How to Structure Your Creative Team for Max Productivity

Building a creative team is easier said than done. Sometimes you think you’ve found the right fit, but then it falls apart. Other times, you have a great team but not enough hands to get the work done. From budgetary constraints to tight deadlines and demanding clients, small businesses and agencies are constantly juggling stressors.

If you’re trying to do more than just stay afloat, focus on fortifying your creative team. The question is: How?

The Art of Creative Team Building

The right mix of people can propel your business into levels of success you hadn’t imagined. And there’s no shortage of creative talent on the horizon. Deloitte estimates that the creative economy will grow 40% by 2030.

It’s easy to plug the holes in your company with random creatives you find. After all, there’s always a fresh batch of up-and-comers waiting to prove themselves. But finding the right people for the job? That’s an artform that can even elude successful companies with sound leadership.

Advertise roles honestly.

Are you always trying to put the best possible spin on your position openings? This backfires for many companies who end up with disappointed, low-motivation workers. Instead, share exactly what the role looks like and what you hope it will grow into. This allows for both realistic expectations in the present and high hopes for the future.

Example: Buffer’s onboarding process is exemplary of a more down-to-earth approach. Instead of false positivity (or stuffy professionalism), Buffer provides each new hire with 3 point people: a hiring manager, a role buddy, and a culture buddy. Each plays a different role in introducing the new hire to the company.

Foster a productive environment.

Research (and common sense) shows us that happy employees are more productive than miserable employees. Laying the foundation for a productive creative team is about building a comfortable yet challenging environment – whether in person or digitally.

The stereotype that remote workers are bored and always slacking doesn’t have to be the case. It’s about finding talented people and supporting their work with meaningful incentives. Bonuses and PTO are examples of classic incentives, along with tuition reimbursement and flexible schedules. The best way to know if your team values a particular incentive? Ask them. 

Example: Zappos is known for its outside-the-box incentives – most notably, paying new hires $2000 to quit. But they also run a monthly program that allows workers to gift $50 to teammates as recognition for specific accomplishments that month.

Be vigilant against burnout.

A 2021 ConvertKit report revealed 61% of creatives experienced burnout for the following reasons:

data via ConvertKit

It sounds like common sense health advice to say “avoid burnout,” but especially among agencies, the message is more needed than ever. The death of a young copywriter highlighted the grueling shifts many professionals are carrying and just how dire the situation can become when no boundaries are present.

It’s up to company leaders to actively create barriers to burnout and establish a culture that supports balance. Without the bare minimum of employee health, your company will become a revolving door and your employer brand tarnished by bitter ex-workers.

Example: Google’s burnout prevention strategy (TEA checkins) was implemented in 2020 to combat burnout and encourage managers to speak up about employee concerns.

Defining Roles and Responsibilities

Your team should operate like a well-oiled machine, everyone in their place, doing the work they do best. Unfortunately, the lines often get blurred when things get busy or stressful. Tasks may slip through the cracks, or a team member might duplicate a task not realizing someone else already did it. This is when keeping a tight structure makes all the difference (and employing decent project management tools).

It’s hard to give concrete advice about structuring because it varies from company to company. Your unique needs, budget, and outputs will determine how best to structure your creative team. Some brands have Creative Directors that run the show, but smaller teams might not need one.

If you already have a team in place, the best way to discover your weak spots is to talk to any employees who are overworked. They will have insight into areas where scope creep is happening so you can decide whether to hire additional support or simply define responsibilities better.

In-house, Freelance, or Outsource?

In today’s world, the workplace is anything but traditional. This could mean remote work, hybrid work, or even a team that operates from around the world. Now more than ever, brands have an opportunity to build a custom creative team in a way that serves their highest productivity.

Many businesses don’t have it in the budget for a robust in-house creative team. Fortunately in most cases, you can pay a fraction of the price and still get the job done well. Freelance platforms are a huge draw for one-off projects, and outsourcing can be a solution for ongoing needs.

Outsourcing Design

Example: Penji is an unlimited graphic design service that charges a flat monthly fee. On the platform, users can submit design requests, communicate with designers, and get unlimited revisions on projects. Anything from logos to social posts to web designs and more is fair game (try Penji and get 35% off with promo code CREATE7).

Outsourcing Content

Example: Scripted is another convenient service that operates under a subscription model. Scripted’s network of writers includes experts in a wide range of industries and writing styles. They offer written content on demand including blogs, white papers, and web copy.

Outsourcing Video Production

Example: QuickFrame is a video production platform for brands that want quick access to professional videographers and production companies. Quickframe offers a range of video types, including explainer videos, product videos, social media videos, and television commercials.

If you are running a mixed team (eg. freelancers and in-house creatives), this is where structure becomes critical. You need both hierarchies (Who reports to who about a given project?) and collaboration (Silos create confusion and miscommunications). This is about sharing the purpose and requirements of a project clearly so no creative or creative subteam has a chance to misinterpret.