The Emerging Talent Employer Checklist

Employers want to hire emerging talent well but do not have a single, practical resource to check their approach against. They end up relying on instinct or copying what they have always done.

Employers use this master checklist before, during, and after the hiring process to ensure they are giving emerging talent a genuine opportunity and supporting them to succeed.

The Emerging Talent Employer Checklist:

ROLE

• Is this genuinely entry-level?
• Could a recent graduate or someone with 0 to 1 year of experience do this job?
• Have you distinguished between intern, trainee, assistant, and junior?

EXPERIENCE

• Are you requiring experience that the role genuinely needs?
• Have you considered alternative forms of evidence?
• Could a strong portfolio compensate for a lack of professional experience?

SKILLS

• Have you separated essential, desirable, and trainable skills?
• Is the essential list short and focused?
• Are you filtering for trainable skills instead of developing them?

SALARY

• Is the salary clear and stated in the advert?
• Is it appropriate for the responsibilities and location?
• Does it meet The Lab's standard for a genuine entry-level role?

DEVELOPMENT

• Will this person receive support and progression?
• Is there a 30-60-90 day plan?
• Is there a mentor or senior creative to learn from?

APPLICATION

• Are you assessing relevant skills fairly?
• Is the interview structured and evidence-based?
• Are you assessing potential, not just polish?

RETENTION

• Why would someone want to stay?
• Is there a clear progression path?
• Will they get meaningful creative work?

Before publishing a job advert, run through this checklist. If you cannot answer yes to most of these questions, revisit the role definition before posting. The checklist is designed to be reused for every entry-level hire.