Improving Creative Industry Recruitment Practices

Louder for the people at the back 🎤 Many organisations today seem to have shifted from being institutions that develop great talent to those that primarily seek ready-made talent. This trend overlooks the immense value of individuals who, despite lacking experience, possess a great attitude, commitment, and a team-oriented mindset. These qualities often outweigh the drawbacks of hiring experienced individuals with a fixed and toxic mindset. The best organisations attract talent with their best years ahead of them, focusing on potential rather than past achievements. Let’s be clear this is more about mindset and willingness to learn and unlearn as apposed to age. To realise the incredible potential return, organisations must commit to creating an environment where continuous development is possible. This requires a multi-faceted approach: 1. Robust Training Programmes: Employers should invest in comprehensive training programmes that equip employees with the necessary skills for their roles. This includes on-the-job training, mentorship programmes, online courses, and workshops. 2. Redefining Hiring Criteria: Organisations should revise their hiring criteria to focus more on candidates’ potential and willingness to learn rather than solely on prior experience or formal qualifications. Behavioural interviews, aptitude tests, and probationary periods can help assess a candidate's ability to learn and adapt. 3. Partnerships with Educational Institutions: Companies can collaborate with educational institutions to design curricula that align with industry needs. Apprenticeship programmes, internships, and cooperative education can bridge the gap between academic learning and practical job skills. 4. Lifelong Learning Culture: Encouraging a culture of lifelong learning within organisations is crucial. Employers should provide ongoing education opportunities and support for professional development. This includes continuous skills assessment and access to resources for upskilling and reskilling. 5. Inclusive Recruitment Practices: Employers should implement inclusive recruitment practices that remove biases and barriers. Blind recruitment, diversity quotas, and targeted outreach programmes can help ensure that diverse candidates are given a fair chance. By implementing these measures, organisations can develop a workforce that is adaptable, innovative, and resilient, ensuring sustainable success and growth.

Yesterday I was delighted to be invited to the launch of 'Class Ceiling: A Review of Working Class Participation in the Arts Across Greater Manchester' supported by Creative Manchester at The University of Manchester, Nazir Afzal OBE, Rise Associates. A report our Graduate Futures Institute task group and wider creative community were proud to feed into. It makes for sobering, necessary reading for anyone in education for creative industries! A few findings that I think matter for those of us working across education, employability and the creative industries: 1. Class discrimination is widespread, not incidental. 51% of respondents reported experiencing bias, bullying or discrimination linked to social class or perceived class. Accent, postcode and background still shape who is seen as “credible” or “appointable”. 2. Low pay is the biggest barrier to staying in the sector. Less than half of working-class creatives earn enough to make a living. Many rely on second jobs or family support, accelerating the loss of talent from the sector. 3. Networks matter more than talent. Only 21.9% of respondents knew someone working in the arts while growing up. Informal hiring, unpaid work and closed networks continue to block access. 4. Representation is alarmingly low. Just 17.8% feel their lived experiences are reflected in the art form they practice. That has profound implications for whose stories get told and who feels they belong. 5. Education pathways are narrowing, not widening. Arts GCSE take-up remains stagnant, creative apprenticeships account for just 0.5% of starts, and too many young people never see a clear route into creative work. The report is clear: this is not a pipeline problem or a confidence issue. It’s a structural, economic and cultural failure. One that diversity language alone has not fixed. What’s encouraging is that the report doesn’t stop at diagnosis. It sets out practical, place-based recommendations: paying a real living wage for early roles, ending unpaid work, breaking informal hiring practices, investing in affordable space, and putting class firmly at the centre of EDI policy. For those of us shaping careers education, employability, curriculum and industry partnerships, this report is a call to act. Not just to “support aspiration”, but to change the conditions people are entering into. I strongly recommend reading the full report and reflecting on what this means for your institution, organisation or practice : https://lnkd.in/eCMMhph7 #CreativeIndustries #ClassCeiling #SocialMobility #ArtsEducation #Employability #CreativeCareers #GreaterManchester Creative UK Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre

