Harvard Business Review LogoJuly 8, 2026HBR Staff/Anthony Harvie/Getty ImagesMany organizations say they want innovative talent but undermine themselves with the wrong recruitment language. An analysis of 10,000 creative job postings and experiments with 2,000 job seekersCreativity is widely regarded as one of the most valuable attributes in prospective employees, and was recently ranked about as important as motivation and leadership ability by the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2025. The question is, are organizations finding these creative individuals in the most effective way?
Are Your Job Postings Driving Away Creative Talent?
Many organizations say they want innovative talent but undermine themselves with the wrong recruitment language. An analysis of 10,000 creative job postings and experiments with 2,000 job seekers show employers overwhelmingly emphasize words like “genius,” “visionary,” and “unique” over “curious,” “observant,” and “experimental,” when seeking to fill creative roles. Yet postings using “explorer” language attract more applicants overall, a more diverse pool, and candidates with stronger histories of creative achievement and openness to experience. Framing creativity as exploration and collaboration, rather than rare brilliance, is a low-cost shift that helps organizations hire the people more likely to spark creative change.
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