Securing Talent in a Busy Marketplace

There is no doubt about it, the creative industries are back online!

After a rocky 12 months, agencies and brands alike are ramping up their hiring and talented candidates are on the market for mere days/weeks before they’re snapped up.

So as a hiring manager, what can you do to make sure you’re securing the best talent during such a candidate-driven period? I’ve taken a much-needed break from recruiting to jot down some ideas for you (and breathe!)

Work recruitment costs & market salaries into budget early doors

If you’re not offering salaries at (at least!) market rate, you won’t secure who you’re looking for. Work recruitment costs into budget early doors, it is much easier to get financial sign off at the beginning of the process rather than at the end, when you’ve found that ideal candidate – but they’re too expensive.

Engage with specialists in the market

As we all know there are literally thousands of recruitment agencies out there, but are you engaging with ones that are specialists in your marketplace?

Engaging with a specialist creative recruitment agency is crucial. We work with the best in the business and are constantly networking through groups of designers/marketers, so you’ll be the first to know when that designer you’ve been eyeing up is back on the market.

We should also have a good grasp of your competitors, so shortlists will be relevant candidates moving in the same circles. Creative recruitment is subjective & niche – invest in a recruiter who understands that.

Have a slick interview process

Decide how many stages of interview you need and who needs to be at each stage. There is nothing worse than getting 3 interviews in to realize they haven’t met a key member of the team.

Interview multiple candidates – Don’t just interview that one designer you really like, interview a couple more for comparison. The candidate pool is limited, and they may just surprise you!

Concise and timely feedback Is essential at each stage of interview, let the candidates know that you’ve valued their time, and what is to come next.

One final point – interviews are two-way streets. Are your employees selling your business while interviewing? You need good candidates to be bought into your company, visions etc.

Communicate during the onboarding

Congratulations, you’ve secured a top-notch Designer and just have to wait for them to work their notice….

Make sure you’re communicating during that time, find reasons to contact them. Do they have all of their required contracts/paperwork? Can they join a company social? (albeit virtual!) Keep them invested in your company and eager to start.

Here at mustard we are super busy across all divisions, and the talented people we’re working with are not available for long. If you’re looking to hire into your design/ marketing teams and want to chat through hiring strategy, please do reach out to me on 0203 587 7731 or drop me a message at [email protected]

This blog was written by Hannah Lawry, Team Leader – mustardMD. To contact Hannah whether you are a client or candidate, please reach out on the contact details above.