Don’t reject creativity from other disciplines

We would commend Jon Alport’s letter regarding better planning from a human resources perspective (DW 22 July). More training and more considered thought about recruitment rather than knee-jerk reactions can only be a good thing.

But Alport’s comment that the industry is at an all time low doesn’t ring true to us. The industry is specialising still further as some clients demand greater depth of knowledge. But, at the same time, other clients seem to crave a more integrated approach.

Will either of these consultancy models be able to find the type, level and breadth of talent they want? Not always. But we do not think it is purely a case of personal marketing ineptitude on the part of designers.

We would agree that broader abilities are not as valued in specifically focused consultancies. If someone is creative, it is their ability to think and apply solutions in a range of different situations which is key. Unfortunately, some consultancies are not willing to consider people without years of experience in a highly specialised discipline, despite the evidence of great thinking in another closely related field.

We would echo Alport’s call for consultancies to keep training, giving time to and listening carefully to their people. In our experience, this helps retention much more than salary.

However, we would also encourage employers to examine exactly what they really need to get the job done and look beyond the norm to creative ability, not just experience in a particular discipline. This might ease some of the skills shortages in certain areas, but it may also introduce freshness and new thinking to areas that have become tired and staid.

Frank Hutton

Director

Ad Lib Recruitment

Bristol BS8 4SH