Want to Keep Your Talent? Treat Them Like Entrepreneurs

Throughout the pandemic, entrepreneurialism has thrived, with more new businesses registered last year than any other on record. Employers should take note. After all, entrepreneurialism and creativity go hand in hand. It’s not only job offers from competitors that hiring managers need to watch out for these days. As the workforce evolves, we are seeing increasing numbers of creatives abandon agency and in-house life to strike out on their own as freelancers. In light of this, our recent survey of 10,000 freelance designers uncovered some valuable insights and tactics for leaders looking to satisfy the entrepreneurial drive within their teams and ultimately nurture and retain the talent they have. Prioritize growth, not just work-life balance While freelancers report greater work-life balance than ever before, self-development is their real superpower. An incredible 78% of freelance designers have taught themselves a new professional skill in the past six months, mostly through YouTube and online classes. With freedom and flexibility being key motivators for entrepreneurial creatives, freelancers are great at consistently future-proofing their skills, no matter how busy they are. While there’s a lot of talk about the four-day work week, carving out space within working hours for staff to embrace self-directed learning is a valuable alternative that taps into the entrepreneurial appeal of upskilling. Creating policies and structures that bake growth, as well as balance, into your culture, and providing resources that let your team take control of their own development, is a win-win proposition. Ring-fencing time for growth nurtures the ambitions and skills of individuals while boosting the talent already within your team. We know firsthand how effective this can be. From dedicated “99time” (5-10% of working hours) to individual learning and development budgets, prioritizing and giving people permission to own their growth helps them stick around for longer. Your Company Needs an Internal Learning Strategy—Especially Now Keep your customers close It’s not a coincidence that most freelance creatives favor working with entrepreneurs as clients over agencies or bigger brands. Their similar professional values—with each known for their passionate, self-reliant, hard-working approach (42% of freelance designers work 40 hours or more each week)—make them a perfect creative match. The mutual challenges of starting and operating a business helps create empathy between entrepreneurs, small business owners and freelancers. Similarly, finding common ground between your team and the customers they serve helps create a bond and elevates the cause you’re chasing, whether as an agency or a brand. Seeking authentic connections with the communities and clients we serve is a constant process and journey that underpins everything we do. Identifying and unearthing shared drivers, motivations and problems through continuous research and discovery makes it personal, and true empathy and understanding are a reflection of a more invested, engaged team. Create space for diverse creative connections While freelancing is a typically solitary affair, most freelancers regularly form remote teams with other creatives in their network. With 84% of freelance designers working with clients and creators in different time zones, they’re exchanging and sharing diverse perspectives around the world. And with 68% of designers also reporting that clients and agencies are more open to working with freelance talent than before the pandemic, the scope and flexibility of these remote creative teams have made space for entirely new types of opportunities. Teams within organizations embracing hybrid work have a similar desire for collaboration and appetite for connection as freelancers. The parallel here is that work is something we do, not somewhere we go, and adapting to this idea opens up countless possibilities for your team. Flexible work locations and access to talent and ideas that exist across borders add valuable creative diversity that helps people grow and thrive within their roles, rather than always seeking out the next opportunity and challenge elsewhere. Build a culture of ownership It’s been incredible to have a front-row seat to the wave of innovation and entrepreneurship of the past two years. Similarly, the integrity and passion fueling our freelance community are inspiring. It’s impossible not to draw connections between these two groups of people building their own businesses from the ground up. If there is one takeaway when it comes to nurturing entrepreneurialism in the context of retention, it’s that passion and hard work without ownership won’t work. Autonomy, trust and accountability within a framework are critical, as is the genuine celebration of growth for its own sake, not just for how it benefits the organization. Marketing Is Powered by Our People, Not Just Our Data

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Entrepreneurialism Could Be the Key to Retaining Creative Talent

Applying what works for freelancers can make employees happier at your agency

Prioritize growth, not just work-life balance

Patrick Llewellyn

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Patrick Llewellyn