Hasta La Creative!

It used to be that when we made a hire we knew exactly where that individual belonged. An art director joined the creative department. A publicist joined the public relations group. But things are not as clear-cut anymore.

Do I place the analytics person in the brand strategy group, the PR/social media group or the account management group? In my agency, all would make sense. The same goes for hiring search experts: I could make an argument for placing that kind of expertise in many of our agency’s departments.

When we wrote a job description for a director of technology, we received responses from applicants with a wide range of technology experience — but not the kind of experience that our opening required. We soon learned that the difference between what we sought and what applicants thought we needed was subtle but real. A few candidates debated the nuances of the position, and how it might apply to them, but in the end, we agreed it wouldn’t be a perfect fit. I never had debates like that in the old days. The agency business for decades had clear-cut roles and job descriptions, and management knew exactly where to place to assign new hires.

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