Hiring Creative Team In-House

Happy Wednesday!

If you’re ever looking to hire a talented creative team in-house, you will need to interview several candidates.

I’ve hired dozens of people for our 10X ROAS creative production team and I’ve learned a lot. I reviewed hundreds of applications and was fortunate to hire talented people.

There were unfortunately even more bad hires that were a waste of time and money.

I believe that interviews should feel more like a conversation than a test.

There’s no rigid structure I follow, but I’ve learned a few things that help make the process smoother, and I’m here to share them with you.

What you will learn today:

• The importance of asking questions you're genuinely curious about

• Why you shouldn't reveal too much about the role upfront

• Techniques to effectively test a candidate's knowledge

• How to identify red flags during an interview and address them

• The value of being honest about the job's pros and cons

And much more…

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Start Interview With Friendly Banter

When you start an interview with a potential candidate, don’t dive straight into serious questions.

For the first few minutes, keep things light.

Ask how their weekend was or where they're from. If they’re from a country you don’t know much about, ask what you should see if you ever visit.

The goal here is to help them relax and feel like they’re just having a chat, not being grilled.

Ask What You’re Curious About

Before the interview, take a moment to look over their application.

Are there any details that stand out? Maybe something you’re unsure about or want to explore further. Use the interview to dive into those areas.

For example, if they mention they love traveling and you’re hiring for a role that requires a consistent schedule, ask them where did they travel last time and how often they like to travel.

It’s all about figuring out if they’re a good fit for what the role really needs.

Don’t Show Your Cards Too Early

Here’s something I always do: I hold off on explaining the role and company upfront. Why?

Because if you tell them exactly what you’re looking for right away, they’ll adjust their answers to fit that. Instead, let them talk first.

This way, you get a more honest sense of who they are and what they bring to the table.

Test Their Knowledge

If someone claims they have experience, ask for details.

For instance, if you’re interviewing a video editor, don’t just ask if they’ve edited videos before. Ask about their workflow, what software they prefer, or how they handle large files.

Specific questions give you a clearer picture of whether they really know their stuff or if they’re just skating by on buzzwords.

Find Red Flags

Sometimes, you’ll sense something’s off.

Maybe their answers are a little too vague, or they keep circling back to the same points without adding new details. That’s your cue to dig a little deeper.

Ask follow-up questions that require them to get specific. If they can’t, it might be a sign that their experience isn’t as solid as they’re claiming.

Be Honest About the Job

Once you’ve gotten a good sense of the candidate, it’s time to talk about the role.

Be upfront about the pros and cons. If the job requires late nights or weekend work, let them know.

Being honest from the start helps avoid any surprises later on. The last thing you want is for someone to join and feel like they were misled.

Scenario Questions Over Past Experience

Instead of asking:

"Tell me about a time when..."

I prefer to ask:

"What would you do if...?"

This gives you a better sense of how they’ll handle real situations in the future, rather than just hearing about something that happened in the past.

Plus, it forces them to think on their feet, which can reveal a lot about how they approach problems.

Wrap It Up With Next Steps

Finally, before you wrap things up, make sure they know what’s coming next.

If they’re not fit, be respectful but clear. If they are, let them know what to expect. Being straightforward saves everyone time and keeps the process moving smoothly.

That’s it for this week!

Interviews are about more than asking one question after another.

They’re about finding someone who’s not just right for the role but also a good fit for your team and company.

Winning Ad Creative Breakdown With 4.15 ROAS and 50% Hook Rate

We've created, tested, and optimized several ad concepts with multiple variations.

In the second half of the year, our winning ads brought in over $400,000 in revenue with 4.25 ROAS and $95,000 in ad spend.

We were able to reduce CPA by 42%, and increased the average ROAS from 2.24 to 4.25.

You can read my detailed breakdown here or watch my Loom video in the same link.

How We Can Help You

Whenever you’re ready, there are 3 ways we can help you…

1. If you’re looking for a creative partner who will handle your entire creative production, deliver winning ads every month, and help you scale, apply to work with us here. We have worked with brands like HexClad, BestSelf, Product Hunt, Morning Brew, and others.

2. Want us to train your internal team and implement all of our creative production systems and strategies in your business? Apply here and we will help you build an in-house team that can create hundreds of winning ads every month.

3. If you’re looking to take your ad performance to the next level and have a consistent stream of winning creative, but don’t want to hire anyone, we have created a program that teaches you our entire creative production process and everything we have learned over 3 years of creating tens of thousands of ads.