In the ad agency world, there will always be a home for a craft wordsmith or a designer with vision. While these are the most common traits that creative team members should have, they are by no means the sole characteristics managers should look for.
A leader seeking to forge an innovative team with depth, flexibility and adaptability shouldn’t focus solely on the most common traits. Instead, they should delve further into what makes that creative individual a unique asset to the team.
Fifteen members of Forbes Agency Council examine the complex traits that creative team hires ought to demonstrate to prove that they’d make an excellent addition to the business.
Members share some important, but often-overlooked traits in new creative talent.
Photos courtesy of the individual members
1. Empathy
Clients want to be heard, seen and listened to. Teammates want to feel that we’re willing to hear their ideas and their points of view. Audiences want to feel value for the time they spend engaging with our content. When we’re hiring, we first evaluate each candidate based on how closely they align with our core values. Our first core value says, “we seek the three sides of the story.” – Hamid Ghanadan, LINUS
2. The Will To Learn
We will often hire those who are passionate about being a part of the company over those who purely have the skill set. We’ve found that candidates who have that drive to be a part of your business stay for the long term and are constantly working to make themselves better, are more open to constructive feedback and put in the work to get to where they need to be, adding to the overall morale. – Meredith Xavier, The Ligné Group
3. Emotional Intelligence
This goes beyond the concept of being aware of, controlling and expressing one’s emotions. It includes the ability to “read a room” during a meeting and knowing how to handle internal and client-facing situations judiciously. This skill is key to ensuring great work gets conceived, sold and made. – Brian Sullivan, Sullivan Branding
4. People Skills
Behind every effective creative pitch is a professional with people skills. At the end of the day, our business is about connecting with people. As we work to convince clients we can connect their brands with consumers, we must also connect with them through our creative. Brilliant creative minds with the ability to listen, respond and anticipate client needs help teams succeed. – Mary Ann O’Brien, OBI Creative
5. Good Attitude And Mindset
The right employees are the foundation of every successful company. When selecting new talents for our creative team, we are not primarily concerned with their education or grades. Much more important is the personality itself, closely followed by the motivation to learn new things. Skills can be learned, but the basic framework of attitude and mindset is often already placed. – Markus Hetzenegger, NYBA Media GmbH
6. Critical Thinking
An artistic critical thinker understands is that it’s more than creating art — it’s creating within the bounds of client and agency expectations. You’re hired for talent, but you lead because you know and understand what the team needs to succeed. Critical thinkers can more easily intersect artistic and business goals in a way that doesn’t diminish the value of either one. – Christine Wetzler, Pietryla PR
7. Strategic Thinking
The best creatives are also strategists. They are masters at comprehending new information with speed. They possess an innate ability to articulate the vision with precision, and translate it into other mediums. In fact, they are so good at understanding and articulating the underlying strategy, that they may even give your most experienced strategists a run for their money. – Howard Breindel, DeSantis Breindel
8. Improv Skills
Having hired many a creative, I’ve learned that technical skills are table stakes. What makes a real difference to a team in avoiding the creation of potential imbalance is a person’s ability to be a contributor to a generative conversation and ideation. Applying the first rule of improvisation — there are no “nos,” only “yes, ands” — makes the ideation process build and grow instead of being exclusive. – Courtney Smith Kramer, PureMatter
9. Work Ethic
Work ethic comes to mind as a trait that is needed for finding an exceptional employee. Whether on the business development side of the agency or the technical side, there is usually a higher level of autonomy in comparison to other industries. Finding an individual who is honest, ambitious and dedicated is just as important as finding a top-notch sales rep or designer. – Deric San Juan, Alpha 3 Marketing Group
10. Inexperience As A Fresh Perspective
If your organization usually favors experienced applicants, reconsider your less-experienced applicants. Inexperience can indicate a potential for growth and transformation. Fresh blood brings all sorts of new ideas and enthusiasm to your team. Inexperienced employees are more likely to rely on others for help developing an idea and receiving constructive feedback, which can foster collaboration. – Hannah Trivette, NUVEW Web Solutions
11. Culture Fit And Talent
Many times, agencies hire for talent without factoring in culture fit. The best creative contributor in the world is not going to be worth the investment if that talent is accompanied by egotism, values misalignment or other factors that affect team performance. Will this person fit? If not, the rest doesn’t matter. – Scott Baradell, Idea Grove
12. Problem-Solving
People who can identify a problem and who relish the opportunity to solve it are invaluable members of a team. Having an optimistic attitude — that the problem is solvable and that together, we will find a solution — is half the battle. These are the innovators and entrepreneurs of the world and when you find them, you should never let them go. – Nicole Osmer, Health+Commerce
13. Curiosity
One of the most detrimental traits in a creative environment is complacency. Candidates who are innately curious about the world around them will push forward and ask questions to further themselves and the work they take on. This creates opportunities for both the company and its employees to think outside of the box about their work that translate into more meaningful experiences. – Jeremy Haile, Sideqik
14. Being A Team Player
Players on the creative team are just that — creative. It’s important not to stifle the skills that any individual carries, yet it’s equally consequential to ensure they’re a team player. While one may have an incredible array of ideas and experience, anyone on the creative team should be open-minded and considerate of others’ ideas. A collaborative approach will ensure the best outcomes. – Carm Lyman, Lyman Agency
15. Ability To Say ‘No’
Don’t surround yourself with “box-checkers” or “yes people.” Look for people who listen, collaborate and know when to say “no” on “good enough” ideas to make room for “groundbreaking” ideas. But keep in mind that brilliant, beautiful chaos can ensue when creatives get together, so you’ll also need someone who is organized — who understands the art but can also keep track of deadlines. – Bernard May, National Positions
