Why In-house Employment is a Thing of the Past
Denzil Otieno
Product-Led Storytelling for B2B SaaS Businesses. Open to freelance content roles — content writer, content manager, SEO.
Traditionally, businesses have followed the classic in-house employment route – a cozy setup where employees become part of the family, complete with monthly salaries and a basket of perks. It's like a warm cup of cocoa on a chilly day, comforting and familiar.
But hold on to your hats because the winds of change are blowing!?
Picture this: a bustling world where businesses are teaming up with freelancers like Denzil. It's like adding a splash of adventure to your routine, bringing in flexibility and a dash of autonomy, making the traditional in-house vibe feel like a nostalgic tale.
Wondering why in-house employment is taking a backseat on the nostalgia train?
Imagine a scenario where your business taps into a vibrant pool of talents, a diverse bunch of "Denzils" ready to sprinkle their expertise. From saving some bucks to supercharging efficiency and gaining access to specialized skills, freelancing is the secret sauce that unlocks a treasure chest of possibilities for your business.
So, are you ready for a journey into the future of work, where flexibility is the name of the game? If yes, buckle up and read on to discover why freelancing is not just a trend but an irresistible path forward. Your business is in for an adventure like never before!
Reason 1: The Changing Landscape of Work
Like in most fields of life, the work landscape is constantly evolving, with new practices coming up and others dying. These changes are caused mainly by the emergence of new technologies.?
Let’s look at what has changed, leading to the slow death of in-house employment.
Surging Popularity of Remote Work:
Technology has successfully killed the need for employees to be in the same physical location as their employers to work and be productive.
Infact, more businesses than before have embraced the idea of having remote workers, who are majorly freelancers, collaborate with the company from anywhere in the world.?
This hiring model has led businesses to tap into a larger talent pool, fishing out only the best in specific skills they need.
The Rise of the Gig Economy:
Businesses have various seasonal tasks, making it unwise to employ someone permanently in-house just to sit and wait.
Whenever such tasks surface, companies are forced to advertise them as gigs, leading to the rise of the gig economy.
Also, independent entrepreneurs who cannot yet employ in-house employees prefer working with gigs, enabling them to get only the services they need at a specific moment.
By accessing freelancers operating as independent contractors, businesses can escape the constraints associated with traditional employment, such as long-term commitment.
Seamless Collaboration and Communication:
On the work landscape, it’s also now easier than before for businesses and freelancers to collaborate seamlessly, thanks to technology.
With modern tech, activities such as meetings that could only happen in person can be achieved via the Internet through video conferencing platforms. Emails and messaging apps with video and image-sending capabilities have further eased communication.
In terms of project management and execution,? there are several software that enable collaboration, allowing businesses to monitor progress and advice accordingly.
The Advantages of a Flexible and Scalable Workforce:
Last on the changing work landscape are the advantages of a flexible workforce. Flexibility is a highly prized asset in today's business world since everything is fast-paced.
The most notable advantage is that when outsourcing projects like content creation for digital marketing, businesses can swiftly scale up or down depending on how demanding the project is.
A business can also quickly add a special skill to its task force without going through the tedious process of hiring a full-time employee.
This level of flexibility has enabled businesses to adapt to market fluctuations, optimize their resource allocation, and focus on their core service or product while leaving secondary tasks to qualified freelancers.
Reason 2: Cost-effectiveness of Freelancing
There’s no doubt that the business landscape is ever-evolving. Organizations must find ways to maximize their returns while minimizing costs to keep up with the pace.
Unlike in-house employment, outsourcing is doing just that, providing a cost-effective way of maximizing the returns on investment. Some of the benefits businesses enjoy while outsourcing include the following.
The Cost Advantages of Outsourcing:
Companies enjoy the cost advantages of outsourcing, a win that comes with something other than in-house employment. Costs such as salaries, bigger office spaces, and equipment can be significantly reduced if some needs or services are outsourced.
