The Problem With Chasing Unicorns
In both Melbourne and Sydney, creative and marketing leaders are stuck in the same loop. They are chasing unicorn hires. The perfect candidate who ticks every single box. The strategist with retail, FMCG, alcohol and shopper experience. The project coordinator who knows every tool and workflow from day one. The account manager who can charm clients, build decks, run shoots, and crunch numbers without breaking a sweat.
It sounds appealing. It also does not exist.
Waiting for unicorns drags out recruitment cycles, burns out internal teams, and slows down delivery. In today’s market, the average time to hire in creative and digital roles in Australia sits around 45 to 50 days. That is time that could have been spent launching campaigns or building client relationships.
The smarter play is to stop waiting for unicorns and start hiring utility knives.
Why Utility Knives Build Better Teams
A utility knife hire is someone who adapts quickly, learns fast, and steps across disciplines when it matters. They may not be the “perfect” fit on paper, but they bring energy, collaboration, and growth to your team from day one.
The best utility knife hires share a few qualities:
-
Curiosity and a genuine appetite to learn
-
Comfort with ambiguity and change
-
Ability to bridge strategy, creative and digital teams
-
Willingness to step into gaps rather than guard boundaries
-
Momentum that lifts the people around them
When Sydney and Melbourne agencies started hiring for adaptability in 2023, time to hire dropped by nearly 30 percent. Roles were filled faster, teams moved with more energy, and those hires stayed longer because they felt backed and invested in.
Market Examples From Sydney and Melbourne
Creative agencies recalibrating
The post-pandemic scramble was felt in both cities. Sydney agencies promoted juniors too fast and Melbourne agencies inflated salaries to keep people from leaving. By 2023, the cracks showed. Leaders admitted they had “seniors who were not really senior” and mids who never got trained properly.
The fix came from investing in learning and hiring for potential. Agencies built internal programs to upskill talent and leaned on recruiters to find candidates who could stretch, not just candidates who ticked boxes. Those bets are now paying off.
Digital project roles
In Sydney, roles like digital project coordinators were taking months to fill because briefs demanded candidates who knew every platform and system. Once employers focused instead on stakeholder management and coordination skills, they were able to secure strong hires in weeks. By the end of onboarding, those hires had already picked up the tools and were leading projects with confidence.
Retail and in-house marketing
In Melbourne, retailers like Coles built out in-house media units. In Sydney, Woolworths’ Cartology grew to more than 300 staff in just a few years. Neither waited for unicorns. They recruited marketers with strong foundations and gave them training and exposure to retail media. The result is two of the fastest-growing internal marketing teams in the country.
What Experts Are Saying
Industry voices across Sydney and Melbourne agree that unicorn hunting is a dead end.
-
Nicole Gardner, GM of Edge, said agencies must slow down and refocus on thoughtful hiring that builds shared value.
-
Jen Sharpe, founder of Think HQ, called out the need for alignment of culture and purpose over chasing impossible skill sets.
-
Leaders at the Independent Media Agencies Association have admitted that rigid unicorn briefs left too many roles unfilled, and have pushed for smarter sourcing and training.
The shift is clear. The industry is waking up to the cost of chasing unicorns.
How to Shift Your Hiring Mindset
Write job descriptions that cut the noise
Keep them tight. Focus on three or four core skills. Call out adaptability and growth mindset as essentials.
Interview for learning, not just experience
Ask about how candidates learnt something new, how they adapted under pressure, and how they collaborated outside their lane.
Pay attention to market signals
If your Sydney or Melbourne role has been open for months, it is not a market issue. It is a brief issue.
Build onboarding and development
Utility knife hires thrive when you back them. Create clear pathways for upskilling and mentoring.
Sell the growth story
High potential candidates want to know they will be stretched, supported, and trusted. Make sure your hiring process shows them that.
Why This Matters Now
The job market across Sydney and Melbourne is still tight. Unemployment hovers below 4 percent. Creative and marketing job ads dipped slightly in 2025, but they remain 14 percent above pre-pandemic levels. That means competition for good people is still fierce.
At the same time, the skills landscape is shifting fast. AI, data and customer experience are all climbing the priority list. The businesses who cling to unicorn briefs will keep missing out on people who could step in, learn quickly, and deliver real value.
The Benefits of Hiring Utility Knives
-
Faster hiring cycles that save weeks of lost momentum
-
Teams who collaborate better across silos
-
Built-in resilience when priorities change
-
Longer retention because hires feel invested in
-
A stronger reputation as an employer that backs growth
Final Word
Sydney and Melbourne share the same lesson. You do not need a unicorn. You need a utility knife. The hires who will grow, stretch, and strengthen your team from day one.
If you want to build momentum, retain talent, and create a culture where people thrive, stop holding out for perfection. Start hiring for potential.
📩 Contact us at hello@peopleplace.com.au
🌐 Visit The People Place
