‘Tis the season for contracting

 28th Oct 2019

The seasonal hiring push has already started. That’s right; it’s that time of the year again, where we all share our shock of how early Christmas has come along. And with key trading dates such as Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Christmas and New Year Sales coming in quick succession, the demand for the performance marketing freelancers is huge. 

Have you got enough experts in place to guarantee successful execution and delivery?

Given the competition across the market for paid social specialists and performance marketers right now, it’s widely recommended that you begin securing these experts now. But before you start, here’s a few things to consider when hiring freelance support over this key retail trading period:

Forsee the need, act now

Last year, there was an influx of requests for paid search and paid social specialists across many digital-first companies across London. Mid-November is a time where many of Pivotal London’s client, both in-house and agency side, request paid media specialist support. By then, many contractors with this skillset have signed contracts with other brands and agencies. Given the scarcity of freelancers with this experience, we advise forecasting your talent needs well in advance and commencing your recruitment search in October.

Extending beyond Christmas  

Most seasonal contracts tend to end before or shortly after the Christmas period. Although, from our experience, we see that companies which extend their contracts beyond the New Year tend to create a cooling down period, should any additional reporting or support be required of the contractor. With it being a new year, there is also the potential risk of losing permanent staff, who may hand in their notice during December with the plan to start new positions in January. Having contractors on hand could help you prepare for both scenarios.

Preparation is everything

Many competing agencies and brands are currently offering up to £350 per day for an experienced account manager, mainly due to the lack of qualified candidates on the market. If you want to win the battle for talent, and beat your competition, we suggest you get sign off for your maximum budget, to further reduce the time spent on negotiating rates. Having that flexibility, and the proactive approach will help you secure the freelance candidate you want.

Make it snappy

The freelance market moves quickly. And you should, too. Acting with urgency, specifically, responding to recruiter emails, scheduling interviews, and delivering contracts needs to be done with pace. Most paid social freelancers will be approached with three to four contract opportunities, and it would be a real shame if you lost a candidate due to a slow recruitment process.
 

In need of digital experts this holiday season? We’ve got it covered. Contact our contract team with your brief today: tokay@pivotallondon.co.uk