When to hire internally vs partner with an agency: digital team guide for founders
When to hire internally vs partner with an agency: digital team guide for founders
You are the founder of a company in Switzerland and you are hesitating between hiring internally or working with a specialized agency? Here are the key points to help you decide:
- Internal Team: More control, alignment with your vision, but high costs (up to CHF 220,000.- per senior employee) and long recruitment delays (around 90 days).
- Agency: Immediate expertise, cost flexibility (monthly packages starting from CHF 1,500.-), but shared control and initial integration efforts.
Quick comparison:
| Criterion | Internal Team | Digital Agency |
|---|---|---|
| Costs | High fixed | Variable according to needs |
| Expertise | Knowledge of the company | Technical specialization |
| Delays | Long recruitment | Rapid implementation |
| Scalability | Necessary recruitment | Immediate adjustment |
| Control | Total | Shared |
In short: If your needs are regular and strategic, an internal team can be ideal. For one-time projects or specific skills, opt for an agency. Your choice will depend on your priorities: budget, deadlines, or expertise.
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Key factors to consider for Swiss digital teams
In Switzerland, market specificities - linguistic diversity and high costs - require careful analysis to maximize your investments in digital.
Cost comparison: internal salaries vs agency fees
Internally, a Digital Marketing Strategist costs around 101,500 CHF per year [3]. Added to this are employer contributions (23.5%) [4], health insurance (7,105 CHF), and bonuses ranging from 10,150 to 15,225 CHF [3]. For a senior profile (121,800 to 182,700 CHF), the total cost can rise to 220,000 CHF per year, not including training, equipment, or infrastructure costs.
Agencies, on the other hand, offer flexible and predictable rates. For example:
- SEO: between 1,000 and 10,000 CHF per month
- : starting from 1,500 CHF per month
- : between 900 and 20,000 CHF monthly [2]
Comprehensive marketing packages are available for 5,000 to 10,000 CHF per month, allowing cost management according to specific needs.
But beyond the numbers, mastering skills remains a central element.
Expertise and skills
Agencies stand out for their varied experience, acquired through collaborations with multiple sectors [7]. This versatility allows them to adapt to the latest technological trends and develop effective strategies. For example, they can simultaneously optimize SEO for German and French search engines or design UX/UI interfaces tailored to Romand and Alemannic sensitivities.
On the other hand, internal teams have in-depth knowledge of your brand and corporate culture [5]. However, they may lack skills in areas such as multi-channel project management or performance analysis on multiple platforms [6]. Agencies compensate for these gaps by mobilizing specialists with diverse skills and offering tailored strategic advice.
Scalability and flexibility
According to a study by Deloitte, 70% of companies adopt non-traditional staffing models to remain competitive [8]. Agencies excel in this area by adjusting their resources according to needs. This avoids fixed costs during periods of low activity [9]. This flexibility is particularly useful during product launches, seasonal campaigns, or international expansions.
Delivery times and project schedules
Building an internal team takes time: recruitment, training, integration... This can delay strategic projects. Agencies, on the other hand, are ready to intervene immediately with teams that are already trained and operational. They help meet tight deadlines and accelerate your time-to-market [5].
However, this speed sometimes comes with organizational challenges, especially in terms of coordination.
Team fit and communication
Internal teams, immersed in your corporate culture, naturally understand your goals and facilitate smooth daily collaboration. On the other hand, agencies excel in their ability to adapt to bilingual (FR/EN) and multicultural environments. Although initial integration may require extra effort, their expertise ensures a quick adaptation to your organization.
In Switzerland, linguistic diversity complicates internal recruitment and increases training costs [9]. Specialized agencies often have these skills from the start, which can be a significant advantage.
These points will help you choose the approach that best suits your digital goals.
Building an internal digital team
Setting up an internal team represents an important strategic choice for companies in Switzerland. While this approach offers specific advantages, it also comes with significant challenges.
Advantages of an internal team
Mastery of processes and alignment with strategy
An internal team ensures total control over digital processes. Employees, imbued with the company's vision and goals, can act quickly and ensure consistency in project execution.
With over 17,000 technology companies and 199,000 IT professionals in Switzerland [10], the country is teeming with specialized talents. This allows companies to build teams capable of meeting specific needs, such as or for German-speaking and French-speaking markets.
Investment in long-term skills
Creating an internal team also means investing in internal skill development. Employees gain in-depth expertise over time, becoming valuable assets to the company. They also play a key role as brand ambassadors and sources of innovation.
The Swiss IT sector contributes 38 billion USD to the local economy [10], highlighting the economic impact of these investments.
Enhanced security and confidentiality
With an internal team, the risks associated with the disclosure of sensitive information are reduced. This approach is particularly important in sectors such as finance or healthcare, where data protection is a top priority.
Despite these positive points, building an internal team is not without challenges, as we will see.
Challenges of internal recruitment
High costs and administrative burden
Recruiting internally in Switzerland can be costly. Non-salary charges account for up to 50% of the total employment cost [13]. David Merz, Founding Partner of Nexova AG, warns:
"Once all costs are taken into account, the true cost of hiring can often surprise even seasoned business leaders." [13]
On average, recruiting and integrating an employee costs 8,800 USD and takes about 41 days [14]. In addition, there are annual training expenses, estimated at 1,252 USD per employee [14].
Regulatory complexity
The Swiss legal framework imposes strict obligations for employment, including detailed contracts on schedules, salaries, and benefits [11]. Hiring foreign talents also requires administrative procedures for work permits [11]. Companies must also comply with the GDPR [10][11] and Swiss equality laws [11].
Talent shortage and language requirements
Switzerland faces a shortage of IT specialists, making competition fierce to attract top profiles. In a multilingual country, language proficiency is often a decisive criterion [11][12]. For example, a in Geneva earns an average of 6,844 USD per month, compared to 9,434.57 USD in Basel [10].
Employee turnover risk
Employee turnover can cost between 6 and 9 months' salary, or even up to twice the annual salary [14]. To mitigate this risk, it is essential to assess candidates' fit with the company culture [15]. However, focusing solely on this aspect can lead to biases and limit diversity. The "Culture Add" approach suggests recruiting talents who bring new perspectives [15].
These challenges require careful planning and significant resources, especially for SMEs that often lack support in their digital transition [16].
Partnering with a digital agency
To overcome the challenges of internal recruitment, collaborating with a digital agency is a suitable solution for Swiss realities. In a context where internal teams sometimes struggle to meet growing needs, this option offers a flexible and efficient approach.
The benefits of partnering with an agency
Immediate access to diverse experts
Unlike internal recruitment, which can be lengthy and complex, working with an agency allows projects to start without delay. Companies benefit from complete teams composed of developers, , , , and strategists. In Switzerland, where