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How best to attract creative talent

Kate Allen, Executive Chair and Marketing Director, Allen Associates

The United Kingdom is in the midst of a drought when it comes to creative talent. Universities continue to pump out fresh graduates year on year, yet they all seem to be swallowed up in seconds by trendy internships at fintech start-ups and corporate goliaths boasting attractive benefits. Sourcing true creative talent is essential for any growing business seeking to grow and make their presence known – however, that’s often easier said than done.

Eager to snap up the best and brightest Candidates before their competitors get a chance, many Employers miss the mark when it comes to attracting top marketing talent. Fixated on corporate culture, they promote quirky offices and work parties in the hope that it will be enough to convince their target Candidates to join. On the other hand firms who are more switched-on , know that it’s what’s inside that counts above all.

Employer Brand

Your reputation amongst creative folk will play a vitally important role throughout the recruitment process. Word travels fast, and in the age of social media, your reputation can skyrocket before coming crashing down to earth in, literally, a matter of minutes.

Review sites such as Glassdoor have made it incredibly easy for Candidates to understand in greater detail what everyday life could be like at your company: a snide comment about management, a concern raised about staff churn or a complaint about lack of development and your company could be ruled out as a potential Employer.

Creating a strong Employer brand shouldn’t be a painful activity and can pay dividends. If your workplace is perceived as a business that challenges, rewards and embraces creative talent – you’ll have an inbox full of A+ CVs in no time.

Flexible perking

No longer do arcade machines and pop up pool tables suffice when it comes to attracting marketing graduates and ambitious creative types. The company culture bubble burst, and with-it, Millennials and Gen X made demands that left even the most ardent baby boomer blushing. Flexible working, duvet days, fruit deliveries, 4pm finishes and bring your pet to work day are just a few of the perks that are becoming ubiquitous on the employment landscapeing humanity’s 21st century.

Though it is wholly unnecessary to employ all these initiatives, company perks are becoming more and more important, so even if it isn’t flexible working, Employers do need to show they value and reward their staff.

Learning and development

Creativity is an intangible that is difficult to quantify. Creativity in marketing personnel can range anywhere from graphic design to problem solving. One trait that these individuals share is a desire to develop this talent and increase their skills in other areas. Gone are the days of training in one craft your entire career, young creatives are constantly adding to their skillset.

Whether they’re kickstarting their career at assistant level or seeking a managerial role, creative talent by nature seeks challenge from their careers. Marketing as a discipline demands experimentation and being given the freedom to try new tactics and tools in order to achieve their objectives is exactly what a professional in this sphere hopes to gain from their career.

Businesses known for developing talent have greater employee satisfaction, and even stronger staff loyalty. By developing your talent internally, you can cut down on external costs, have greater control over internal projects, and demonstrate that you are a forward-thinking business in a creative Candidate’s eyes.

Over the last 20 years, we have grown as a business to become one of the leading independent Recruitment agencies in Oxfordshire, and in 2018 have opened our first London office, to service Clients in the capital.

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