Silicon Beach: Agencies need to look in new places to spot talent says Ogilvy's Yershon
Nicole Yershon, director of innovative solutions at Ogilvy, has told The Drum that agencies need to start looking in different places in order to find new talent that can meet future needs.
Speaking to The Drum at this week’s Silicon Beach conference in Bournemouth, Yershon explained that agencies are very good at looking in the tried and tested colleges for talent and that now they should be looking elsewhere and let the skills on offer guide their recruitment, rather than trying to fill very specific roles.
“I think that when you are looking for students to do a very specific job, their skillset will not necessarily be suitable for future needs,” she told The Drum.
“The convergence of marketing technologies means that you could go to a college known for gaming and find someone with skills that work for advertising.”
Yershon gave a presentation on Ogilvy’s Lab Days and learning semesters, a training scheme in which young employees offer to become “lab rats” and try out new techniques and innovative ideas.
“If they are doing things over and above their day jobs then they are rewarded with more learning," she added.
Follow The Drum's live blog from Silicon Beach here.