Hiring today isn’t just about checking off skills on a resume. It’s about finding real people who’ll actually thrive in your team. Especially in Melbourne and Sydney’s creative industries — advertising, marketing, media, design, digital, and tech — the companies doing it best aren’t just hiring talent. They’re hiring humans.
At The People Place, we say it all the time: good people for good places. That means looking past buzzwords and focusing on values, mindset, and character. Because what good is a brilliant SEO Specialist or Art Director if they clash with your team or chip away at your culture?
Beyond the CV: Why Culture Beats Capability
We’ve all seen it. Someone looks perfect on paper, nails the interview — and then struggles to find their feet. A Leadership IQ study found that 89% of hiring failures come down to attitude and cultural misfit, not lack of technical skill. In short, most people don’t fail because they can’t do the job — they fail because they don’t gel with the team.
In fast-moving fields like digital or advertising, pressure to hire fast can cloud judgment. But stats don’t lie:
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29% of hiring managers say they’ve made a bad hire by focusing too much on skills
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Nearly 50% of new hires fail within 18 months, largely due to cultural misalignment
As Herb Kelleher put it: “You don’t hire for skills, you hire for attitude. You can teach skills.”
Culture Fit by the Numbers
Hiring for values isn’t just feel-good talk — it’s smart business. Companies with high culture alignment see:
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Up to 50% higher retention
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21% more engaged employees
In Australia’s creative sector, turnover is a real issue. While the national average sits around 9.5%, advertising and media hit 36% in 2022. Burnout, misalignment, and unclear values are part of the problem.
And it’s not just about who leaves — it’s about who stays. When people genuinely connect with your purpose and values, they stick around. They contribute more. They show up better.
Real-World Examples
We’ve seen what happens when culture takes a back seat. A Melbourne agency hired a technically brilliant developer — strong credentials, impressive portfolio. But within weeks, it was clear the fit wasn’t right. The working style didn’t match the team, and the hire left after just three weeks.
Now compare that to Atlassian. Every candidate there does a separate values interview — not to tick a box, but to genuinely assess alignment. Xero takes a similar approach. Their mantra? Hire for attitude. Because you can train skills. But you can’t teach someone how to care.
What You Risk When You Get It Wrong
A bad hire costs more than money — it costs momentum, morale, and relationships. One survey found that a poor hire can cost up to 2.5x their salary, once you factor in lost productivity, team friction, and even client loss.
In advertising and media, replacing a senior team member isn’t just expensive — it’s disruptive. The soft costs are just as damaging: disengaged teams, creative bottlenecks, and clients who notice the shift.
How to Hire Humans (Not Just Resumes)
So, what’s the fix?
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Define your values clearly. Know what you stand for — and say it out loud.
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Ask better questions. Instead of “What’s your biggest strength?”, try “When did you feel most aligned with your last workplace?”
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Add a values step to interviews. Or at least carve out space to talk about character and mindset.
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Watch how they treat people. Junior team members. Ops staff. Clients. It all matters.
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Make space for difference. Don’t hire clones. Hire people who reflect your values in their own way.
The ROI of Hiring Whole People
When you hire the whole person — not just the bullet points — you build teams that are more creative, more resilient, and more likely to stick around. The kind of teams that win pitches, build brands, and genuinely enjoy working together.
In a people-driven market like Melbourne or Sydney’s creative scene, that’s your edge.
So stop hiring talent. Start hiring people.
You’ll get both.
If you’re ready to find good people for your place, get in touch. We’d love to help.
📩 Get in touch: [email protected]
🌐 Learn more: peopleplace.com.au
