You Can't Train Values

When Robbie applied, I wasn’t sure what to make of him.

A tall Italian with a past as a coffee scientist.
A current part-time tennis journalist.
A professional saxophonist. A scuba instructor.
And now? He was applying to be our UX Researcher.

Not exactly a "traditional" candidate.
But he was damn curious. Quick to smile. Energetic. And brave enough to start again in a new country, in a new field.

I didn't hesitate.

Not because of his resume, but of who he clearly was. Someone well travelled who brought perspective and a sense of joy to the work. Someone that I knew could handle things

And honestly? I’d have been crazy not to hire him.

Then there’s Bec. Same story, but different.

She didn’t apply for the role. I'd already written it with her in mind. I knew exactly who the studio needed. A person with calm, quiet confidence and deep integrity. The kind of person that wouldn't chase attention, but earn respect.

Bec didn’t have the industry experience. She didn't need it.
Her value wasn’t in her background or resume. It was in her character.

The kind of person who sees what needs doing and does it. Who brings stability to a room without needing to say much. Who cares, and shows it.

That’s the part the job description doesn't often capture. You can call it the "invisible stuff" or "soft skills"... but really it's values.

And in creative businesses, that’s often what separates growth from a plateau.

Because you can hire for skills all day long. But if you don’t share values? You’ll end up in no mans land, wasting energy chasing alignment that was never there.

I've learned this the hard way.

The hires who ended up stalling the business, weren’t bad people. They were just in the wrong place. That's my mistake.

The best ones though? They gave me energy! They made things easier. Not because their background was a perfect match to the almighty Job Description, but because we were 100% aligned.

That alignment is what makes a small creative team powerful.

You've probably felt it once or twice in your own career (hopefully more). When everything just clicks.

A small team perfectly in sync.
Work that challenges everyone, in the right way.
A buzz of momentum, and the laughter of inside jokes.
Quirky characters that become stories.

There is nothing quite like it.
Every creative should get to feel that at least once.

Skills can be taught.
Processes can be documented.
But you can’t train values.

So, if things feel slow, or harder than they should be... don’t just look at your systems.

Look at who you have chosen to help steer your ship.