4 Ways Embedding Freelancers at Your Brand Can Be a Real Gamechanger

Traditional agency models work well for plenty of projects—but not all of them.

In an ever-shifting digital landscape, having the right team to pull off any given project is vital. For decades, this has usually meant hiring an external agency to bring in outside talent for a given period of time. We’re all familiar with this process: A company requires assistance branding a new product, relaunching their website, or upgrading the user experience. The company receives proposals from agencies, selects their top candidate and sets off a seemingly never-ending series of meetings, email chains, wireframes, mocks, and staging sites until finally—exhaustively—a product is delivered months later. In a perfect world, all parties involved are even happy with the outcome.But what if there were an easier way? What if there was a way to minimize the number of meetings, the back-and-forth ad nauseam? What if you didn’t actually need to hire an entire agency, but just an extra few people to support an endeavor?That’s where the idea of “staff augmentation” or “team augmentation” comes in. In this model, rather than hiring an external agency, experienced recruiters, with specialized industry knowledge, find the perfect freelancers and embed them within a company, just as if they were full-time employees. Here at Matic, we’re all about cutting out unnecessarily obtuse corporate jargon whenever we can, so we prefer calling this process “team pairing.” After all, that’s what we’re doing: Finding the perfect teams to pair together so they can work freely, on their own schedules—not on an agency’s calendar.

Team pairing is a growing trend—and for good reason. This type of hiring promotes business stability and growth during an unprecedented time. Here are four reasons that team pairing might just be the secret weapon your company needs to stay ahead in the marketplace.

1. Team pairing promotes cost and time efficiency.

There’s no denying that finding, vetting, and onboarding new, full-time employees requires a significant amount of resources. Hiring a team of multi-skilled contractors lowers the stakes. It’s easier to get contractors up and running on a single project, so you can focus on moving the needle—and focus less on the paperwork.

2. You’ll maintain momentum until you find the perfect fit.

Falling behind on a product launch due to staffing shortages should never be an issue. Even when you’re seeking the perfect full-time employee, team pairing can support your goals in the meantime so that you can stay ahead. Augmenting your team will allow you to get more done without rushing the hiring process, and there’s significantly less to lose if a contractor isn’t the right fit.

3. Teams can ensure compatibility and working style.

Personality clashes are real—especially when it comes to creative vision. This becomes especially apparent when working with numerous contractors who have never met until they’re assigned to your project. Team pairings nearly eliminate this risk because these teams are composed of people who already have a proven track record of working well together.

4. Team pairing allows you to depend on industry expertise and guidance.

Anyone serious about hiring digital professionals isn’t scouring sites like Upwork and Fiverr. They’re also not relying on a general staffing agency. Instead, finding experienced professionals with a stellar portfolio requires you to look within the industry. Digital agencies already live and breathe digital strategy, so they can be trusted to assemble a team that meets your specific needs.

When you need to scale your workforce, a digital agency is uniquely positioned to provide the expertise you need to find the perfect people—and fast—without compromise.