I am reminded of a recruitment drive I ran some time ago for a team of writers...and how it prompted me that talent isn't everything.
You see, I know this one writer.
Let's call her Joanna.
She's the most brilliant writer I'd ever met in my life. When people tell me that I write well, all I can think is, you just haven't read Joanna's work yet. Her work is lyrical. It sings. It's convincing. Her prose establishes a relationship with the reader at first byte (pardon the pun). In short, she's a born writer.
And yet, when it came time to recruit my team, Joanna fell low on my list. In fact, her former colleague made it through instead.
She was surprised. I gather that she never felt like her talent stacked up against Joanna. Perhaps she felt that she fell short in the talent department. Honestly? She was a great writer. Not as good as Joanna, but heck, very few people are. What was the difference?
I could work with her.
Joanna's talent was evident. But it was masked by a horrible attitude. She knew she was oftentimes the best writer in the room - and she made that clear to everyone.
Joanna hated criticisms. She hated being told her work was less than perfect. Any revisions given to her would be ignored. In her mind, nobody had the right to revise her work, because nobody was good enough to stand up against her brilliant amazing perfect output.
Naturally, this isn't always the case, especially when clients need certain facts changed, a specific brand voice to be communicated, or a particular call to action to be emphasized. Joanna though would have none of it. Clients were aware that Joanna felt she was smarter than they were, and of course, this didn't land on them very well.
Joanna lost job after job after job. She couldn't understand why. She was the smartest and most talented person for miles - how could her worth be taken for granted like this?
Many bosses tried to sit her down. Many times, Joanna heard the line: "You are so talented, but..."
Joanna just refused to listen.
Talk about talent gone to waste.
Nowadays? Joanna is often broke. Contracts will last 3 months at a time.
Since that interaction, I've been quite particular about the people I hire. About the people I place in other agencies, too (since I'm often asked to refer employees).
Talent is important. Sure. A writer needs to express an idea and communicate a concept elegantly and clearly. But that's not all.
I look for humility. Someone who has a growth mentality and is excited to do better. Someone who invites criticism so they see areas of improvement, knowing that criticism heralds a better version of themselves. They leave ego out the door, and consider the good of the team, the good of the client, the good of the organization over their own butt-hurt.
I look for integrity. Someone who helps others. Who does what they say they'll do. Someone once told me - you're only as good as your word. So, how good is your word? Since we're in the business of the written word, this value is so important to me.
I look for transparency. I'm transparent and honest with my stakeholders. My team. My clients. I value that openness and honesty. It leaves out confusion. I don't like reading between the lines. If something is unclear, I will ask, and I expect to be given that same privilege.
That's why I didn't hire the smartest person in the room - because I was looking for humility, integrity, and transparency. You could have all the talent in the world and be difficult to work with, and all that talent will just go to waste. Or, you could bring nothing but laughter and good vibes, even when times are hard, and you'll discover - you're a part of the team that's clearly one of its biggest assets.
What other values do you look for when you hire? Share them with me! I want to learn from you.
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