Times are tough, but don’t miss the silver linings
Everyone is talking about the impact of Covid-19 on our restaurants, schools, industry, and society, and we’re all taking a huge hit every day. We are seeing amazing talent let go from agencies that were thriving just weeks ago. However, that means amazing talent is available, and this is actually good news for businesses in several ways.
I work with companies that are looking to set up in-house creative capabilities or have in-house teams that aren’t performing the way the business needs them to. Attracting great talent is often one of the main barriers for expanding the capabilities of internal agencies. Going in-house is now much more acceptable and even sought out path for creatives, as the stability of an in-house job can have more appeal today than ever. This is THE TIME to grab talent that was not available to you in the past. My recommendation to companies is, if you can make the investment to get out and hire, do it and don’t drag your feet with recruiting or HR bureaucracy.
That said you should still be selective with hiring, as not all agency folks will do well in a corporate environment. They are not accustomed to matrixed environments (they will immediately think Keanu, not product to marketing to brand to media to PR), decision making approaches like RAID and RACIE, industry acronyms, and might rather not work at all than sit through “annual plan”, but some will thrive. They will welcome the structure and lack of agency process that they have long struggled with, like timesheets, lack of control of selling their work to the client, and access to c-level decision makers. Make sure you screen candidates to ensure cultural fit, willingness to adapt, and the ability to understand your business and their role in it.
I also speak with a lot of small businesses who can’t afford an external agency, let alone an in-house creative team, so the talent now available to them is something they should leverage immediately. There are forums like LunchClub.ai that pair experts with people looking for talent, business advice, and mentors. Also, leverage your LinkedIn network. You are probably one connection away from great talent that can help you without breaking the bank. Now is the time to establish working relationships, so when things pick up (and they will), and this talent is no longer at your disposal, you will have people who are dedicated to helping your business.
I know this is an extremely tough time for our industry. I believe big agencies are now needing to answer the needs of clients in ways they have not intentionally ignored, but have had a hard time pivoting to. How we consume content and what is expected from companies do not always align with the creative endeavors of many agencies. That is why internal agencies have sprung up and grown year over year. This has happened right before our eyes, yet many have chosen to ignore it, or worse, even worked against it. I sat on a panel at Cannes this past summer and was stunned by the lack of vision for how these teams can work together and help each other.
There are silver linings all over the place right now, but it takes a little effort to find them. I think it is fair to say that things will never be the same for our industry, but I frequently remind myself of something that the very wise @John Hickman once told me; the future does not happen to us, we happen to it.