Full-time vs. temp: Which way should a design firm go?

Seattle’s School of Visual Concepts works closely with local staffing firms, including FILTER, Aquent, Big Fish, and The Smart Department, to keep tabs on where the demand is for jobs and skills. In talking with these staffing partners, we’ve heard the case for temporary creative staffing, and it’s a convincing one. Here, in short, is our take on the subject:

You occasionally forget the name of your youngest child. You have not eaten in a seated position for two months. You look forward to the weekend, because then you can “get some work done.”

If this sounds remotely familiar, it could be time to add some staff. But then comes the question: Full time or temp? Forgive us. We shouldn’t even use the word “temp” to describe today’s highly trained, surprisingly motivated contract workers. So what’s the appeal for employers?

Add and subtract as needed.
With contract staff, you can bolster your team during busy periods or when your full-time staff isn’t available due to maternity leave, illness, or, shall we say, “sudden departures.”

Bring in the SWAT team.
Do you know what the “S” in SWAT stands for? It’s “Special.” So, for those times when you need some special skills your regular employees don’t have, a contractor can fill the bill. Need a technical writer? An ActionScript guru? A project manager? All these specialized talent are available a la carte these days.

Take talent on a test drive.
The idea of temp-to-permanent is becoming increasing popular with many employers. If you’re looking to fill a job with a full time person, you can bring in a contract employee who’s admittedly looking for the right permanent job. If everyone’s happy with each other after a few months, you can make the switch (or not) without the headache of a hiring misfire.

Save your dollars.
Some managers look at the hourly rate for contractors and decide there’s no way. However, factor in the cost of the overtime you’re now paying, the start up costs for adding a new full time employee (some sources put it at around $3,000), and the taxes and employee benefits that are typically paid by the staffing agency, and all of a sudden that hourly figure starts looking like quite palatable.

Get the good ones.
Some reports say that 22% of the U.S. workforce considers themselves to be free agents. Simply put, these are people who aren’t looking for a full time gig. To get access to these well qualified, perfectly hirable people means you have to go the contract route.

One caveat before adding freelancers to your staff—especially if you hire them directly—is to be aware of the penalties the IRS could spring on you if you accidentally treat temps a little too much like employees. A good staffing firm can help you steer clear of the legal pitfalls, and also get you home to dinner on time every now and then.