Welcome to the latest post in Robert Half’s Thought Leader Q&A series, which features insights from those who have helped make our company a great place to work and a premier provider of talent solutions.Lucy Marino’s journey with Robert Half started in 1999 in Philadelphia with the launch of The Creative Group (TCG), the previous name for the organization’s marketing and creative practice. She was attracted to the role because it was effectively a startup, with lots of room for growth. But as a part of Robert Half, the opportunity gave access to tenured people and an employer with a long, stable history.She got her start in recruiting, which led to opportunities to work coast-to-coast in the marketing and creative space. After a decade in the Bay Area, she ultimately landed in Charlotte, North Carolina, where she has been based for 11 years. She was appointed Executive Director for the marketing and creative practice group earlier this year.What first brought you to Robert Half 25 years ago, and why have you stayed with the organization for so long?Staying with one employer for most of a career is only possible when that employer is willing to invest in you. And that’s what Robert Half has done for me for more than two decades.Everywhere I’ve worked, I’ve always felt like I belonged. My teams always have a lot in common: We have the same sense of work ethic, we all want to succeed, we have high expectations and we all come through predictably, like a successful sports franchise. Being invited to lead the marketing and creative practice at Robert Half is the pinnacle of my career.What experiences best prepared you for this new leadership role?I believe all my years in recruiting, and working with the vast variety of personalities and companies you find in creative industries, teaches me new ways of communicating conceptual ideas, allowing me to see the big picture and come up with the right talent solutions. This is so valuable when matching talent to needs and opportunities.All of this has made me an over-communicator. I let people talk, and I keep an open door. And my experience with people has taught me how not to overreact. I try to stay even and predictable so people know — good, bad, or ugly — they can come to me, and we will always come up with a solution.What’s it like recruiting in this space now compared to a few years ago?Marketing and creative departments are hiring, and the competition for talent is intense. And today, soft skills are so much more critical. It takes a lot of heavy lifting to hire for a marketing role.As recruiters, we read every resume from top to bottom and go through every bullet, which can be complex because there is such a diversity of titles and job descriptions in this industry. When we sit down with the candidate, that’s when we can really start digging into who they really are behind the resume and what they can do for our client. This is where communication skills really shine.What makes these professionals different?I view creative and marketing professionals as immensely valuable assets to businesses. Their remarkable ability to connect with audiences sets them apart, along with knowing what strikes a chord and how to convey messages with precision. Many are exceptionally skilled storytellers, able to spin intricate concepts into striking visuals and clear copy that create enduring, multi-dimensional impressions.And the best ones I know seek purpose in their work. They aspire to create designs that go beyond aesthetics to make a tangible impact on society, in the communities where they live and on the future of humanity. In fact, that’s what drove the creation of the Designing for Good Award, conferred by Robert Half and Graphic Design USA (GDUSA) as the newest category within the GDUSA Graphic Design Awards competition.Are companies changing how they hire in this space?I think they have to, in today’s employment market. According to the latest Salary Guide From Robert Half, 63% of marketing and creative managers say they are hiring for new roles, and 35% say they are recruiting for vacated roles. Yet 94% report challenges finding skilled talent, especially for marketing and user experience (UX) design roles.The good news is, perhaps more than many other professions, marketing and creative roles work well as contract opportunities. Not just because they give companies flexibility to staff individual projects, but because the aesthetic aspect of creative talent can be very specific to a client’s current need, so sometimes it makes sense to get the one person who can make that one project sing.With contract or freelance talent, companies can also experiment with putting people on a team to see how they connect. Personal connection is so important in this field, so contract-to-hire may be the way to go for many creative positions.What are the most in-demand marketing and creative roles?Graphic design is very hot and will continue to be so. They control the “ visual” of everything, and visual communication is only becoming more prominent in marketing and media.Digital marketing is also huge and covers a lot of ground. It’s a field that is evolving fast and staffing these positions really requires some knowledge of the emerging technologies and platforms.And, as I said before, UX is growing, along with the need for marketing professionals to understand and use new apps and tools, especially analytics and AI platforms.What is one piece of advice you would give to marketing & creative job seekers today to help them stay relevant in a rapidly changing business environment?I’m a huge networker, and I believe this is what everyone needs to do. In my business, we’re all about referrals, but this goes on in every business. Later today, you could meet someone with the ability to introduce you to 10 other people who could have an impact on your future. So let them. And pay it forward by connecting others. I built my own network this way.After 25 years with Robert Half, I have so much to give back to the newer folks, like so much was given to me. I have always advocated for this practice group, so being able to lead it is more than a privilege for me. It feels like a calling, because of the very specific experiences I’ve had that come into play with in (one word or two?) everything I touch every day.How do you spend your time when you’re not working?With two active teenage boys, I spend most of my free time on baseball fields and basketball courts. Many of our vacations revolve around visiting MLB games across the country. Our favorite stadium so far for food and views has been the San Francisco Giants’ Oracle Park.