You think you need a massive budget to compete for top talent? NOPE. The best recruitment marketing strategies are built with creativity, not cash. I’ve helped scrappy startups and scaling businesses recruit against big-name brands with six-figure budgets. The secret? Ruthless clarity and relentless execution on the unsexy basics everyone else overlooks. Here’s the real playbook for building a talent magnet—without burning cash: 1. Employer brand is step zero. Nail your story—why do people love working for you? Turn values into bite-sized messages. Film team lunches on your phone. Use real voices, not polished scripts. If your “about us” feels like it could be anyone’s, you’ve missed the mark. 2. Your careers page? It’s your front door. If it’s clunky, hard to find, or generic… it’s costing you great candidates, period. One weekend, some free design tools, and honest employee testimonials will already put you ahead of 90% of businesses. 3. Social media IS the great equalizer. Day-in-the-life videos, team wins, human stories—post them consistently. Get your employees involved. Their networks are your secret weapon. 4. Don’t overlook free job boards—aim your job ads like a laser at the people you actually want, not a faceless crowd. Link every listing back to your killer careers page. Small touch, big ROI. 5. Referrals beat recruiters (for less money). 6. Show up locally—mix virtual and in-person. People want to work for people they’ve met, not faceless companies. And here’s the kicker: none of this works without tracking what actually brings in good people. If you’re not measuring, you’re just guessing. Most small businesses aren’t losing the hiring game because of budget. They’re losing because they try to play by enterprise rules instead of doubling down on their unfair advantages—authenticity, agility, and community.

We've all heard the horror stories of candidates doing hours of free work for a job interview project, only to never hear back. It’s a practice that feels unfair and unethical. So how do we test for fit and skill without stepping outside ethical lines? It’s a question that needs thoughtful consideration. We've spent years refining our recruitment process to ensure it’s both effective and respectful of candidates’ time and effort. The traditional interview process often falls short when it comes to truly understanding a candidate's skills and fit for the company. This has led some companies to request free portfolio work or hypothetical projects, which can be ethically problematic. Here’s how we do it: Structured Interviews: We rely heavily on behavioral-based interview questions and practical discussions that allow us to gauge a candidate’s experience, thought process and cultural fit based on their actions and results in the past. Hypothetical Problem Sets: For skills assessment, we provide completely hypothetical problems that reflect the type of work the candidate would encounter. This ensures we get a glimpse of their problem-solving abilities without exploiting their efforts. Paid Work Trials: If the work is directly related to a real problem set or project, we compensate candidates for their time and work effort. This respects their effort and shows that we value their contribution. Keep in mind that for 2 and 3, these should be done later in the process after a candidate is equally excited about the opportunity and has at least a decent likelihood of being selected.  We believe that every interaction with a candidate should reflect our core values of respect and fairness. By adopting these practices, we maintain ethical hiring standards and help build the reputations of our clients as companies that truly value their people—even before they join the team. P.S. Have you experienced or witnessed unethical hiring practices? Share your stories and insights in the comments—I’d love to hear from you. #EthicalHiring #Recruitment #CandidateExperience #CreativeAlignments #Leadership 

What is your view about anonymised recruitment? We are increasingly asked to work in this way, but I can't help but feel it can remove the essence of the candidate. Anonymised recruitment aims to reduce bias by removing personal details from the hiring process so that decisions focus solely on skills, experience, and suitability for the role. This often involves removing information such as names, addresses, gender, photos, and sometimes education dates. Reviewing applications should then take place without access to any identifying information. Recruiters and hiring managers should be encouraged to assess candidates based purely on their relevant experience, achievements, and qualifications. To support this, it helps to use clear, job-related selection criteria and to communicate these criteria consistently across the recruitment team. Structured and standardised interviews also play an important role. Preparing a set of predetermined questions linked directly to the role’s competencies allows each candidate to be assessed fairly and consistently. Any form of informal questioning that may inadvertently reveal personal details unrelated to the job should be avoided. Supplementing interviews with skills-based assessments—marked anonymously—can further ensure that decisions are grounded in evidence of capability. It is also beneficial to involve a diverse interview panel, as this reduces the influence of individual biases and encourages more balanced decision-making. Providing training on equality, diversity, and unconscious bias helps ensure that everyone involved understands both the purpose and the principles behind blind recruitment. Ongoing monitoring is essential. Regularly analysing recruitment data can help identify patterns or stages where bias may still be creeping in, allowing organisations to refine their processes accordingly. Gathering feedback from candidates and hiring managers can also highlight opportunities for improvement. Ultimately, embedding anonymous recruitment practices should not be about eliminating all human judgement but about creating a system where that judgement is as fair, objective, and inclusive as possible. Over time, it is hoped that these practices contribute to a more diverse workforce and a more transparent hiring culture.

