The future is flexible
Your team
Your team
Your team
Design Support
Design Support
Eric
TOP INDEPENDENT
Eric
TOP INDEPENDENT
Eric
TOP INDEPENDENT
The future is
The future is
flexible
flexible
flexible
flexible
Replacing outdated organizational structures with skills-based, flexible hiring
Replacing outdated organizational structures with skills-based, flexible hiring
Scaling early-stage companies often means hiring top talent. But do you need the best expert in every skill, every day?
Scaling early-stage companies often means hiring top talent. But do you need the best expert in every skill, every day?
Scaling early-stage companies often means hiring top talent. But do you need the best expert in every skill, every day?
Scaling early-stage companies often means hiring top talent. But do you need the best expert in every skill, every day?
In this guide we’ll explore a new, more effective model for rapid growth: hiring skills-based, flexible talent.
Your team
In the past,
startups
scaled
by
creating
new
full-time roles
to
increase
bandwith
and
fill
skills
gaps.
In the past,
startups
scaled
by
creating
new
full-time roles
to
increase
bandwith
and
fill
skills
gaps.
In the past,
startups
scaled
by
creating
new
full-time roles
to
increase
bandwith
and
fill
skills
gaps.
In the past,
startups
scaled
by
creating
new
full-time roles
to
increase
bandwith
and
fill
skills
gaps.
2021
525,827
525,827
525,827
525,827
full-time employees hired by startups
2022
525,487
525,487
525,487
525,487
full-time employees hired by startups
In 2023
In 2023
Economic
Economic
Economic
headwinds
headwinds
headwinds
and
and
and
AI
AI
AI
advancements
advancements
advancements
led to
led to
led to
wide-spread
wide-spread
wide-spread
layoffs and a hiring slowdown.
layoffs and a hiring slowdown.
layoffs and a hiring slowdown.
2020
285,327
2021
525,827
2022
523,487
2023
267,818
Hires dropped more than 50% in 2023
2020
285,327
2021
525,827
2022
523,487
2023
267,818
Hires dropped more than 50% in 2023
2020
285,327
2021
525,827
2022
523,487
2023
267,818
Hires dropped more
than 50% in 2023
2020
285,327
2021
525,827
2022
523,487
2023
267,818
Hires dropped more than 50% in 2023
2020
285,327
2021
525,827
2022
523,487
2023
267,818
Hires dropped more
than 50% in 2023
With full-time leveling out
based hiring.
Companies with ambitious goals are adopting a new talent strategy:
Flexible, skills-based hiring.
Companies with ambitious goals are adopting a new talent strategy: Flexible skills-
Companies with ambitious goals are adopting a new talent strategy: Flexible, skills-based hiring.
91%
agree that hiring flexible talent gives them more confidence to hit company goals.
94%
plan to continue hiring flexible talent over the next 12 months.
76%
plan to increase flexible talent hiring in the next 12 months.
91%
agree that, hiring flexible talent gives them more confidence to hit company goals.
94%
plan to continue hiring flexible talent over the next 12 months.
76%
plan to increase flexible talent hiring in the next 12 months.
91%
agree that hiring flexible talent gives them more confidence to hit company goals.
94%
plan to continue hiring flexible talent over the next 12 months.
76%
plan to increase flexible talent hiring in the next 12 months.
91%
agree that hiring flexible talent gives them more confidence to hit company goals.
94%
plan to continue hiring flexible talent over the next 12 months.
76%
plan to increase flexible talent hiring in the next 12 months.
Looking back
Looking back
The standard organizational structure
of the past relied on deep, hierarchical teams.
The standard organizational structure of the past relied on deep, hierarchical teams.
The standard organizational structure of the past relied on deep, hierarchical teams.
The shortcomings of quickly scaling a large full-time team:
The shortcomings of quickly scaling a large full-time team:
The shortcomings of quickly scaling a large full-time team:
01
01
Limited by
Limited by
IN-house
IN-house
skills
skills
02
02
Difficult to
Difficult to
FLEX
FLEX
for
for
innovative
innovative
projects
projects
03
03
RESULTS
STALE
STALE
can get stale
Results can get
Results can get
04
04
Increased risk of
Increased risk of
Layoffs
Layoffs
during
during
a
a
down
down
economy
economy
FOR STARTUPS SCALING UP
FOR STARTUPS SCALING UP
It's key to weigh the costs of a large full-time team.
It's key to weigh the costs of a large full-time team.