When working with a freelancing agency, a business only pays for work done, relieving itself from the burden of fixed, ongoing salaries. Resources saved by cutting salary costs can then be invested in other important areas of the company.
Savings on Recruitment and Training:
Another area where in-house employment fails terribly is adding the costs of recruitment and training new staff to the company’s expenses. However, outsourcing to the right freelancer is cheaper, streamlined, and faster.
The right freelancers have the experience and skills in their respective fields, eliminating the need to spend on training. They come with a wealth of experience, knowledge, and expertise that allows them to integrate seamlessly into the ongoing project.
Also, when outsourcing to freelancers, businesses save time and effort that would have been used on recruitment and direct them to their core purpose.?
Reason 3: Access to Specialized Skills and Expertise Through Outsourcing
Another reason in-house employment is a thing of the past is that freelancing has enabled businesses to access specialized skills and expertise anywhere in the world.
Here are some advantages regarding skills that come with outsourcing to freelancers and not with in-house employers.
Diverse Pool of Freelancers:
Unlike in-house, outsourcing opens the doors to vast and diverse talents from around the globe.
For example, when outsourcing to Denzil, all your marketing needs, from blog content to viral video content on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube, will be handled by a professional team already waiting.
The diversity does not stop at skills but also includes backgrounds and cultures, helping bring unique and fresh perspectives to the company.?
Industry-Specific Knowledge and Experience:
In-house employment often limits workers' experience to only the company they are working in. On the other end, freelancers work with multiple businesses, industries, and niches, honing their skills and acquiring a wealth of experience.
The deep knowledge acquired after working widely across the globe on various tasks is valuable to businesses that want to satisfy their specific clients/customers.?
For example, a business can leverage the insider knowledge of a freelance writer to craft compelling content for its audience.
Higher-Quality Work:
While bonuses and perks drive in-house employees, outsourced freelancers are driven by their reputation and success, which means that once hired, they strive to deliver quality work for good reviews and more work.
For example, here at Denzil Marketing Agency, we often go the extra mile and exceed expectations, ensuring that the content you get as a business is of the highest quality, which means it’s industry-specific, well-researched, and engaging.
Fresh Perspectives and Innovation:
A business that only depends on in-house employees needs to take advantage of the opportunity to introduce fresh perspectives and innovative ideas to its workflow,? including content strategy.
Collaborating with freelancers allows a business to tap into minds and experiences from a wide range of industries, ensuring it’s up-to-date with best practices and trends.
Also, because of exposure to diverse projects, freelancers bring creativity and innovation to the table, something a business needs to stay ahead in the market.
Reason 4: Increased Efficiency and Productivity: Streamlining Workflows with Freelancing
How efficient and productive a business is determines its success in the market. Outsourcing tasks that an in-house team can not handle is a powerful solution for needy businesses. Freelancers help stream workflows and optimize resource allocation, unlocking a company's full potential.
How do freelancers help a business increase its efficiency and productivity? Here’s how they do it.
Allowing the Business to Focus on Core Competencies:
Outsourcing is a strategic approach to projects within a company that allows it only to focus on activities that directly contribute to the business goals, mainly product development, customer acquisition, and strategic planning.
Other activities are then delegated to freelancers, freeing up time for the businesses to concentrate on their core mission and ensuring that professionals handle tasks.
For example, when a business entrusts its content needs to a freelancing agency, it can redirect its energy toward its core competencies. The in-house staff will focus on their expertise instead of trying to produce low-quality content that would do more harm than good.
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Providing Project-Based Efficiency:
In-house employees often handle multiple responsibilities simultaneously, limiting their efficiency in general. However, freelancers often work on a project basis, allowing them to fully concentrate on one task and ensure the results are of higher quality.
And because freelancers work with timed contracts, they are good at managing time and resources, enabling them to complete projects within set deadlines.
The luxury of outsourcing projects to qualified teams allows businesses to maintain a smooth workflow without the limitations and distractions that can arise from juggling multiple ongoing projects simultaneously.
