Featuring

Topics to be covered will include:

• How has the state of the economy impacted creative hiring?
• Are creative professionals in it for the money, or for the love of the work?
• What do you look for in directors and other top strategic positions?
• What are new models of engagement for both companies and employees?

Key Observations

- A sagging economy can paradoxically make it harder to find good hires: "Resumes are as bad now as they were in good economies; same ratio of worthless resumes to good resumes." Khoi Vinh of NYTimes.com

- Culture fit and workability are crucial: "Don't hire assholes, no matter how talented." Michael Lebowitz, CEO of Big Spaceship

- Monetary compensation is a factor in attracting top talent, but it's certainly not the most important: "There's probably not a designer in the universe who went into it for the money." Tom Nicholson, co-founder of IconNicholson

- Finding out what motivates designers can tell you a lot about what kind of employee they'll make, and that's largely a matter of asking insightful questions: "'What was the first thing that you ever designed?' is a question I use a lot." Judy Wert, Executive Recruiter, Wert & Co.