Big tech makes big cuts. Teams scramble. But, the work carries on.
While numerous tech and tech-adjacent companies shed jobs, cut budgets and look to increase revenue, internal teams struggle to continue on in the wake of major losses and pronounced uncertainty.
Those left helming in-house creative operations — already stretched thin — must now do even more with even less. Headcount is not an option. So, they search for flexible solutions that can support their teams and workload.
State of the new normal
Since the pandemic lockdowns began in 2020, many companies have struggled with a downturn in revenue, remote work adjustments, and unpredictable trajectories.
However those centered around technology — either in its production or supporting services — were lucky.
As the masses were forcefully steered away from brick-and-mortar shops to online venues, many tech brands boosted their resources and hired in record numbers to handle the uptick in business.
Today, with the pandemic deemed in some sense “over,” those that flourished are now grappling with an overabundance of staff and experiencing similar repercussions to what others struggled to overcome two years ago.
What’s played out in recent weeks has been a landslide of tech layoffs by hundreds of thousands of jobs. Some of the biggest Silicon Valley brands have made shockingly huge cuts across their workforce including Meta, Amazon, Cisco, Twitter, and many more.
How this has impacted in-house creative teams
Those left behind at these companies are saddened by the loss of their friends and colleagues to the layoffs. Many continue on in doubt of their own job security as the holiday season approaches. And, while still reeling from the news, remaining employees find they no longer have only their own responsibilities to carry.
In the wake of mass dismissals, those remaining have new and growing piles of to-dos heaped on them to fill the gaps. Meanwhile, projects keep flooding in with the same deadlines and expectations, and substantial resourcing reductions. These champions of creative production will most certainly burn out if they don’t get support.
As headcount fluctuates, remaining staff look for ways to shuffle priorities and juggle resources.
Temporary solutions
Contractors provide a nimble option to fill immediate gaps of reduced workforces. But even their temporary support is often still considered headcount, and budgets are most likely restricted for hiring personnel, in any capacity.
And even when permitted, such fast fixes often come with their own detractors when it comes to onboarding, training and other knowledge transfers.
Onboarding and training in particular can require huge chunks of time from both parties, limiting the work you can do and what you can assign to temporary hires, — sometimes for days, weeks or even months. For in-house creative teams, it again adds to a growing and seemingly insurmountable workload.
We’re here to tell you, it doesn’t have to be that painful, and it doesn’t all have to rest on your shoulder to get done.
A creative answer to resourcing shortfalls
Over the past few years, our Designerds have developed a unique approach to help in-house teams source creative professionals without worrying about the burden of onboarding, training, and all that comes with it.
Since we operate as an agency providing creative services, Designerds do not qualify as headcount, and therefore offer a more defensible solution to the mounting work that needs more hands. Plus, before any work begins, we proactively dig into your brand guidelines and internal processes. We know what questions to ask to get going right away and exactly what to glean from provided materials to be productive on day one.
We refer to our ongoing engagements as ‘seats’ because we don’t lean on just one person to cover your needs. For every subscription you have with us, we train multiple team members and onboard them to your brand guidelines and processes. Our goal is to minimize your efforts by sharing materials once, and then having an extensive support group at your disposal so you can easily scale to meet demands. This also allows for an agile response when designers need to take time off for reasons such as illness, vacation or other unexpected occurrences — and results in zero downtime for you.
Whether the need is simple production design to churn out regularly occurring deliverables, project management, copywriting, or creative leads to elevate your campaigns, Designers can get it done and make you look good.
Holistic help where and when you need it
For those who don’t have the bandwidth to build out a strategic plan or kick a team off with creative direction and a brief… We can take full ownership of your projects and campaigns so you can focus on the mountain of initiatives that continue to roll in.
You pick how you prefer to work with us.
Whether an ongoing Design-as-a-Service subscription or project-based level of support, our mission is to become experts in your brand and produce work that looks and feels like it comes from within your company.
Right now, more than ever, it’s vital to protect your mental well-being as well as that of the people who remain with you. We’re here to help you carry the load and do away with the stress of going it alone.
Reach out to find out how we can be an accompaniment to your marketing, communications, or advertising teams.
because #3mynumber