Squad vs hiring vs agency. Keep your Head of Digital.
A Head of Digital at a US bank #11-70 can add design capacity three ways. US hiring keeps control and adds permanent headcount at full US cost. An agency stays outside the work. A Design Squads team is our employees, not contractors, in US time zones, embedded on high-volume workstreams. You keep ownership and senior US seats. Capacity is flexible. Savings are up to 30% versus equivalent US hires.
| Model | Who sits in the work | Headcount | Who you keep | Commercial shape | Savings vs equivalent US hires |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US hiring | Your new hires, after recruiting | Permanent headcount | You keep HoD if you can fill the seats | Full US hire cost | Full US cost |
| Agency | Agency team, outside day-to-day | No permanent seats on your chart | You keep HoD; agency stays outside | Campaigns, decks, retainers, and scopes | Project or retainer pricing |
| Design Squads | Our employees embed on high-volume workstreams, US time zones, your tools | Flexible capacity; no permanent headcount | You keep ownership and senior US seats, including HoD and directors | Embedded squad; typical start 2-3 people in about two weeks | Up to 30% |
Start with one squad
This comparison is for Heads of Digital at US banks #11-70. See the offer: embedded nearshore design teams. See timing: a 2-3 person pilot in two weeks. When legal is the gate: vendor review, MSA, and background checks.
If vendor review is the next step, book a call. Bookings go to Outlook at [email protected].