Creative Circle Employee Reviews about "freelance"
Updated Nov 16, 2021
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Found 19 of over 852 reviews
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- "No accruable personal days or health benefits no matter how long you've been with the agency." (in 28 reviews)
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Reviews about "freelance"
Return to all Reviews- Current Freelancer, less than 1 year★★★★★
Positive Experience
Feb 28, 2021 - Freelance Writer in Chicago, ILRecommendCEO ApprovalBusiness OutlookPros
I have had a very positive experience working with Creative Circle so far. The recruiters are amazing and go out of their way to help you. Be aware that unless they are short of candidates, YOU have to apply to their daily job listings—they will not just call you offering jobs.
Cons
If you want to win on going freelance or part-time work from a client, you have to be aggressive with them about communicating their desires. A lot of times clients don't know what they want, so you have to ask them to show you samples of what they like. Otherwise you might get it wrong.
Continue reading - Current Freelancer, more than 5 years★★★★★
Pros
They do sometimes have great brands/companies, or great projects, to connect with the freelancers. The recruiters are nice, and communicative.
Cons
I've worked with them for a long time, and as far as I know, the Creative Circle takes 50% commission from the client. I don't know how that can be justified. Maybe they need the money to pay for all the fancy office buildings, including the one on Park Ave. in Manhattan? Basically every dollar the client pays, the designer only gets 50 cents. Compared to the other staffing agencies I've worked with, this is neither normal nor fair, which in the end hurdles the creativity and motivation on the freelancers' end.
- Former Temporary Employee, less than 1 year★★★★★
Lack of transparency and freelancer appreciation. Incompetence, especially in payroll.
Aug 23, 2021 - DesignerRecommendCEO ApprovalBusiness OutlookPros
There are some wonderful people working at this company, who are very good at their jobs. and CC gets a lot of work opportunities.
Cons
1. I got placed at a job which Creative Circle knew was going through a lot of turn-over quickly, but was not alerted before starting there. In the short amount of time I was there I saw constant turn-over. Designers and Copywriters were quitting after a week or two. It was a terrible work environment and an al0around bad experience. 2.I had to go through phone call after phone call, and write and rewrite emails to get paid. I had to check up on Creative Circle employees who were saying that my timecards, direct deposit and ADP we okay, only to see that they hadn't actually fixed the issues on their end, then to blame me. They were unable, or unwilling to double check their own work, or to read emails. Such a frustrating and overall bad experience. Many CC employees are incompetent and do not value the time and hard work that freelancers put in.
Continue reading - Current Freelancer★★★★★
Really Responsive and Supportive Reps
Jun 8, 2021 - Production Artist in Houston, TXRecommendCEO ApprovalBusiness OutlookPros
The recruiters are great. They really do their best to hook you up with the right companies and projects for your background. They are also really good about checking in with. you to make sure the project is going smoothly. I also really like that Creative Circle takes care of all the taxes and SSI deductions for you and negotiates the hourly rates on your behalf.
Cons
There often aren't as many freelance opportunities available as I would like. And lately, with COVID, it has really dropped off quite a lot. It would also be really helpful for there to be a minimum number of hours per week guaranteed on any particular project. I had one contract that had a good number of hours at first but the hours dropped off to only one hour per week, yet they wanted me to be available to them at all times. That made it extremely difficult to take on other freelance work. That amount of money per week doesn't really justify the expenses incurred (like having to pay monthly software subscription costs, etc.) But that was really more an issue with the client than with Creative Circle. Still, I'd like to see them institute a policy of some kind of guaranteed minimum number of hours per week.
- Current Employee, more than 1 year★★★★★
Awesome Recruiters and Freelance Opportunities
Jan 21, 2021 - Freelance Graphic Designer in Boston, MARecommendCEO ApprovalBusiness OutlookPros
I've worked with some recruiters at the Boston office and they are super friendly and professional! They definitely know how to be a sales person for your resume/portfolio. They never pressure you into a job opportunity unless you're interested in the role. I got the opportunity to freelance or interview with big agencies in Boston.
