Posters, business cards, billboards, social media pages, letters, sms campaigns, and white papers -- all companies need some type of marketing collateral regardless of the industry they belong. The development of marketing collateral falls under the category of creative communications -- a function that allows a company to effectively connect with its employees, customers and all other stakeholders.
Creative communications - communication that moves people to get involved and be engaged - is key to business-building. So be very careful in choosing the person for this job. Based on our own experience of hiring and working with Creatives, we put together a list to help you spot “the real deal” and hire Creative talent for your company:
1. Creatives are motivated by pleasure and influence. Creatives find doing a task they enjoy doing more rewarding than pay. So when you interview candidates for the job, ask about what they love doing and why they enjoy doing them. How do they think their work affects other people? Creatives will be very passionate in responding to these types of questions. They might even touch on their life purpose. Listen intently and refrain from bringing up bonuses and other monetary incentives until you have a good understanding of what drives them.
2. They treat their work like their children. Creatives have very strong emotional ties to their work. This is both good and bad. On one hand, they generally put a lot of time and effort on their work, trying to create a piece of art each time. On the other, their sense of ownership and pride can override their better judgment and make it difficult for them to do business. As an aside, make sure that intellectual property rights and how they are treated are clearly defined in your project or employment contracts with Creatives.
3. They strategize based on their understanding and appreciation of your target market . Give them a creative brief and observe how they work. Real Creatives will always begin with an understanding of your target market or audience. They will spend time in coming up with a customer insight - which is what they will use to come up with their message, their “handle”, their concept. Guide them with an understanding of financial targets whenever needed but, guard against stifling their creativity.
4. A good creative can turn limitations into opportunities for award-winning work. What is creativity without a box to think out of? So when you interview candidates for a creative position, define the box - and see how they get out of it. Ask them to create an email marketing campaign for a blind audience, or a social media campaign in a foreign language. Don’t be afraid to come up with something crazy. Remember that the point of the exercise is to spot a creative.
5. They have a host of different interests. Creatives are as they should be, ever curious. And rarely does their curiosity end in a Google search. Usually, they would dive into whatever piques their interest - be it wrestling or cooking or volunteering, you name it. If your interviewee tells you that young Margaret Thatcher was a chemist who improved the qualities of cake and soap as we know them today, you have a winner.
6. Creatives are articulate. Creatives will not hesitate to tell you what’s on their minds. And there’s always a lot on their minds! Most love metaphors and explain concepts visually. ”Sturdy” is a California Redwood to a content writer.
7. They’re not afraid to ruffle feathers. Think Steve Jobs. Creatives believe that innovation can happen by challenging the status quo. They also love to experiment and learn from doing. They like playing in a sandbox.
8. A mature creative can accept constructive criticism. Take note of the operative word: mature. Creatives who are dedicated to their craft are their own worst critics. They set the bar very high - often too high even for themselves. But their love for what they do far exceeds their professional pride and they will do what it takes to come up with something perfect.
Many a real Creative are diamonds in the rough. It might take a while to tell them apart from the rest but, if you find them, a few final touches would bring out some exceptional talent that can add tremendous value to your company. If you are a real Creative looking for the right team to join, we are always on the lookout for people like you! Explore working with us now!
References:
- Donnelly, Tim. "10 Tips on Hiring for Creativity." 29 July 2011. Inc. 5 June 2013.
- Baumgartner, Jeffrey Paul. "Hiring Creative People." 11 Jan 2013. The Creativity Post. 5 June 2013.
- Glei, Jocelyn K. "The Top 5 Qualities of Productive Creatives (And How to Identify Them!)" n.d. 99u: Insights on making ideas happen.
Behance. 5 June 2013. - Philipps, Claire. "Was Margaret Thatcher really part of team that invented Mr Whippy?" 17 April 2013. RealityCheck. The Guardian.
5 June 2013. - Reick, Dean. "Do You Have These 11 Traits of Highly Creative People?" n.d. Copyblogger. 5 June 2013.
- Mumaw, Stefan. "Collective Crazy: The Seven Characteristics of Creative People." 10 Dec. 2012. Peachpit: Publishers of technology books, eBooks and videos for creative people. 5 June 2013.
- Fisher, Jim. "The Seven Characteristics of the Creative Employee." 2 April 2013. Small Business ~ Real People. 5 June 2013.
- "Creative Thinking: Characteristics & Traits." n.d. The Five Colleges of Ohio Creative and Critical Thinking Project. The College of Wooster.
5 June 2013.
About
Xenia-Chloe H. Villanueva is a Communications Specialist at StraightArrow Corporation. When not writing copy or developing concepts, she reviews movies for a Webbie-award nominated blog. She also jogs, cooks and contributes to independent poetry projects.
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