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- Q2 Hiring Report: Insights & What's Next
Q2 Hiring Report: Insights & What's Next
The market isn’t cold. It’s just more intentional.
Fewer roles. Higher expectations. Here’s what’s getting prioritized across product, design, brand creative, and marketing.
👋 Allow us to re-introduce ourselves.
Creative People is a human-centered search firm building best-in-class marketing, brand creative, product design, and product management teams for both full-time and contract hires.
Executive People, a division of c/p, is dedicated to building leadership teams for the world’s most innovative startups.
What we’re seeing across the board:
Roles are getting sharper → High-growth startups are focused on specialists who can move fast, influence cross-functionally, and own outcomes end-to-end.
Conversion is the new creative brief → Strategic creatives who can drive growth + revenue are leading the pack.
AI is reshaping roadmaps → PMs and designers alike are being asked to integrate AI-native features and rethink UX for intelligent tools.
Freelance is filling the gap → Teams are using contractors to fill critical roles during parental leaves, hiring freezes, or org transitions and often keeping them longer than planned (keep scrolling to see our top available freelancers).
What we’ve been working on:
Here’s an update on some recent placements and areas where our pipeline is particularly strong at the moment.
Marketing
Brand Creative
Product Design
Product Management
Executives
Growing your team? 👇
Candidate Spotlight by Vertical ⭐️
Here’s a preview of highly vetted, standout freelancers in our network who are available now. Tap the links below each vertical to view the full lineup of full-time + contract talent.
📣 Marketing & Brand Creative
Chris Wiley | Creative Director | Portfolio
CA-based creative leader with 15+ years of experience distilling business goals into thoughtful creative that connects
Startup-tested (Tecovas, Albertsons) with a strong background in DTC, team building, omni-channel strategy, and creative execution across digital, print, and packaging
All-inclusive rate $110/hr, available immediately
Megan Eckersley | Sr. Art Director/Brand Designer | Portfolio
NYC-based, with extensive experience across agencies/clients including Squarespace, Square, Adobe, Arc’teryx, fintech startups, and more
Background in creating impactful digital campaigns, brand refreshes, photo shoots, email campaigns, social media strategy, and crafting bespoke brand identities
All-inclusive rate $150/hr, available immediately
💻 Product & Design
Based in SF and led 0→1 launches, mobile redesigns, and membership products at NerdWallet and JP Morgan Chase, with a focus on intuitive fintech experiences
Combines strategic thinking with impactful design, building products used by millions across startups and large institutions
All-inclusive rate $135 - $180/hr (depending on scope + duration), available immediately
Edmund Chen | Mid-Senior Product Designer | Portfolio
NYC-based product designer with experience at DojoMojo and Proxima, specializing in B2B and DTC ad/marketing tech SaaS products
Strong in UI, design systems, and cross-functional collaboration across product, engineering, and marketing team
All-inclusive rate $105/hr, available immediately
If any of these stand out, just reply! We’re happy to set up an intro or send over more info. 😊
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Reach out to us at [email protected]