How to spot a creative individual:

In many industries, Public Relations included, hiring creative individuals is vital for success. Rather than focusing on academic achievement and previous experience it is also important to be able to recognise naturally creative thinkers who would bring a ‘think outside the box’ approach to any role.

Creative thinkers have become even more in demand over the past few years as companies are realising that we live in an ideas economy, and these individuals add tremendous value to the company’s bottom line.

At Agent99 Public Relations, creativity is vital! To be able to predict and answer questions before the client even asks them is key to keeping them impressed. As well as this, an imaginative and original approach to daily tasks, such as the delivery of bold consumer or corporate PR campaigns, really helps achieve high quality results.   

It’s clear that creative minds have become in demand, but what isn’t so obvious is how to distinguish someone with these qualities. Whether you’re looking to hire a new team member, or are just curious about how to spot a creative individual, these points will help!

1.  They don’t stop asking questions

The number of questions someone asks is the first step in demonstrating how broad a creative brain expands. Minds such as these are curious. They ask questions in order to explore all issues and wrap their head around a subject. By exploring a problem from all angles, they are fully equipped to create a plan of action. Creative thinkers may be able to pick up on potential problems in a business idea because they’ve asked the questions that others may not have thought of.

2.  They don’t follow patterns

If you are dealing with this in a team environment, it may be a challenging trait to manage, but ultimately come in very handy in other ways, so you need to harness this.

Creative minds don’t like to do things “by the book”. Instead, a creative mind thrives on finding new ways to solve problems. Creative thinkers don’t have a strict way of doing things because they recognise that each condition is different. When tackling a task they’re open to many solutions, and easily adapt to new ways of approaching situations. Switching up their strategy gives them a wide range of experience when it comes to solving problems or creating new ideas.

3.  They think laterally

Creative thinkers are often venturing down a separate thought path than the rest of the team, which is especially valuable during a brainstorming session when new ideas come to the fore. Creative minds think outside the box, bringing in a mixture of solutions. They may present any idea that comes to mind, and even if these ideas aren’t complete thoughts, they provide a brilliant platform to spark wide ranging approaches.

4.  They under sell themselves

Individuals with a high level of creativity aspire to be influential. Because they come up with original ideas, they seek approval from the rest of their team. Wide recognition fuels most people, and a creative thinker might under sell their ideas in fear that they may be too “out there”. They may even shunt attention from their ideas. Creative thinkers are widely appreciated within a work space, but they might not recognise how valuable and inspiring their ideas can be.

5.  They have specific ways to draw inspiration

Some days your brain just doesn’t want to work, and even a creative mind comes to a standstill. When this happens, creative thinkers resort to their own methods of sparking creativity. While many logical thinkers possibly find inspiration when reading news headlines, a creative thinker might find inspiration in activities such as exploring blogs, visiting photography sites, or daydreaming.  Whatever their stimulation, it’s likely that they frequently turn to it in order to inspire their creative self.