Cons
Being a freelancer means I'm not at the Creative Circle office so I can't think of any cons!
- Former Contractor, less than 1 year★★★★★
Good for contract work
Apr 1, 2020 - Design Specialist in Houston, TXRecommendCEO ApprovalBusiness OutlookPros
Good job placement and efficiency
Cons
As good as freelance work can get
- Former Freelancer★★★★★
If you can't answer the phone when they call... good luck.
Aug 20, 2019 - Freelance Writer in Chicago, ILRecommendCEO ApprovalBusiness OutlookPros
Easy automated email system for new opportunities.
Cons
Unless you're able to pick up the phone in the middle of the day, it will be challenging to schedule an interview. I was met with rudeness each time I explained to the recruiter or coordinator that I work full time and can't always pick up my phone. I offered my availability several times over email and never received a reply. For a company that plays the middle man between potential employee/freelancer/contractor and employer/client, they have a pretty flippant approach to handling communication.
Continue reading - Former Freelancer, more than 8 years★★★★★
Creative Circle is the Comcast of creative recruiting agencies
Jul 29, 2019 - Freelance Graphic Designer in Chicago, ILRecommendCEO ApprovalBusiness OutlookPros
You got to be kidding...
Cons
A computerized system that conveniently emails jobs to prospective candidates asking for resumes and bullet points about why said candidate would be a good fit only to never hear from an actual recruiter. If you are a white male over the age of 35 with limited management experience, forget it, you are considered old and incompetent by recruiters. If their recruiters call and you cannot answer, good luck getting back in touch with one. It's sadly a numbers game. The supposed "great opportunities" are never as advertised. Usually gigs that you are way overqualified for and ones that your hourly rate is less than competitor agencies. Gigs that are short-term. Hardly ever Freelance to FT. They also take a larger cut of your hourly rate (sometimes 50% instead of 30%). If you ever work for other agencies and receive better treatment, you more than likely will be blackballed. Their clients usually lack professionalism, are cheap and will not give good references.
Continue reading - Former Freelancer, more than 1 year★★★★★
Alright at first but not worth it long term
Jun 26, 2019 - Freelance Video Editor in New York, NYRecommendCEO ApprovalBusiness OutlookPros
Connect you to some good clients
Cons
At first they offer you lots of freelance jobs but then stop after a while. Ended up working lots of jobs at only a few companies, but then that's not even them finding you work, it's the companies requesting you again and then CC just gains money time and time again. BTW - they charge the company double what you're getting paid - really not a fair ratio.
Continue reading - Former Employee, less than 1 year★★★★★
Okay agency to go through when looking for creative work opportunities
May 14, 2019 - Creative Recruit in Warren, MIRecommendCEO ApprovalBusiness OutlookPros
- Initial contact with Creative Circle, to sending opportunities, to landing interviews is really fast. Almost overwhelmingly fast, but that's a good thing. - Forwards lots of opportunities and are hands-on with trying to find the best fit for you. - Great initial first interview with your recruiter. Also a really good opportunity to talk about your work — great practice! - Ended up with a good full-time position (which is what I was hoping for) pretty quickly. Process moved along fast from start to finish.
Cons
- Incessantly call, even if they know you currently work a full-time position. Sometimes it's not easy for a potential candidate to drop what they're doing in the middle of a work day to speak on the phone. - Really advocate for contract/freelance work when you specifically ask for a full-time position, and then try to make contract work sound romantic by saying that contract work actually gives you more freedom to look for other positions that you think sound good. - Certain recruiters are pushy and manipulative. They will push you into an interview that you don't necessarily want to do. They'll also try and manipulate you into going to another scheduled interview when you have already accepted another position through them, saying that it will "hurt your chances to network in the future" and that they "understand that it's your choice" over and over trying to guilt you into going. They are actually worried about their relationship with the client rather than your future ability to network with people in the client's circle. - Once accepting a full-time position, all communication ends pretty abruptly. Probably because you're not freelancing through Creative Circle, but the abruptness of all communication ending definitely feels like they just wanted you for the commission (which, in the end, they do — but at least hide it).
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