If you want the best marketing strategy, concepts and content, you have to hire the best marketing team to make it happen.
Enter creatives.
They’re a different type of people, that’s for sure. But what creatives do you need on your food ingredient marketing team? Identifying the right talent to build up your marketing team takes a different lens.
Creative people have specific skill sets that make them excel at what they do. Having a creative marketing team with the right knowledge to create on-target messaging and share it effectively with your audience is critical to your team’s success.
Here are some things to remember as you’re wading through those work portfolios.
Remember that it takes a team
A creative team is a collaborative bunch, and each member of your team will be working closely with one another. Creatives bring ideas and having a group of creatives that can bounce ideas off one another for successful brainstorming is essential. It may be beneficial to consider getting input from your team when hiring a new creative. You don’t want “too many cooks in the kitchen” when it comes to hiring decisions, but having a candidate meet with your creative team may offer you perspective and ensure a good fit.
If you’re hiring for a recently vacated position, take the opportunity to evaluate the skills of your current team and identify areas of opportunity. You don’t necessarily need a copy-and-paste replica of the previous employee. Envision the future and your clients’ needs, and what skills your team needs to produce the best work.
Hire creatives with the skills you need now and down the road
If this is a brand-new position on your team, have a solid job description ironed out to help you know what skills you need to better match them to candidates. For example, maybe you’ve been handling copywriting even though it’s not one of your strongest skills or something you enjoy. You want to hire a copywriter who will take over this task. Make a list of what types of copy you need (web, social, print materials, digital ads, etc.). The right candidate will have the desired copywriting experience and identify that work as their strongest and most enjoyable.
Here are some hard skills you’ll want to consider when hiring your creative team in no particular order:
- Digital marketing strategy
- SEO
- Social media management
- Email marketing
- Content creation – This includes writing, design and photography
- Data analysis
- Paid advertising
Every company’s marketing team will look different depending on their current state and what objectives they want to achieve. But certain roles make sense to include on your food ingredient marketing team. When building your creative team, you must decide which skills and roles are most urgently needed.
Pay close attention to their portfolio
Creatives should always come with a portfolio of their work. Their portfolio should highlight the most important work to them. And while a portfolio can be a great way to get a sense of their capabilities, don’t always take it at face value. Ask questions. Why are they showcasing these pieces? What was their role in the project? A better understanding of what types of work they highlight in their portfolio and the extent to which they worked on it can give you a better understanding of their skill set.
Don’t undervalue creatives
While you want to hire the right person for the job, don’t get tunnel vision when evaluating candidates. Don’t overlook someone with experience at a smaller company or is a one-person team at their current company. Oftentimes, these people have a bigger toolbox of skills and are more creative problem-solvers. Creative hires should be curious and willing to learn. They should be searching for ways to push the boundaries and discover new ways to tell your company’s story.
But you don’t want to hire someone to wear too many hats. Everyone has strengths and interests, and you shouldn’t pile on too many responsibilities outside of these parameters. This can cause someone to get worn down and burned out. Creative burnout halts the production of creative ideas and brainstorming that you initially hired them for. Hire people for their unique skills and keep them doing what they are best at.
Outline their growth path
Every candidate you interview should be asking, “What does my growth path look like here?” And you should have an answer. Creative hires are constantly growing and changing as they develop their skills. Before hiring for a position, outline what the growth trajectory looks like for someone in that role, and how you will support their development to reach their goals. Every employer should offer their employees learning opportunities, so ensure you budget for it.
Discuss the growth path with candidates and ask what their objectives are. Make sure you can deliver in supporting their professional development goals to ensure a good fit.
Also, keep in mind less experienced hires. Hiring creatives who may be at the start of their careers is an opportunity to help them grow and develop their skill sets. These individuals are eager to learn and can be beneficial to your creative team.
We’ve got a good group of marketing creatives. Meet our team!