaluation: They should conduct in-depth interviews, check references, and assess skills to ensure candidates are a good match.
What to look for
- Sourcing strategies: Ask about their methods for finding candidates, including online platforms, networking events, and industry partnerships.
- Evaluation process: Inquire about their interview process, how they assess skills, and what criteria they use to select candidates for presentation.
- Candidate communication: Find out how they keep candidates engaged throughout the process and ensure a positive experience.
4. How do you help companies with their diversity recruiting efforts?
Building a diverse team brings a wealth of perspectives and ideas. Your creative recruiting agency partner should be committed to supporting your diversity and inclusion goals.
Why it matters
- Diverse talent pool: An agency with a focus on diversity recruiting strategies will help you access a wider range of qualified candidates.
- Inclusive hiring practices: They should have strategies in place to minimize bias and ensure a fair and equitable hiring process.
- Cultural understanding: They'll understand the importance of creating a welcoming and inclusive workplace for everyone.
What to look for
- Diversity partnerships: Ask about their specific efforts to promote diversity, such as partnerships with organizations for talent in underrepresented groups or specialized diversity recruiting training.
- Inclusive hiring practices: Inquire about how they ensure a fair and unbiased hiring process.
- Cultural sensitivity: Make sure they understand the nuances of different cultures and backgrounds and can help you create a truly inclusive workplace.
5. What employee benefits do you offer freelancers?
Even if you're hiring on a temporary basis, offering benefits is critical to attracting and retaining top freelance talent.
Why it matters
- Broader candidate pool: Comprehensive benefits packages can make your company more appealing to a wider range of candidates, including those at different life stages, with different family structures, and who have different needs and preferences. This includes talent who would typically only consider permanent positions because of the assumption that temporary roles don't offer benefits (or don't offer high-quality benefits).
- Improved retention: Benefits help temporary employees feel valued and taken care. This increases the likelihood that they will stay for the duration of their assignment rather than looking for another job where they feel the employer is investing in their well-being.
- Increased productivity: Employees who feel supported and cared for tend to be more engaged and focused on their work. They can take a sick day or get medical care when needed. And they also have some important supports that buffer them from the stresses of everyday life (like mental health coverage or financial wellness programs). This all leads to a team that is able to truly focus on their work during the workday.
What to look for
- Benefits offerings and quality: Look for a creative recruitment agency that offers high-quality major medical insurance, retirement plans, sick leave for all hourly talent, and other valuable benefits to their temporary employees, including those on part-time or shorter-term assignments.
- Flexibility: Inquire if they offer different benefit options to meet the varying needs of their talent pool. This may include things like different health plans that balance premium costs and coverage, flexible spending accounts which employees can contribute to at their discretion, or additional voluntary insurance plans above and beyond the medical, dental, and vision insurance offered.
- Easy access: Make sure the benefits enrollment process is straightforward and user-friendly for temporary employees.
Dive deep to select the right creative recruitment agency for your needs
Choosing the right creative recruitment agency can significantly impact your ability to build a strong and talented team in the competitive creative landscape. By asking these five key questions, you'll gain crucial insights into an agency's expertise, approach, and commitment to finding the right fit for your team.
Understanding their specialty ensures they understand the unique needs of your industry. Knowing their hiring models guarantees flexibility for your varying staffing needs and budget. Inquiring about their recruiting methods reveals their commitment to finding quality candidates. Discussing their diversity recruitment efforts demonstrates their dedication to building inclusive teams. Finally, understanding their benefits offerings shows how much they value their talent, which ultimately impacts the quality of candidates they attract and their commitment to retention.
These questions go beyond surface-level inquiries. They help you assess if an agency truly understands your needs, aligns with your values, and has the resources and expertise to deliver results. Armed with this knowledge, you can confidently choose a creative recruitment agency that will be a valuable partner in helping you build a successful team.
