Before you get the wrong impression—No, I don’t think remote designers are evil, just that some employers are still reluctant to accept them as a viable option. Going beyond the question of if you will use remote designers, let’s get to the reason you should so you can embrace a means to level out design department costs.
Just a few years ago, we saw the idea of having a few designers who worked from home occasionally, or even full time, as unique, not in the plan but just as happened on a case by case basis. You knew the designer and their abilities, and understood that they needed the remote option. Still, Design managers would say, “I need them here or I can’t manage their production” or “How do I know they are actually working?” Well, they must have figured it out, because today, even though In-House Designers are still preferred, remote designers are common in most of our clients’ design departments.
Once the flood gates opened and companies developed systems to manage remote designers who were anywhere from a few to hundreds of miles from the plant, Designers saw that remote was a real career option. Whatever the reason—distance to work, family needs, or just personal preference—the number of designers wanting to work remotely expanded exponentially.
As the numbers of remote design candidates grows, employers have seen a means to add capacity, lower overall design department costs, and have incentives to be in-house. Some of my employers believe that working remotely is a personal choice and having that option in itself is a perk. With the competition for remote positions growing, some employers are setting a different scale for in-house and remote designers. Supply and demand has made remote positions a commodity, for the time being.
So, on to the savings point. From where I sit, the difference between working remotely and in-house, for companies implementing a two tier system, is about 10%. This is for hired, not 1099 contract positions. Hourly rates for in-house designers are about 10% higher. Sometimes the in-house positions were increased 10%, but most are cutting their remote designer scale by 10%, the perceived work from home perk.
Some employers want to incentivize in-house over remote as they feel that, if an employee is on site, it is easier to mentor, bond, and have confidence to invest in additional training, responsibility, and advancement. One of my top employers is adamant that, if someone wants to advance beyond a design position to management or another area of the company, remote is not going to offer that option. They feel the personal interaction they get with the employee and interaction with co-workers is not as good from a remote location.
So whether you are looking to work remotely, or looking to lower overall design department costs, know that remote is a viable option that can meet both the employer’s and employee’s objectives. Balancing remote and in-house design staff can allow a good employee the flexibility they need while lowering your overall costs.