Graphic Designer
Graphic Designer
$89,000
$51/hr
Digital Marketer
Digital Marketer
$113,000
$65/hr
Content Creator
Content Creator
$91,000
$55/hr
Copywriter
Copywriter
$96,000
$58/hr
Web, UX or UI Designer
Web, UX or UI Designer
$102,000
$60/hr
Social Media Manager
Social Media Manager
$71,000
$51/hr
Landing Page Developer
Landing Page Developer
$96,000
$61/hr
Video Editor
Video Editor
$62,000
$56/hr
Content Editor
Content Editor
$59,000
$55/hr
SEO Strategist & Manager
SEO Strategist & Manager
$105,000
$50/hr
*Average full-time salary reflects average US salaries.
*Average full-time salary reflects average US salaries.
Average hourly rate reflects average rates for these roles across Contra.
Average hourly rate reflects average rates for these roles across Contra.
THE future of hiring
THE future of hiring
THE future of hiring
THE future of hiring
the future of hiring
Innovative companies are shifting to a small core team backed by flexible talent.
Innovative companies are shifting to a small core team backed by flexible talent.
Future skills based team structure
Future skills based team structure
“We hire independents for various roles: animation, digital development, video editing. Contra allows us to focus, bringing in the right talent at the right time to enhance our projects and create even more value for clients.”
Robert Laplante
Robert Laplante
Robert Laplante
CEO of
CEO of
CEO of
A flexible team
A flexible team
A flexible team
supports
supports
supports
rapid
rapid
rapid
scaling
scaling
scaling
by
by
by
providing
providing
providing
the
the
the
essential
essential
essential
skills
skills
skills
you need,
you need,
you need,
when
when
when
you
you
you
need them.
need them.
need them.
How
How
How
How
do
do
do
do
you
you
you
you
act
act
act
act
like
like
like
like
a
a
a
a
1,000
1,000
1,000
1,000
person
person
person
person
team
team
team
team
with
with
with
with
only
only
only
only
40
40
40
40
full-time
full-time
full-time
full-time
employees?
employees?
employees?
employees?
Contra
Contra
Contra
Contra
offered
offered
offered
offered
the
the
the
the
solution,
solution,
solution,
solution,
enabling
enabling
enabling
enabling
us
us
us
us
to
to
to
to
scale
scale
scale
scale
up
up
up
up
with
with
with
with
flexible
flexible
flexible
flexible
top-notch
top-notch
top-notch
top-notch
freelance
freelance
freelance
freelance
expertise.
expertise.
expertise.
expertise.
Aroa Gil Bo
Aroa Gil Bo
Head of Customer Success at
Head of Customer Success at
Hiring skilled experts
for specific projects
saves time & money
Hiring skilled experts
for specific projects
saves time & money
Hiring skilled experts
for specific projects
saves time & money
Hiring skilled experts
for specific projects
saves time & money
SUCCESS STORY
Framer uses a flexible talent
strategy to scale the support team for their growing product.
SUCCESS STORY
Framer uses a flexible talent
strategy to scale the support team for their growing product.
Framer uses a flexible talent
strategy to scale the support team for their growing product.
Framer uses a flexible talent
strategy to scale the support team for their growing product.
200+ projects
200+ projects
200+ projects
200+ projects
completed on Contra
completed on Contra
50% reduction
50% reduction
50% reduction
50% reduction
in customer response time
in customer response time
90% customer inquiries resolved
90% customer inquiries resolved
90% customer inquiries resolved
90% customer inquiries resolved
by flexible talent
by flexible talent
Postponed full-time hires
Postponed
full-time hires
Postponed
full-time hires
Postponed
full-time hires
by hiring project-based
by hiring project-based
“As our product evolves, Contra enables us to find freelancers who are able to reach our product goals. From a legal and finance perspective, Contra provides a full range of features that enables us to properly onboard and pay every freelancer we work with.”
“As our product evolves, Contra enables us to find freelancers who are able to reach our product goals. From a legal and finance perspective, Contra provides a full range of features that enables us to properly onboard and pay every freelancer we work with.”
Carla Giordano
Hiring for
“As our product evolves, Contra enables us to find freelancers who are able to reach our product goals. From a legal and finance perspective, Contra provides a full range of features that enables us to properly onboard and pay every freelancer we work with.”
Carla Giordano
Hiring for
“As our product evolves, Contra enables us to find freelancers who are able to reach our product goals. From a legal and finance perspective, Contra provides a full range of features that enables us to properly onboard and pay every freelancer we work with.”
Carla Giordano
Hiring for
A new solution built for modern teams
A new solution built for modern teams
A new solution built for modern teams
Design Support
Copywriting
Social Media Content
Design Support
Copywriting
Social Media Content
skills-based flexible team
Dynamic access to expertise when you need it, enabling you to scale without limits
Scale
Build
Grow
Scale
without limits
Scale
Build
Grow
Scale
without
limits
Scale
Build
Grow
Scale
without limits
Scale your business with a proven skills-based, flexible talent strategy
Scale your business with a proven skills-based, flexible talent strategy
Ready to start building a team that’s as agile as you are?
