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Hiring A Creative Director: Dos & Don’ts

May 22, 2017
May 22, 2017 TruPath

Hiring A Creative Director: Dos & Don’ts

When hiring a creative director to lead visual efforts at your organization, there are a few things you should keep in mind. Need to run through the right interview questions? Unsure of technical qualifications a candidate should hold? Seeking a true culture fit? Keep reading to learn about hiring a creative director.

Hiring A Creative Director: Dos & Don’ts

General Qualities

Creative directors help develop a company’s brand. Qualified candidates usually have thorough experience in a few creative fields. They may have been a Creative Director for their previous company, a Senior Designer, or a Senior Copywriter. Their majors can range from journalism or graphic design to art or marketing.

Your most promising candidates will have a relevant work portfolio, as well as a track record of successfully managing and developing teams. Candidates should also have experience with data that shows the effectiveness of his/her work. Excellent taste, sound judgment, and strong communication skills will help a creative director guide projects from concept through execution.

Remember to review work samples before hiring a creative director to see if they align with the role. Some hiring managers also provide a “take home” test for the candidate. This could encompass redesigning an existing product or making tweaks to a company logo or website homepage. Use the interview questions below to gauge industry knowledge, leadership style, communication skills and situational judgment.

Interview Questions

It’s important to brainstorm role-specific questions prior to meeting with the candidate. These may include:

  • Tell me about a few brands you admire. What makes them stand out?
  • What challenges have you faced in brand development? How did you overcome them?
  • You’re developing a brand for a new product. Where do you start?
  • What tools, books, or ideas help you in your day-to-day work?
  • How do you keep up with the latest creative tools and technologies?
  • Tell us about your current/previous team. What are your team members’ roles and how do they work together?
  • Describe a time you received negative feedback from your team. How did you handle it?
  • Your most important client dislikes your latest work. What do you do?

Culture Fit

It’s important to look at the candidate’s experience and gauge whether they fit into your company culture. For starters, does the candidate come from a primarily corporate background or smaller agencies? Keep in mind that the rest of your employees will be directly impacted by your decision.

Can the candidate work collaboratively and ask for feedback before implementing new ideas? Does their communication style mesh well with the rest of the team? Don’t forget to conduct a reference check following the interview to get a feel for the candidate’s past roles.

Resume Items

Because creative directors leverage their visual and brand-focused skills on a day-to-day basis, it’s important to seek candidates who have experience with various online tools and technologies.

  • Adobe Suite (Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator, Premiere, etc.)
  • Proficiency with web development (WordPress, etc.)
  • Dreamweaver, Flash, etc.
  • Make sure the candidate provides a sample portfolio of creative projects they spearheaded in past roles.

Are you hiring a creative director? Contact TruPath today for any hiring help you may need.


As a trusted recruitment source for more than a decade, TruPath has the industry knowledge and a proven model to help our partners feel comfortable in their search for a candidate.

Through our TruProcess, we are able to consistently deliver exceptional candidates that help organizations continue down successful paths. Contact TruPath today to tell us about your staffing needs.