How to Hire a Creative Director

Creative directors are the conductors behind every great marketing or ad campaign. 

They are a critical part of any leadership team in the marketing, creative, digital, fashion, beauty, and retail space, as they have their hands in everything from brand development and research to promotional and sales materials. In their role, they must inspire, support, and drive the vision for creative projects.

As such, finding the right creative director for your team is of utmost importance. 

Here’s what you need to know about how to hire a creative director that will lift your brand, department, or organization to new heights:

What Does a Creative Director Do?

Creative directors work within agencies and in-house creative departments. 

But what does a creative director do, exactly? Their day-to-day work can vary depending on a wide range of factors. But the essence of their work is based on developing the creative vision for a brand, keeping that vision consistent through both external and internal campaigns and projects, establishing budgets and timelines, leading the creative team, and managing client relationships. 

How to Write a Creative Director Job Description 

It’s helpful to begin your creative director job posting with a summary that gives a high-level overview of the position’s most pressing responsibilities. A general summary might read something like this:

“As creative director, you will oversee the creative services, digital, and editorial teams in the development, implementation, and preservation of a cohesive creative, marketing, and communications strategy across all digital and print platforms.”

Next, you can go more in-depth into the day-to-day responsibilities of the creative director position. As mentioned, this will vary based on your organization’s needs and size, but some core functions might include:

• Define and develop the creative vision for all marketing materials and promotional campaigns 
• Lead, mentor, and provide direction to the creative team 
• Maintain schedule of all projects, campaigns, and company initiatives to ensure objectives and deadlines are met 
• Oversee visuals, messaging, and digital assets to ensure creative vision and brand standards are consistent 
• Conduct creative sessions with key stakeholders to identify new creative concepts 
• Leverage metrics to measure creative campaign performance 

After that, you can include the type of experience and skills you’re looking for in a creative director candidate. Some examples of what you could include in this section are: 

• Seven to 10 years in the creative field as a graphic designer, copywriter, creative producer, assistant creative director, or another role within the industry 
• Proven leadership skills and management experience
• Expert knowledge in the content creation and production process 
• Exceptional writing and editing skills
• Strong project management experience 
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities with a high level of accuracy and attention to detail 
• Experience executing marketing or ad campaigns across channels, including digital, paid media, mobile, and print
• Ability to communicate clearly to non-creative stakeholders or executives

And it goes without saying that the creative director you hire should be highly creative.  

Creative Director Interview Questions to Ask  

The interview questions you ask your top candidates should help you get a better feel for the value they can potentially add to your organization, as a creative professional, and as a leader.  

Some questions to consider asking a creative director candidate include: 

• What makes managing a creative team unique? What are the biggest challenges and how do you handle them?
• What are the most important skills and traits to have as a creative director?
• What would you do during your first few weeks to better understand our brand and company values?
• What is your process for managing deadlines for multiple high-priority projects?
• Before you launch a new creative project plan, what does your research process look like?
• How do you present your creative vision and plans to key stakeholders and executives?
• How would you handle a client’s sharp critique of your team’s creative work?
• How do you measure the success of creative campaigns? 

During the interview process, pay close attention to how the candidate answers these questions and what questions they ask of you. Are they posing smart follow-ups based on the details you share? Do they seem fully engaged?  

Offer a Competitive Creative Director Salary  

When you find the best person for your organization, act fast as skilled creative directors are in strong demand. According to our latest Salary Guide, based on national industry averages and internal compensation data, the salary range for creative directors is $139,000 to $213,000. 

Let 24 Seven Help You Hire a Creative Director

If you’re in the market for a new creative director consider working with the specialized recruiters at 24 Seven. 

We are experts in the creative, marketing, digital, fashion, beauty, and retail space and understand the importance and complexities of finding creative leadership that can help your organization achieve and maintain a high level of success.  

Our recruiters will handle the heavy lifting from pre-vetting talent, setting up interviews, and helping with the onboarding process.  

Contact us today and let’s find your next creative director together!