Despite a growing mountain of applications, these roles can take months to fill
Hiring creative talent may be a little more challenging than considering candidates for other roles, a new study has found.
The Creative Group conducted a survey among 400 advertising and marketing executives in the US and found that creative staff positions do take time to fill: Five weeks, to be precise, and seven for management-level posts.
Hiring managers receive, on the average, 32 resumes for an open position and meet with an average of seven before they make a decision. Three years ago, they received 23 and met with six.
More employers – 45% – are willing to look outside their city or state to find the right creative person.
Fifty-seven percent of executives are willing to negotiate pay when making an offer to a creative candidate.
Nearly a quarter of those who make hiring decisions instead put a premium on soft skills -- less tangible and harder to quantify. Hard skills, on the other hand, are specific and can be taught, defined and measured. Fifty-eight percent of employers assign equal weight to hard and soft skills.
"Employers are increasingly diligent and deliberate in their search for creative talent," said Deborah Bottineau, senior regional manager of The Creative Group.
"They are looking for people with the right mix of technical and interpersonal skills, and who demonstrate a passion for their work and alignment with the company's mission and core values."
Related stories:
The secret to successfully managing creatives
Toughest interview questions revealed
The Creative Group conducted a survey among 400 advertising and marketing executives in the US and found that creative staff positions do take time to fill: Five weeks, to be precise, and seven for management-level posts.
Hiring managers receive, on the average, 32 resumes for an open position and meet with an average of seven before they make a decision. Three years ago, they received 23 and met with six.
More employers – 45% – are willing to look outside their city or state to find the right creative person.
Fifty-seven percent of executives are willing to negotiate pay when making an offer to a creative candidate.
Nearly a quarter of those who make hiring decisions instead put a premium on soft skills -- less tangible and harder to quantify. Hard skills, on the other hand, are specific and can be taught, defined and measured. Fifty-eight percent of employers assign equal weight to hard and soft skills.
"Employers are increasingly diligent and deliberate in their search for creative talent," said Deborah Bottineau, senior regional manager of The Creative Group.
"They are looking for people with the right mix of technical and interpersonal skills, and who demonstrate a passion for their work and alignment with the company's mission and core values."
Related stories:
The secret to successfully managing creatives
Toughest interview questions revealed