I’ve taught 100s of candidates how to get better at applications. But let me tell you this: Companies are responsible for 50% of the mess we are seeing on the market right now. Candidates are panicking. They have 0 clue how to present themselves in CVs or portfolios. Meanwhile companies have this weird belief that there is an endless “relevant talent” out there and they can ask for as much as they want. They think they’ll find it. But guess what? Recruitment isn’t a unicorn hunt. (Or at least, it shouldn’t be) We all misunderstood hiring. A good recruitment process should give candidates everything they need to show if they can succeed. Instead: → Candidates have no clue what they need to do → No outlines and agreed expectations → The outcome? A carrot (proceed) or a stick (reject) How is this a 2025 practice? Who wins? Why don’t we make hiring a mutual collaboration fit test, not just an assessment? A space for both sides to learn. Not just a game to pass or fail. A timeframe where: → Meaningful questions are asked → Expectations are explained and actually reflect real needs (not just because there’s a lot of talent) → Steps empower both sides to truly understand each other Call me crazy, but I’m fed up with broken hiring processes. And I know you are too. We work in a creative industry. How about we get creative with hiring too? Make it meaningful. Make it efficient. Stop wasting hours on the wrong calls and tasks. How? By getting real before the process begins. Every hiring manager has to start feeling responsibility for outlining this: → What problem needs to be solved? → If solved, what does success look like? → What skills are needed to solve it? → What questions and assessments will test those skills? → What does bad, good, and great look like in those answers? BOOM. Now you actually know what you’re doing. Hiring is hard. But it isn’t rocket science. When you go hard on your recruiters, your hiring actually goes easier. I’ve seen it happen: → Time to hire: cut in half. → Quality of candidates: UP UP UP → Hiring team morale - good again (no one is ghosting their responsibilities because hiring feels like hunger games) I guarantee it. What’s the one thing about hiring that makes you want to scream? I want to know what everyone is experiencing.

Right now, we’re experiencing a talent-market imbalance unlike anything we’ve seen since the early COVID era. Candidates are increasingly frustrated—submitting applications into a void, receiving little to no feedback, and sensing a lack of transparency in the process. Many believe the “AI boogeyman” is filtering them out, when in reality, the root cause is often far more fundamental: broken processes that prevent recruiters from identifying and engaging the right talent. AI is becoming more embedded in hiring workflows, but technology doesn’t fix flawed systems. In fact, it amplifies them. And that’s why what I’m about to say may surprise some people in recruiting: to move forward, we need to return to the fundamentals. It’s time to reinvest in the core disciplines of great recruiting—disciplines that ensure quality, strengthen trust, and elevate both candidate and hiring-manager experience. 1. Establish a structured, disciplined process that prioritizes quality over volume. We need to stop gamifying job applications and making it easy for bots and noise to overwhelm the funnel. When we control input, elevate standards, and reduce volume, recruiters gain the bandwidth to focus on the right talent. 2. Reintroduce intentional, in-person engagement where it matters. Decentralized teams with real knowledge of their talent markets—and the ability to physically show up—dramatically reduce fake applicants, increase accountability, and rebuild the human connection that today’s candidates crave. 3. Bring transparency to the forefront. If you’re hiring at scale, build a dedicated page on your career site that outlines exactly how candidates can succeed in your interview process and navigate your hiring experience. When expectations are clear, engagement improves. When candidates understand the rules, they can truly compete—and win. The job search is already hard. Let’s stop adding friction. Let’s modernize our tools, reinforce our fundamentals, and build a hiring experience that works better for everyone.