Reducing Administrative Overhead:
Common administrative overhead includes hiring, training, payroll, and HR management. Managing all of these can be burdensome for a business, especially if its in-house workforce is large. The company has to sacrifice its valuable time and resources, which could be used on core activities.
By embracing outsourcing to professional freelancers, a business can reduce its administrative burden significantly. As independent contractors, freelancers are responsible for administrative tasks, such as training and tax filings.
Working with freelancers relieves the business from the administrative workload and allows them to focus more on the company.
Providing Quicker Turnaround Times:
The digital era demands quick responses to customers and rapid production. However, depending only on an in-house task force slows down businesses, disadvantaging them in the market.
Outsourcing some of the processes to freelancers who are used to working with tight schedules can provide businesses with the speed they need to meet market demands.
The flexibility and availability of freelancers also contribute to quicker turnaround times, giving companies some competitive advantage as they can deliver within time.
Reason 5: Outsourcing Helps Mitigate Risks and Ensures Business Continuity: The Freelancer Safety Net
The last reason on our list as to why in-house employment is becoming a thing of the past is the lack of solutions to problems like employee turnover, skill gaps, and more.
Mitigating risks and ensuring a business runs smoothly is key to long-term success. Outsourcing offers the safety net when in-house staff come short of their work.
Here’s how working with a freelancing agency helps businesses mitigate some of the crucial risks in their operations.
Overcoming Employee Turnover:
The major disruption of workflows in businesses is employee turnover.? Losing and replacing employees frequently leads to company knowledge loss and increased recruitment costs.
To overcome employee turnover, a business must diversify its workforce by working with freelancers.
Freelancers are accustomed to working with different clients and adapting quickly to new projects. Their flexibility and ability to seamlessly integrate into existing workflows ensure that business operations continue smoothly, even when key in-house employees depart.
Bridging Skill Gaps:
Most industries are fast-paced, meaning they evolve rapidly, and therefore, it's common for businesses to encounter gaps in their skill sets and knowledge base within their in-house teams.
To bridge the gap between skill gaps and service delivery, businesses work with independent freelancers and agencies across the globe. This way, a business can maintain its competitive advantage in the market.
The outsourced workforce brings in specialized expertise that the in-house team lacks. Often, these skills are only needed during specific times, so businesses do not need to retain freelancers after the job is done.
Business Continuity in Times of Crisis:
Crises such as economic downturns, disasters, or pandemics can easily disrupt the operations of a business, especially if it relies on an in-house workforce.
The only way a business can guarantee its continuity is by preparing early enough, which includes having a network of freelancers that it can rely on during hard times.
Since freelancers are already experienced and have operational workflows, they can step in immediately and take over operations temporarily in case in-house employees can’t work.
The availability of freelancers anytime, any day helps businesses serve their customers without interruptions during times of crisis.
Managing Workload Fluctuations:
It’s common for businesses' workloads to fluctuate because of peak and off-peak seasons. During peak season, the in-house team often gets overwhelmed; during the slow periods, resources get underutilized.
Working with freelancers solves the workload fluctuation problem as it’s easy to scale up when demand is high and down when the times are slow.
Freelancers often come with their resources, so businesses do not feel overwhelmed. Reducing freelance engagement helps the company optimize resource allocation in slow times, thereby maintaining cost-effectiveness.
Building a Strong Freelance Network
Finding and Vetting Freelancers
The first step in building a strong freelance network your business can rely upon is finding and vetting interested freelancers. Quick tips to get you started on the right foot include the following:
Work with a freelancing agency: ?A freelancing agency has done all the leg work of vetting professionals with different skills and assembling them in one place. All you have to do is contact the agency and learn what steps to take next.
Utilize freelance outsourcing platforms: Several platforms have a vast talent pool across various industries. Reputable ones include Fiverr, Upwork, and Freelancer.? You’ll have to take your time and review the profiles of the freelancers on the platform and decide if they can fit your needs well.
Ask for recommendations: Take advantage of your industry network and request recommendations from good freelancers. A referral with a proven track record from a trusted source known to you can save you valuable time.
