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Hi Everyone!!
I am about to start working in ValueLabs as System Analyst (DevOps Engineer).
I am really looking forward for the same and am excited about it. Can anyone who is already working share his/her experience over there, growth perspective, culture and other useful things. Valuelabs
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Chief
If we’re working late, like 11pm, and I pass you in the hall and groan because you’re a moody POS that kills the vibe, I wouldn’t want to work with you even if you had a room full of gold lions and Dan Wieden’s v-card. I’ll take the person who is excited to work and keeps the morale alive.
There’s the answer we’re looking for. Hire someone who is fucking excited to create and will relish the opportunity to do so.
I work with ass hats. They generally steal ideas and throw a fit if they’re not on a brief with award potential. Who’s to say the “talented one” is the one actually coming up with the ideas?
Exactly my thoughts. Asshats are usually asses all around. Creative geniuses rarely are “geniuses” all on their own. They require a tremendous team that picks up all the pieces the “genius” is too lazy, arrogant, or privileged to manage. Including coming up with the idea that actually works and letting him take the credit so he stays happy and his ego is secure. I’ve seen it happen over and over. There is no single person behind a brilliant idea. Ever. End story. Anyone who thinks differently is probably an asshat and considers themselves a “creative genius”. If you want the rest of your team to be miserable hire the jerk.
There’s also a third option-don’t hire either of them and wait for the creative who is wicked clever and understands the value of others. They do exist and it is magical.
In the age of zoom? Gimme the cocky ass hat who will help us make great work. In the office? Gimme the nice creative who fits the culture. You can coach up a decent creative. You can’t coach down a cocky jerk.
Agreed. Giving a good-spirited creative who is hungry to grow the opportunity to learn is super important, and I wish more agencies did that. And sometimes those excited and hungry creatives provide some of the strongest ideas.
Agencies casting for friends instead of how good people are at what they chose to do for a living is a perverse outgrowth of the utter lack of distinction between work and life.
love this comment. the goal is meritocracy, people! yes, people should be nice, but that’s not exclusive to our industry. that goes without saying.
Don’t hire either. Hire the person that’s going to do a great job and be an amazing human. Change the freaking culture.
Love it
I don’t think you should ever hire for culture. Hiring for culture means you end up with no diversity, whether of gender or race, or diversity of thought.
ACD5 where is this unicorn you speak of?
Pro
Is this question seeking our personal opinion because I mean, it’s pretty clear agencies have always chosen the later.
Open to any and all opinions.
Pro
The Nice person. Every time.
Awards and being at a top dog agency doesn’t even mean that they can do good work on harder or normal clients. I’ve worked with award winning creatives who left after a few months because it was too hard on a non award or chiller client.
it honestly depends on the need. do we need a rockstar? will a well meaning but average creative with limited potential just not do?
but either way, i don’t think anyone ever knowingly will hire an “ass hat.” the job sucks enough even when you’re working with nice people
You need more than a couple awards for me to put up with asshattery.
Plus, I can reach nice, so-so creatives to be better.
Exactly- I’ve known DBs who have won awards, but their inputs had very little to do with it. Ideally hire super talented & decent humans! They are out there and I’ve worked with quite a few of them...awards and all!
ass hat. teaching a creative to be a better creative is more work than not liking someone
Pro
The biggest problem within agencies is the notion that people should “fit” the culture. That inherently excludes. What if the culture is one of arrogance, pomp, and writing emails on Sunday at noon and expecting a reply. I don’t want to fit in that culture. However, if you start instead thinking of how a person ADDS to the culture you begin to think and interview very differently. You also start looking for people and work that is different than what you already have. For too long “culture fit” was an abstract and frankly bullshit way of excluding women, Black, brown, and non-traditional profiles.
Banish the idea of culture fit. It doesn’t exist. Every workplace has its own distinct vibe and way of doing things. Make your culture values align around kindness, clear communication, actionable feedback, and respect.
Great points!
Most people “win awards” because their agency has a process and PR team that is devoted to creating case studies, submitting them, and paying for attendance at the awards event. Anyone who thinks their work is better than someone else’s because of an industry award is lying to themselves about how our industry works. Go with the person you actually want to collaborate with.
As a cocky jerk myself, I’d say growth requires challenge and stress. Yes it’s nice to work with a bunch of cuddle-bears but great creative is what this business is about, and working with nice guys gets you nice work and eventually friend-zoned by the client.
@CD3 Working on the receiving end, I’ll point out the difference between being an ass and being direct. I’ve had CDs be very forward with negative feedback and, while some may not prefer that, it certainly makes the next step clear. The problem I see is that brutal honesty is often still subjective. It can become an excuse to mix a professional eye with personal biases in exchange for speedy feedback. That’s certainly not my preferred work environment.
Pro
Talent doesn’t trump temperament. And if it does, I don’t wanna work there.
That’s ridiculous. Don’t you want to be able to like and trust the people you work with? Not just to enjoy their company, but to know that they have your back? Jerks will always be jerks.
Pro
Short term you might do better work.
Long term if this person is an ass they might cause people to leave.
Do good work with good people. There are enough nice people who are talented to not have to put up with assholes.
Both of those people are out of work for a reason.
Alls I'm sayin' is it's easier to guess why the second guy's LinkedIn says he's open to new opportunities.