Anybody got experience hiring long term freelancers?
- Started
- Last post
- 26 Responses
- fransgaard
I am trying to hire a designer for a long term freelancer contract (4-6 months)
However the agency he came through want the same day rate fee eventhough it is a long term contract which I think is unrealistic, but as I have never hired a freelancer long term I am not sure.
Anybody here had experience with something like that and got some advice?
- momento0
I avoid agencies at all costs. Normally if you talk to the designer directly (if possible) you can work out an agreement. But now that the agency know of you and your desire to work with one of their designers you might not be able to get away with it.
My advice, avoid agents like the plague.
- fransgaard0
Personally I've had good experiences with agencies both looking for job and for people.
In this case it is a designer we've already worked so he knows us and we know him.
but I just think it is odd their long-term fee is app. the same as the short-term one, I would have thought it was a lot less.
But maybe that is normal?
- Bottlerocket0
It really depends on the agency and for a contract that long, I think you do have a justifiable position to negotiate a smaller fee.
I mean, there is no 'rules board' for this so you can try and negotiate a 'zero fee' for this job if you want.
However, if you are having problem i would let the designer know, as you have worked with him in the past, that although you want him for the job, the agency fees are just too high for you for that period of time.
He can always sack his own agency and come to work for you direct.
- fransgaard0
right, thanks for that.
i'll certainly keep that option in mind, cheers
- barbtastic0
find yr own freelancers if you don't wanna pay the fee... vs has been paying me and a fee for over a year and a half... some people are just worth it :D
- paraselene0
i'm with barb on this one. i'm on a three-month placement and still get my day rate. them's the breaks.
- barbtastic0
para, it probably help that we are fiiiiiine
- paraselene0
damn straight! that extra 50 per diem is just your standard eye-candy surcharge.
- Jaline0
nice folio, Bottle.
- madirish0
i too, charge an eye-candy fee....
- Jaline0
It's true, I've had to pay madirish a few times already just to hang out with him.
- madirish0
that is not true and you know it.
the fee is purely for 'services rendered'.....
- Jaline0
That's true. It's worth it.
Once I finish school I'll be rich anyway :P
- monkeyshine0
why should someone's rate change for a long term contact? Are you paying them insurance? Benefits? No? Well, then...
- version30
so how does you length of project have anything to do with how much you pay someone?
work is work, be it a month or a week, a day is still a day
- skt0
in a lot of cases someones day rate is inflated to compensate for the fact that they are working short term (read days, maybe a couple of weeks) at a time with little or no job security.
when they are given secure employment for long periods of time there is no need for their rate to be so high.
it's a different case however if you are a specialist and charge a set fee for what you do. why should you change it.
but if you are simply a jobbing designer, you have to give and take a little in situations like this.
- Daro0
yes, avoid agencies, they're just the middle man that does nothing but take more of your money for the same job.
- babaganush0
I agree that most freelancers may come down over longer term jobs. the flipside is good people will know that in that time there'll be a few jobs that they can do over concentrated periods and get the same money. Plus once they get in their stride over a long period they'll probably exponentially get more done for you without holiday and benefits. I for one don't really 'drastically' alter my rate over a long period. depends how good you expect the person to be I guess. The peanuts/monkeys expression is a cliche but true...
- -sputnik-0
we regularly hire long term freelancers from agencies. sometimes we can talk down the rate, but usually they get paid their rate and that's that.
i guess they figure that if you want a better deal, you'll actually hire them
- fransgaard0
Great stuff, thanks for all your input.
I agree that the designers (and their agencies) should be paid, but as pointed out a long term contract means less work to find jobs for the agency and gives the designer some stability so my logic tells me rates should come down.
However I take in all comments on this. One of the luxuries I definetly do not have in this case is time. Time to negotiate much further or time to find a new freelancer.
I'll see how it goes this week and take it from there Monday.