Clear Communication, Expectations, and Contracts
Human relations, including workplace relations, are molded with effective communication. To build a strong network of reliable freelancers, you’ll first have to establish clear communication that would not lead to misunderstandings in the future.
When it comes to communication, your focus should be on the following:
Defining the project scope well: The scope of the work includes how big the project is, the level of technicality, and requirements. By clearly defining these aspects, you’ll avoid future misunderstandings since both parties will be on the same page.
Being transparent and open: There are scenarios where an employer does not release crucial information about a project that a freelancer is handling, causing delays, missed deadlines, and a lack of trust. To avoid such, you must be open and transparent about your project. Things like project requirements, the rates and mode of payments, and contract terms, including the smallest details, must be discussed openly and efficiently.
Have realistic milestones and deadlines: Agree with the freelancers on realistic deadlines and milestones with your goals in mind. A rushed service will yield low-quality work, while a delay will cause missed targets. Therefore, setting realistic timelines ensures both parties are aligned on the same project timeline, encouraging quality results.
Nurturing Long-Term Relationships with Reliable Freelancers
Even though freelancers work on individual projects, having a rich network of them is advantageous in the long term. Therefore, it’s essential that you nurture your relationships with them. Here's why:
You’ll get consistent quality: Working with the same pool of freelancers continuously for an extended period results in them getting familiar with your processes. It’s, therefore, easy for them to jump in whenever needed. Also, the more you work with a freelancer, the more consistent the quality gets.
You’ll experience efficient collaboration: Long-term relationships with freelancers result in a streamlined work process, making collaborating easier. Your freelancers get to know your workflow, requirements, and expectations, resulting in a smooth partnership.
You’ll save up costs: Nurturing solid and good relationships with freelancers opens doors to cost savings as they may be inclined to offer cheaper rates for bulk projects in the future since you're a repeat client. With competitive rates, you can optimize your budget without compromising quality.
Availability and reliability: Freelancers with whom you have long-term relationships will prioritize your work whenever the need arises.
You’ll have access to your freelancer's network: It’s common for freelancers to have a network of other professionals whose areas of expertise complement each other's work. For example, a freelance writer is likely to be in contact with designers, developers, or marketers. Good relations with your freelancers will help you access these networks if need be.
Are You In Need of Content Creation For Your Digital Marketing?
Content marketing in today's digital age is crucial for any business wanting to enter the market and establish a strong online presence.
The content needed is diverse, including articles, short and long-form blog posts, whitepapers, case studies, and videos. This includes various video formats such as advertisement videos, viral short TikToks, YouTube videos, and product explanation videos.
The above content must be published for an organization to reach its target audience effectively. However, many businesses do not have the in-house capacity to handle such tasks since it’s not the primary goal.
When working with Denzil, we help businesses with their digital content marketing needs. From written content to audio and video, we have the expertise to create something that matches your goals and resonates with your target audience.
We understand the need and value of consistent, high-quality content, so we strive to deliver beyond your expectations by customizing our workflow into a seamless operation that aligns with your schedule and requirements, leaving no room for delays or missing deadlines.
By outsourcing your content marketing needs to us, you can focus on your core business functions while leaving content creation and distribution to our capable hands.
Partner with us today and enjoy the benefits of effective content marketing, which includes a boost in your online presence, increased engagement with your target audience, and, ultimately, increased sales and conversions.
Final Thoughts
Outsourcing is the future of work. Businesses and individuals alike are increasingly working with freelancers because of several benefits of this arrangement.
From scalability and flexibility, cost-effectiveness, increased efficiency and productivity, and access to specialized skills and expertise, outsourcing has demonstrated that it offers a better alternative to the traditional employment model, which is in-house employment.
Moreover, working with freelancers worldwide helps a brand push its name globally and expand its reach beyond geographical boundaries.
So, instead of sitting on the fence and contemplating if outsourcing is the right path, jump into the trend and reap big before everyone adopts it.