When it comes to creativity, some people will immediately think of employees who design eye-catching logos and impressive images; There are also others that refer to someone who has the skills to effectively solve company problems in ways no one has thought of before. Whatever it is, what they have in common is that they do ordinary jobs in a unique way, always seek to be different, and know exactly how to stand out from the crowd. They are curious, flexible, accepting change, looking at things with different eyes, coming up with new solutions, discovering new opportunities that others do not see, proactive and interested in creating their own identity. .
I do not support the idea that to find creative candidates, our recruiting methods must be unique, such as asking strange questions like Imagine yourself shrunk to size. of a coin and dropped into a blender, what would you do? I still follow the traditional way, just changed it a bit to suit.
It's important to hire the right people for creative jobs
If you want to know if someone is creative, ask them to show you things they've created
Do you agree that when you see firsthand the creative work a candidate has done, it is easier to evaluate? I believe so.
So if I need to recruit a designer, photographer or content creator, the first thing I do is encourage candidates to send in the most creative CVs they can think of. Perhaps it's scratching the right itch and the candidate is also very eager to show off his or her talent, but I receive many unique CVs, from CVs in the form of flyers, printed on T-shirts or billboards. , to video CVs that are elaborately invested in both content and form.
Having too much creativity sometimes makes me think that I'm making things difficult for myself because I don't know who to choose and who to leave out (just kidding, there are so many CVs sent in that I thank heaven and earth, I don't dare complain. valve).
Not only CV, portfolio is also a factor to consider. It is a portfolio of designs they have made in the past or simply works that they are excited about and proud to show off to the world.
By stating these as required documents for the job application, we are showing candidates that we are serious about hiring people with boundless creativity.
nterviews should be more about conversation than boring Q&A
Leave the closed rooms with 4 boring walls and move to a more interesting space with a comfortable atmosphere that can help you have a "bumper" interview. If you don't mind hurting your wallet, you can invite the candidate to lunch, dinner or a drink at a quiet coffee shop in conjunction with the interview (although it's a bit expensive but worth it). A natural conversation will give candidates a feeling of closeness and that is when their creative juices flow.
It's true that the interview is still transactional (we pay you and you do the work) but the way we make decisions is quite emotional. And creative people are even more emotional and susceptible to close relationships than anyone else. Therefore, I think that to attract creative candidates, one of the things that cannot be overlooked is making the recruitment process more friendly.
And in those conversations, the interview structure of the questioner and answerer will never achieve the best results because of its rigidity.
We need criteria and a list of questions, such as:
What's a great idea you've recently come up with? How does this benefit the company?
What creative thinking methods do you use to come up with great ideas or solutions?
When do you feel most creative?
What do you do to stay ahead of new trends and technologies in your field?
How can you stay creative and avoid burnout?
What support do we need for you to achieve your highest creativity?…
But after each candidate's answer, don't rush to move on to another issue, but share a little about similar situations we've encountered during work, just like we always do in meetings. Talk normally with friends, colleagues or acquaintances. Sharing information will make the conversation more interesting and also give candidates a more realistic view of the company and the job.
Challenge your creativity with real-life situations
If that's not enough for you to identify a creative candidate, share with them a problem the company is currently facing and let them come up with creative solutions. Depending on the situation, we can do this in many different ways:
You can tell the candidate the problem in advance so they have time to prepare, then present the answer when they come for the interview;
You can also pose the situation during the interview and wait to see how quickly they come up with a creative solution on their own;
Or invite them to join a group of candidates to come up with the best solution. Although this approach has the disadvantage that it is difficult to evaluate an individual's contribution, it can help us see their teamwork ability;
Or give them two unrelated things and see if they can come up with something new…
To increase effectiveness, each candidate should be challenged in many ways because the results of a task may not reflect their true potential. We will understand candidates' creativity more thoroughly if they are exposed to many different situations. Those who make a good impression in challenges are more likely to perform well at work. At this point, surely making hiring decisions has become much easier, right?
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