With graduation around the corner, amidst the influx of post-pandemic job seekers, we thought we’d speak to the timelier-than-ever topic of recruitment through our own lens. More specifically, we’re diving into our talent search strategy as an advertising agency.
What do we look for in potential employee candidates? Obviously, there are some skills and qualities that are sought out by almost every employer, but there are others unique to agency-qualified prospects. Ultimately, we want to know if you’re a good fit for our team and bring something new and valuable to the table. It’s finding the best balance between talent and culture.
We recently spoke with Catapult, a client of ours specializing in executive search, for some insight on finding employees that meet this perfect combination of talent and culture. Senior Director of Talent, Paige Gullotti Nero, reinforced the importance of identifying candidates whose values align with your company’s – along with your mission and vision — through assessments and a consistent interview process.
“It’s important to really look behind the curtain to identify a candidates’ critical competencies, work styles, philosophies, values, behavioral preferences, core values and emotional intelligence to determine whether or not they’re a good fit for your team and the ways you collaborate.”
HMN Resources President and Senior Professional in Human Resources, Holly Nowak, says that the two most important qualities she looks for when hiring are “true interest in the opportunity and a growth mindset” — both stand-out traits that we’ve found make for success in the advertising world – and beyond.
A motto of ours at FIFTEEN is “personality over portfolio.” We look for someone who’s excited and passionate about what they do, with a desire to learn and grow, both personally and professionally. If you take a good look at our team, you’ll notice that every person has a passion, hobby or side hustle outside of their career. We believe it’s important to have outlets beyond the workplace to express ourselves, that make our lives just a little more meaningful while keeping us balanced. It also makes for a uniquely diverse and well-rounded office, where there’s so much to learn from and about each other every day. Our passion for learning transfers to our work, benefitting our clients as we delve into their products, services and culture in order to effectively communicate what they offer.
Below, we’ve categorized some of the most valuable skills and qualities we look for in potential agency additions.
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