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"post_content": "Hiring senior copywriters. Not a ton of talented applicants right now. Weren’t there many people affected by the Covid-19 recession and out of work?",
"post_id": "603b39b9e9177700225157db",
"reply_count": 73,
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I understand the need to vent, but if you had posted “I’m hiring senior copywriters in nyc and Austin!” with something positive about the agency or opportunity, I would have probably excitedly dm’ed you my book. Now, what? I’m worried that I won’t be considered talented enough, or as someone lucky enough to have a book that might outshine my everyday abilities, I’m worried you’d be excited you “finally” found a good candidate, and I’d enter the job facing expectations I can’t actually match
Don’t do it SC4... OP has shown us who they are. Save yourself. 😂
There are a lot of talented creatives out there looking for FT work. The very top, which is what you seem to be looking for, are not applying to your shop because it’s not a top name, not producing top work and/or not offering enough $$$ for that type of talent to choose your agency over TBWA. It’s time to lower your standards or raise the salary range to fit your shop’s place in the spectrum of ad agencies.
Where are you hiring for? Maybe the shop isn't good?
This ☝🏼
You walked into a room of creatives (many of which are unemployed and you have no way of knowing how many or who) and complained that no one is good enough to work for you.
Way to read the room, OP.
Yikes. Good luck to anyone interviewing with this guy. Hope they at least pay well.
Maybe the good ones dont want to work at your agency?
It seems like you are dumping on the available people. If you are looking for people with deep experience and creativity don't blackball people who are shut out for a couple years (those problems predate covid). But if you are not finding what you need then maybe it would help everyone to know what you are seeking. If everyone is below your standards that is a different issue.
None of this is what I said. It isn’t the first time I’ve been hiring for Senior Copywriters and other jobs. My note was about how this moment in time specifically seems to be offering a vacuum of objectively good talent.
Talented people will always have work. Whether freelance or permanent. Pandemic or no pandemic.
I mean...I know plenty of talented people that are out of work. Hiring freezes and tons of layoffs have really done a number on the market. To say that things will be fine for talented people during a global pandemic where everyone is scrambling is a little divorced from the reality of the situation.
I think we’re dismissive of how often connections and even just nepotism play a role in getting hired. You can have a great book, but a referral is still way more of a skeleton key. At least, in my experience it is. Most people are social creatures.
Well yeah..the less talented ones...
Speaking of which, how do you feel about an untalented mid level copywriter instead? Asking for a friend.
When you say “talented applicants,” can you define what you mean by “talented?” I don’t want to make any assumptions on either side without understanding what you are looking for.
Lol this whole back & forth is silly. It feels like people are just looking for reasons to bicker with each other.
Too many factors missing to give you solid advice. There's lots of good thoughts above.
Post the job on this board and I bet you'll get some great folks off the bat.
wow people were all ready to come at you for this post. sorry for that. we are in the same situation having a really hard time finding a good sr copywriter.
At what agency are the account directors hiring creatives?
Maybe the skill set and pay that’s being offered don’t match up. Are the expectations really that of a senior or are you expecting CD status? Need more deets to help
Most agencies found a way to hold onto their best people. So the people who are floating now are good, but not always the top 10% their agencies had to offer.
There are still a lot of really talented writers out there, but theyre mostly freelancing and getting tons of work right now, not unemployed.
Yeah, makes sense
Op one of those account people that come in last minute and want to change the creative
I’m not saying I’m particularly talented, I probably just have a good network, but I almost never apply anywhere anymore, I’m so used to recruiters or ECDs reaching out to me directly. I know there are hundreds of extremely talented creatives available right now, it might be easier to locate them with a really skilled recruiter or by casting a net out to your network.
Barbara Tejada and Annie Marsh are both really great
What agency?
yeah, i want to know the name as well.
There are a lot of talented folks out there.
How are you getting "applicants"
Generally, the best creatives don't go the route of applying for jobs, but just go through a recruiter or a headhunter.
If your agency/company doesn't have a history of good work, you will likely not have too many very talented folks banging down your door, even in a down market.
I’m interested could I DM you?
Of course
Issue is the market is bouncing back fast. For the first time in a very long time writers are more in demand than ADs and consequently the good ones are going very fast. I hired a jr. that just quit after three weeks because a well known shop reached out to them and offered them a job after one interview. They are a very good writer even as a junior and I thought I got very lucky to land them. Obviously not lucky enough.
I’ll add to this convo:
I have now worked through two financial crises (08 and now), and I have been surprised, both times, ant how the job market, in advertising, rights itself so quickly. Like 90 days. That’s not to say some people don’t get caught — thinking of automotive creatives in 08 - who just cannot pick up work and have to pivot their careers out of survival. And this crisis is different because some areas of our economy — FAANG — have exploded during this time (taking a lot of our adv talent with them).
Second, I do know of recruiters who will not hire out of work candidates. They just won’t. It feels horrible and wrong to me. OP doesn’t sound like the most empathetic guy - and his salary bands are either a complete lie or a totally mis match for the level — I would imagine he thinks unemployed folks are less talented and not worth looking at. That leaves him wondering where the good ones are. They’re working!
Try the “avail list”. They’re will be worthy people on there. https://www.theavaillist.com/
Oh, and your Hollywood Director analogy for talent, is kinda laughable.
✋ *There