How to Hire a Graphic Designer

Why hire a graphic designer?

Hiring a disciplined graphic designer with the ability to channel ideas into deliverables can be a great asset to your company. It’s especially important to find a graphic designer who can collaborate well with colleagues and clients while working on several projects at once.

Contributions of a great graphic designer:

• Create visually appealing print and digital material that fulfills its intended purpose
• Support marketing initiatives based on strategic vision
• Immediately jump in to tackle new projects
• Design and edit images, such as logos, photographs and graphics
• Create layouts for print projects while maintaining consistency and understanding brand guidelines
• Consistently adhere to project timelines and deadlines

Deciding between a full-time vs freelance graphic designer

Businesses may hire graphic designers in a freelance capacity when they have infrequent or one-time needs for graphic design work. If the business doesn’t consistently need graphics created, then it would save money to hire a freelancer for the projects as needed. A freelance graphic designer may also have more experience than a new full-time hire. 

Businesses that require graphic design services frequently, however, should look into hiring a full-time employee. A full-time graphic designer is cheaper than a freelancer per hour, and a full-time employee would learn the company’s brand and have a consistent style. 

What are the ranks of graphic designers?

In the graphic design departments of large companies, there’s a clearly defined hierarchy of employees. Some of the roles in this chain include:

• Art director: The art director is in charge of the department. Though they likely have extensive experience in the field, they often spend more of their time on administrative duties, such as scheduling and quality assurance.
• Art production manager: Art production managers are responsible for overseeing the artists creating the graphics. They also work to improve the efficiency of the employees below them.
• Brand identity developer: A brand identity developer works to create a recognizable identity for their company. They often have control over logos, signage and paper advertisements.
• Marketing designer: Marketing designers are responsible for creating images used in presentations that promote their company’s products and services. 
• Layout artist: A layout artist changes the layout of images and text on a page to make it more aesthetically pleasing. 

Where to find graphic designers

To find the right graphic designer for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies: 

• Post help wanted signs. Posting help wanted notices around the community and in your building can raise awareness of the job and attract applicants. 
• Search for quality candidates online. Many graphic designers advertise themselves online and show examples of their work. Reach out to individuals whose work matches what your business is looking for and set up interviews.
• Promote or hire from within. Some of your current employees may already have experience in the field of graphic design. Reach out to these employees, collect portfolios and set up interviews. 
• Post your job online. Try posting your graphic designer job on Indeed to find and attract quality graphic designer candidates.

What are the ranks of graphic designers?

In the graphic design departments of large companies, there’s a clearly defined hierarchy of employees. Some of the roles in this chain include:

• Art director: The art director is in charge of the department. Though they likely have extensive experience in the field, they often spend more of their time on administrative duties, such as scheduling and quality assurance.
• Art production manager: Art production managers are responsible for overseeing the artists creating the graphics. They also work to improve the efficiency of the employees below them.
• Brand identity developer: A brand identity developer works to create a recognizable identity for their company. They often have control over logos, signage and paper advertisements.
• Marketing designer: Marketing designers are responsible for creating images used in presentations that promote their company’s products and services. 
• Layout artist: A layout artist changes the layout of images and text on a page to make it more aesthetically pleasing. 

Writing a graphic designer job description

A thoughtful job description is important to finding quality graphic designer candidates. A graphic designer job description includes a compelling summary of the role, a detailed list of duties and responsibilities and the required and preferred skills for the position.

When writing your graphic designer job description, consider including some or all of the following keywords to improve the visibility of your job posting. These are the most popular search terms leading to clicks on graphic designer jobs, according to Indeed data:

• Graphic design
• Graphic designer
• Art
• Illustrator
• Design
• Remote graphic designer
• Designer
• Artist
• Graphic designer work at home
• Graphics designer

Interviewing graphic designer candidates

Aim to find a graphic designer who can work both independently and collaboratively to develop a wide range of media while incorporating various design techniques. Strong candidates for graphic designer positions will be confident when answering a variety of questions related to graphic design responsibilities.

Topics for graphic designer interview questions:

• Individual creative thought processes
• Current design trends and techniques
• Prioritizing projects and tasks in high-pressure environments
• Making adjustments to projects based on client feedback
• Using metrics to track design success

Need help coming up with interview questions? See our list of graphic designer interview questions for examples (with sample answers).