Teams vs. Individuals: Diversifying The Workload

There’s the old saying, "There’s no I in teamwork.” But without individuals, there is no team. When properly managed, teamwork can lead to innovative ideas and strong performance. But conflicts and shared responsibility can make employees feel tense and pressured to put in long hours. All of this can lead to poor performance, low productivity, burnout, and high turnover.

Teams aren’t going anywhere, nor should they. But hiring contractors, freelancers, and other part-time individuals can bring numerous benefits to your team and your company. 

Support overstretched employees. There’s nothing less productive than an overworked employee working unnecessarily long hours. Hiring a part-timer can be a great way to offer them support while increasing both employee engagement and retention. 

Increase the skill set of your workforce. One of the best aspects of teamwork is the diverse skill sets and knowledge each team member brings to the table. But sometimes, you need specialists with specific skills. Hiring 4 people at 10 hours each can provide you with a breadth of knowledge that one employee at 40 hours may not have.

Bring new ideas to your company. Team members often get stuck in a particular pattern of working. While they may be more connected to the company, it can be challenging to think or work outside the box. An individual contractor can bring a fresh pair of eyes and a new perspective to your project, offering ideas that full-time team members may not see or may be afraid to bring up amongst their peers.

Reduce overhead costs. Health care, retirement plans, sick days, vacation pay, employer taxes—permanent-hire team members are costly. Whether you work through a staffing agency (hint, hint) or hire directly, bringing a contractor onto your team means you’re only paying for the work prescribed by your project—and your budget—and not burdening your team with bloat.

Reduce overtime pay. Freelancers and contractors can alleviate stress and workload demands on current team members by helping to split up the work, saving long hours in the office for permanent team members, which results in excessive overtime costs.

Save on training and reduce hiring risks. The significant investment of time and cost involved in training a new employee doesn’t make sense if you only need someone for only a few months’ work. Rather than pawn the job off on an already overworked team member, hire a contractor that will hit the ground running. Plus, when the contract is up, there’s no severance pay, unemployment insurance, or hassle to find a replacement. 

Try before you buy. If you’re looking to add a permanent member to your team, start them out as contractors. All parties, including your team members, can see if it’s a good match for everyone. If not, the investment of time and cost is far less than hiring a full-timer.

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Some employees work better on their own; others thrive surrounded by their colleagues. There are benefits to both working styles, and most companies consist of a mixture of the two. The challenge is to find the right recipe for your company. 

Whether you’re building a team from scratch or have specific individual needs, we can help! Creatives On Call has experienced creatives standing by to take care of all your creative and marketing needs. Give us a call!

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