Digital Design Recruitment: Your 2024 hiring strategy

What are your digital design recruitment plans for 2024? With innovation and customer experience high on the agenda, companies need strong teams to deliver a seamless experience.

Of course, this would not be possible without digital design talent. A strong brand identity makes all the difference when retaining a loyal customer base. So, not only should digital designers be experts in all aspects of design, but they should also have a complete understanding of the brand's tone of voice.

To help you build the very best team, we wanted to share some top pointers to include in your digital design recruitment strategy.

First step - define your needs

As with any recruitment process, don't rush into the promotion of the job spec. You will find an influx of CV's without knowing exactly what you should be prioritising in a candidate. A great place to start is aligning the recruitment process with the company objectives. For example, if a website redesign is on the agenda then a candidate with strong experience in similar projects will be high on the shortlist.

If increased revenue is a top business goal, could expanding the team by a certain number of digital designers be a good objective to help that happen? Map out these objectives now to help you make the right hiring decisions.

Technical skills - what is on the rise in 2024?

Proficiency in relevant design tools is a must, of course. Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign) is an industry standard at this point. Ensure the candidate has a solid grasp of these applications, as it demonstrates versatility and the ability to work on a range of design projects.

More recently for digital design and UI/UX work, proficiency in modern design tools like Sketch, Figma, or Adobe XD is crucial. These tools are specifically tailored for creating digital interfaces, user flows, and prototypes.

While not always a requirement, some digital designers have basic coding skills. Understanding HTML, CSS, and even some JavaScript can be beneficial, especially when collaborating closely with developers.

The design principles you need to know

If you're a hiring manager without a thorough knowledge of design principles, it's a good time to educate yourself on what to prioritise. A digital designer needs to understand and implement responsive design principles. This involves creating designs that adapt seamlessly to various screen sizes and devices, ensuring a consistent and user-friendly experience across platforms.

Other design principles include a keen eye for aesthetics, colour theory, typography, and layout. Ensure the candidate can articulate their design decisions based on these principles, particularly in their portfolio. Speaking of the portfolio...

Assessing the portfolio

Every digital designer should be presenting a solid portfolio when they approach you. Your job adverts should encourage all applicants to have this ready. While portfolios will give a visual understanding of the candidates' approach, those without a digital design background might miss some important cues. 

Not to worry...we have you covered. We believe the four key components to look out for are...

• Quality, not quantity
• The method behind the creativity
• Demonstrable soft skills
• An individual voice 

To learn more about each component, read our blog 'What to look for in a candidate portfolio'.

Here for your digital design recruitment needs

If you're on the hunt for exceptional design talent, all you need to do is click below to find out more and get in touch. You can also explore the latest digital design jobs from Cranberry Panda!