The document discusses the importance of acquiring creative talent in today's competitive environment. It notes that the recruitment process has become highly automated, potentially limiting companies' ability to identify truly creative individuals. The document provides characteristics of innovative people and recommends that companies look beyond traditional recruitment methods and automated tools to find creative types, such as attending unconventional events, developing talent communities, and focusing on internal mobility. It concludes by questioning if companies may be missing out on hiring the next innovative leader due to overreliance on automated recruitment processes.

1. Acquiring creative talent
Ann Swain, CEO, APSCo
The Job Post
Talent Leaders Connect
12th June 2014

2. Agenda
The global war for the best talent
Do we really need ‘creative types’?
How do we find and attract them?
Summary

3. Introduction
Over 30 years in the recruitment market
ATSCo founded in November 1999
APSCo created in January 2009
Over 600 members
International reach

5. The global war for
the best talent
The global war for the best talent
Geographically mobile
Talent is more demanding
Experienced talent pool is shrinking
Graduate pool less skilled
Less loyal
Competitors getting smarter

6. The automated war
for the best talent
65% of all organisations indicate their
talent acquisition system is either fully or
partially automated
2% decrease year-over-year in cost per
hire, at organisations using automation

7. The automated war
for the best talent
Top 5 tools
Employment screening tools for background
checking, reference checks, or drug tests
Recruitment tools such as applicant tracking
systems or hiring management systems
Pre-hire assessments
Candidate relationship management technology
Use of social networks and mobile technology

9. Sourcing
Not just Boolean Logic
Cannot be replaced by software
Undervalued in proportion to corporate
impact
Few in-house resourcers have premium
tools
Resourcer – relatively junior role
RPO’s/MSP’s as intermediaries – distance
from recruiters

10. Do we really need
creative types?
Creativity and innovation are the No. 1 strategic
priorities for corporations the world over
(Boston Consulting Group)
Creativity is part of all of our day jobs
(NESTA)
Organisational profitability rests on individual
creativity
(Baer and Oldham)
Creative teams perform better and are more
efficient
(Gilson, Mathieu, Shalley and Ruddy )

11. Do we really need
creative types?
Creative organisations are more profitable
(Ernst & Young)
More than rigor, management discipline, integrity or
even vision – successfully navigating an increasingly
complex world will require creativity
(IBM Global CEO Study )
Successful economies and societies will need to be
creative
(Winning Ingredients report )

13. Definitions
Creativity is the capacity to develop ideas for
the purpose of solving problems and exploiting
opportunities
Innovation is the application of creativity to give
rise to a new product, service or process,
delivering something new and better to the
world

14. Why do companies struggle
to identify creative people
when recruiting?
Heavily automated recruitment processes
Outmoded selection techniques
An over emphasis on competency models
and frameworks

16. 10 Behavioural characteristics
of innovators
Innovators always think there is a better way
1. Innovators know that without passion there can
be no innovation
2. Innovators embrace change to a fault
3. Innovators have a strong point of view but
know that they are missing something
4. Innovators know that innovation is a team sport

17. 10 Behavioural characteristics
of innovators
6. Innovators embrace constraints as opportunities
7. Innovators celebrate their vulnerability
8. Innovators openly share their ideas and passions
expecting to be challenged
9. Innovators know that the best ideas are in the
grey areas between silos
10.Innovators know that a good story can change
the world

18. How do we find the
creative types ?
Workforce planning
Create flexibility within your framework
Understand the importance of creativity
Look specifically for creative types
Not everyone is looking, but everyone is a
candidate
Hand pick dream candidates and show them
you want them

19. How do we find the
creative types ?
Look for talent in unlikely places
Attend events that are not job fairs
Build a sustained pipeline through talent
communities and engage
Employment brand is pivotal to your success
Internal mobility programmes
Rethink technology options to create a positive
candidate experience

20. Summary
The sheer volume of potential candidates combined with
the drive for cost and efficiency savings have driven the
automation of the recruitment process
The emphasis on ‘right fit’ for the role and organisation can
lead to the recruitment of the ‘same candidate’ over and
over again
Against a backdrop of uncertainty, economic turmoil and
unprecedented change, a new picture is emerging of the
skills and traits for success – creativity is the main one

21. Summary
If you want creative capital whose ideas can be turned into
innovative products and services, your sourcing process,
branding, strategy and indeed management culture may
need to change
How confident do you feel that the next Steve Jobs isn’t
receiving an automated ‘no thanks’ email from you right
now?