In today’s fast-paced media, marketing, and creative industries, finance is no longer a back-office function—it’s a strategic, front-line partner. But as business needs evolve, so too does the question: As your finance team develops, should you be investing in permanent hires or hiring freelance finance professionals on day rates, potentially outside of IR35?

Let’s decode both models and explore which one might work best for your finance function in 2025.

---

📌 Permanent Finance Hires: The Long Game

✅ Pros

• Strategic Integration: Permanent staff can become embedded, trusted employee of the business, building the cultural business partnership that the finance function has with the rest of the business
• Team Stability: Continuity improves long-term planning and cross-functional relationships.
• Talent Development: You can shape their growth around the business’s needs, providing opportunity motivation and talent retention

❌ Cons

• Longer Hiring Cycles: The average perm finance hire takes 1–3 months to land and onboard.
• Higher Overheads: Salary, benefits, training, equipment—can all add up.
• Risk of Mis-Hire: If you get this wrong, it can be harder to resolve in permanent structures

---

📌 Contract/Freelance Finance Talent: The Flexible Fix

✅ Pros

• Speed & Agility: Need someone yesterday? Freelancers can often start quickly.
• Specialist Expertise: Short-term projects (think ERP implementations or M&A) benefit from high-level specialists.
• Cost Transparency: If working on a day rate, on discreet projects you will have a clear idea of cost (rate x project time) with fewer additional benefits to consider. Further, if the circumstances justify it, the contract could be run off-payroll and outside IR35, resulting in NI saving
• Scalable Resourcing: Ideal for seasonal peaks like year-end or audits.

❌ Cons

• Lack of Continuity: Once the project ends, so does their involvement.
• Limited Culture Fit: Freelancers may not embed as deeply in your company culture or values.
• Higher Hourly Cost: Due to the lack of long term security for the candidate, the hourly/daily rates for freelancers will often equate to a higher equivalent salary than if hiring on a permanent basis.
• IR35 considerations: you may need to take advice on the legitimacy of running contracts off payroll and outside of IR35 regulations to ensure compliance

---

📊 Trends We’re Seeing in 2025

• Blended Finance Teams: More businesses are using a hybrid model—permanent core teams supported by freelancers during busy periods or for specialist tasks.
• Interim-to-Perm Hires: Many finance leaders are now “trialling” candidates through freelance contracts that convert to perm after 3–6 months. Although this will limit your pool of candidates.
• Freelancer Pools: Creative businesses are building rosters of “on-call” freelance finance talent, reducing downtime when vacancies appear.
• Demand for Commercial Acumen: Whether perm or freelance, our clients in the media, marketing and creative industries will always value candidates with relevant experience in the sector — business partnering, project pricing and management, revenue recognition, margin control, client reporting

---

💡 So, What’s Right for You?

If your finance function is mature, predictable, and growth-oriented, permanent hires will likely offer the most strategic value. If you’re facing change, growth spikes, or project overload, freelance/contract might be your best short-term win.

The real answer? Many top-performing creative companies are embracing both—building agile, scalable finance teams that flex with the business.

---

👋 Let’s Discuss

What mix are you seeing in your finance function? At VisionFR, we have over 20 years’ experience helping businesses in the media, marketing and creative industries  build their finance functions using a combination of permanent and contract hires. Run by qualified accountants with board level experience from the sector. We have a consultative approach and understand the needs of clients and candidates alike. If you’d like to discuss your options for developing your team we’d be happy to chat.