I want to talk about something many job seekers are experiencing right now. Companies asking candidates to complete unpaid work as part of the interview process. Not a quick skills check. Not a short exercise. I’m referring to multi hour strategy decks, full campaign plans, influencer sourcing, budget models, operational frameworks, and city level growth strategies. Work that would normally be paid consulting. Work that can still be valuable to a company even if a candidate is not hired. When you are actively searching for your next role, it can feel hard to say no. I have been there. I have been asked to create full GTM plans, influencer rosters, event strategies, and detailed execution roadmaps before an offer was discussed. I have shared real examples from past work, only to be asked for additional deliverables. Over time, I have learned there is an important difference between evaluating a candidate’s thinking and asking for work that goes beyond what is reasonable. Here are some signs job seekers may want to pause and evaluate: • Assignments that require more than two hours • Requests for full strategies rather than thought process • Language such as “we’ll know if you use AI” • Tight deadlines for unpaid work • Requests to submit work in internal tools • Vague assurances like “this is the final step” • No clarity on compensation range or timeline Here is what respectful, candidate-centered hiring often looks like: • Short, focused cases that test decision making • Live working sessions instead of take home projects • Clear expectations and reasonable time investment • Engagement with past work and portfolios • Evaluation through conversation, not unpaid output • Transparency around next steps and timelines Job seekers are already navigating financial pressure, family responsibilities, and uncertainty. Asking for extensive unpaid work on top of that can place an unfair burden on candidates. If you have ever felt uncomfortable with an interview request, you are not alone. Setting boundaries is not being difficult. It is valuing your time and experience. Companies that respect talent also respect time. The hiring process itself often reflects the culture you are stepping into. We can support better hiring practices by talking about them openly and thoughtfully. #JobSearch #HiringPractices #CandidateExperience #Careers #Leadership #WorkCulture #HiringTransparency #RespectTalent

Creative build portfolios. Creative leaders build portfolios of people. As a creative leader, you don’t create the work anymore. But you do create the team that will make the work. So now, instead of a building a portfolio of your ads, you are building a portfolio of portfolios. You are building a portfolio of talent. Take all of that passion and energy that you poured into your own portfolio, and redirect it toward finding the absolute best talent out there. Instead of poring over award show books for ideas to steal (er, be inspired by), look at who did the work you admire most and see if you love the rest of it as much as that one killer campaign. Add them to your portfolio of people. When you see a featured campaign in AdWeek, AdAge, Creativity, or Campaign, find out who wrote, art directed, creative directed, designed, produced, or shot the work. Add them to your portfolio of people. Spend time poking around on talent sites and see whose work speaks to you. Follow industry newsletters, blogs, and podcasts, and gleefully plunder the featured creatives. Find out who did that ad you saw in the subway. Reach out to the heads of placement at ad schools and ask them to send you links to their graduating classes’ sites — they’ll be more than happy to, because they want to see their people get jobs. Reach out to your friends and colleagues in the industry and ask them for recommendations. Go on LinkedIn and plug in senior art director, ACD copywriter, executive producer, media strategist, or any other title you’re looking to hire for. Heck, plug those same titles into Google—you know whoever pops up will at least be good at SEO. Keep building that list. Invest time getting to know the portfolios you’ve collected. Refine your talent portfolio the way you would your work. Look for the quality of their ideas, and pay attention to the details of the executions and their craft. Watch their TikToks with the same discerning eye as their TV spots. Read their post copy. Listen to their (gasp) radio. Like the killer campaigns in your creative portfolio lead to better assignments or new jobs, the killer people in your talent portfolio lead to better work and attract more great people. As you find better and better people, move them to the top of your list. Remove the people whose work doesn’t inspire you anymore. Make your talent portfolio sing. Just like you grew your portfolio of creative work, keep growing your portfolio of creative people. Have a full pipeline. And just like you never stopped working on your own portfolio to get that leadership job, never stop working on your portfolio of people.

Ten years ago, a “creative hire” was about portfolios and interviews. Today, AI can scan thousands of reels, resumes, even audio samples, and surface talent in seconds. The efficiency is undeniable—but it raises a bigger question: How do we ensure human creativity isn’t reduced to an algorithmic match score? In industries like the influencer + creator space, music and podcasting, the intangibles matter: voice, storytelling, cultural relevance, the ability to build community. These aren’t always captured in structured data. The future of recruiting in creative fields will depend on a hybrid approach: AI for speed → sourcing &  skill validation. Humans for nuance → context, chemistry, culture fit. The recruiters and companies who thrive won’t be the ones who ignore AI, nor the ones who outsource everything to it. It will be those who learn to blend machine intelligence with human judgment to uncover talent others miss. Creativity is still a human currency. Our job as recruiters is to protect and elevate it.✨ ♾️