Hiring. It seems to be the toughest part of the industry lately and there is no denying that the biggest impact of COVID-19 was on employment. I have heard more than a few times in the past couple of weeks just how difficult it is to find and hire new talent now that we’re entering into this ‘new normal’ phase…

As the unemployment rate continues to decline, there are still millions of Americans looking for jobs right now. So the numbers show the people are out there. The question now is, what can we do as creative professionals to hone in on our talents and reel in those candidates that won’t only be a cultural fit, but also bring fresh thinking to the table and build off other team members into our interview process? 

I’m going to share a few tips.  I’ll start by reminding you of what you do every day… and how you might be able to apply those skills to your recruitment strategy to attract more qualified leaders for the future of your agency!

1. Be Creative in Your Job Description 

Gone are the days of boring job descriptions. You are trying to attract creative talent.  Insightful, innovative people aren’t attracted to job posts that read as if a corporate robot wrote them. 

Instead, speak in a language that will resonate with your ideal employee… you know, kind of like you do when you’re writing for your clients’ ideal customers. Talk less about what you need, and more about what you can provide your employees. Tell them why they should want to work for your organization and I’m talking about outside of the benefits…  

• What is your agency trying to change? 
• What does your agency stand for or against?  
• What are you doing “on purpose” in order to create more meaningful brands?
• Why does your agency even exist? 
  

When you write this job description with more heart, it will either resonate with the potential candidate or it won’t. More importantly, become a natural filter for the most culturally suited applicants.    

2. Lead With Your Mission

A good way to spice up your job description and flip up your script is to go in mission-first. As an agency, you know all too well how consumers want to buy from brands with a purpose. Remember that your future employees are consumers too. So what makes you think they also don’t also want to work for a company with a purpose? 

Whether you are trying to give women equal opportunities, give minorities more leadership roles, or donate a percentage of your profits to end cancer for good- start with that! Show your passions upfront, and you will find employees who share your enthusiasm. Work is a means to an end for most people… give your employees a real reason to become true advocates and loyalists to your agency and your mission. Everyone wants to be part of something good. 

A great example of an agency that already does this is Media Star Promotions. They’re an agency that highlights philanthropic support on their website and wants new team members to feel that same passion for giving back. What have they done?  They’ve created a professional family that works collectively for the good of their community. The best part is this passion spills over into their client relationships who are oftentimes also trying to demonstrate brand purpose to their audiences! It’s a win-win from a recruiting and new business perspective.  

3. Ask Your Employees To Recruit For You

A study by Edelman shows that employees are three times more credible when talking about working conditions than the CEO. So when they are boasting about your agency on social media and encouraging their network to apply for a role, that carries far more weight than just posting the job application from your company’s website or social pages. 

And to encourage your employees to recruit for your agency, offer them an incentive. Many organizations offer a recruitment referral bonus upon the hire of a referral, and then an additional bonus if that employee lasts more than 6 months with the company. This ensures your employees are motivated to not only ask anyone to join the company… but only people they truly feel are qualified and will be a great asset for the organization for the long haul. 

4. Let The Candidate Interview You!

It is equally important that your candidate feels the job is a good fit for them as you feel they’re a good fit for it. 78% of job candidates believe that the way they’re treated in the hiring process is a clear indicator of how a company will treat its employees. So set the tone by allowing them to freely interview you about the company. 

If a candidate is a little hesitant to ask questions, here are a few ways to prompt them to ask some questions:

• Share information about your company and don’t leave out the fun, cultural stuff
• Describe the department where the candidate would work
• Talk about the staff and introduce them to the people they will be working with directly 
• Explain the expectations – including work from home options (hint: most people want a hybrid agency model now) 
• Provide a detailed description of your benefits package

After each segment, be sure to ask if the candidate has any questions. 

5. Ask the Right Questions 

Lastly, it’s critical that you’re asking candidates questions that get to the heart of what you are looking for. Asking the right questions will help you to identify candidates that have a track record of succeeding at new things. 

While most people can continually succeed in an upward linear fashion by building on prior experience, we are not in a linear period at the moment as a result of the pandemic. The person who can repeatedly succeed in unknown situations is what some companies will need for fresh ideas and reinvention!

It is my hope that with these five tips your agency can find the talent it needs to propel its growth! Recruit smart… hire smarter… and remember, do everything intentionally and with a purpose.