Recruiting the best staff for your digital agency has proven to be more of a challenge than ever before. So what could one possible solution be?

During the recent iMedia U.K. Agency Summit, delegates spent considerable time discussing what is often regarded as a major headache -- the problem of recruitment and of the potential outsourcing of work beyond their agency walls.

Many view the idea of outsourcing of digital talent as something of a dirty word. As digital has evolved and advanced, becoming a major force in advertising communications, the headache of finding quality resources continues to grow worse. The cost of finding the best people to do the job has also escalated considerably as digital agencies vie for the scant resources available. Technology pushes the boundaries of marketing in the digital arena and to continue to steal more spend away from television and radio the medium has to advance and become ever more sophisticated. Of course, the people working on the campaigns must possess equally sophisticated skill sets to be able to deliver increasingly complex creative campaigns.

The result is that it becomes essential to outsource work to new partners that could make or break a campaign, leading to essential cooperation among (possible rival) companies as they strive for more complex campaigns. As well as hiring staff to cover new technological challenges faced, digital teams need enough of these resources to be able to deliver projects on time, yet still ensuring profitability.

So how do they manage this? Wages in the digital sector have inflated as the (well-documented) talent shortage bites everywhere and staff loyalty is at a low point. Many agencies build specific teams in-house to cover as many skills as their projects require, banking on regular work to flow in and adjust cost bases accordingly. Others look outside the agency and call on the skills of the freelance community -- a more costly practice but one which tends to ensure a greater delivery of flexibility.

However, many dislike the use of freelancers because of their 'free spirited' loyalties that can lead to a frustrating clash of working methodology as projects begin but then fail to complete as staff move rapidly from post to post. This also leads to loss of morale among many teams, leading to more frustration and difficulty in sourcing reliable, expert talent to do the job.

It was debated during the U.K. Summit whether enough agencies were fully aware of the talent that could be sourced to help solve problems with their campaigns, often beyond our own shores. Many work with a myriad of experts and companies based in India, for example, where work of the highest quality can readily be sourced and often at a fraction of the cost. As sourcing cost-effective digital talent becomes harder and harder in the U.K., so the opportunity to scout overseas becomes more attractive.

The advantages of using outsourced staff overseas are also obvious when one considers the time zone differences. If proper briefing systems are in place, teams can begin working in Mumbai early morning just as London turns off the office lights for the night, providing a simple and cost-effective solution to project deadlines and pressured clients demanding work.

In conclusion, it seems logical for many hard-pressed agencies here to think outside their own traditional boundaries and look to outsourcing as a solution. But it's all about finding the right partner and being able to make a system work for you, and to have the confidence to recognise that great talent exists elsewhere that could just as readily fill your requirements.

Gavin Sutcliffe is U.K. editorial and content manager, iMedia Connection.