Hiring Managers May Overuse 'Genius' Language for Creative Roles

A recent survey of 991 U.S. hiring managers by Resume.org revealed that creative skills are now perceived as more valuable than technical skills, with 57% believing creative employees are harder to replace with AI. The World Economic Forum's "Future of Jobs Report 2025" also highlighted creative thinking as a top employer priority, nearly matching leadership ability in importance. However, research from the University of Toronto indicates that organizations might need to adjust their recruitment strategies for creative talent.

An ongoing study by University of Toronto researchers, analyzing over 9,000 job postings and surveying hiring managers in the U.S. and Canada, found that "genius language" is significantly more common in postings for creative positions like creative director, graphic designer, and marketing coordinator. These postings are more than twice as likely to include terms such as "genius," "visionary," and "unique" compared to words like "curious," "observant," and "experimental."

Further investigation involved a study of 300 hiring managers, who were asked to create job postings for creative roles. The majority incorporated phrases like "We're seeking a creative genius to join our team," rather than focusing on traits such as curiosity and open-mindedness. This suggests a widespread reliance on "genius" descriptors in recruitment for creative positions.

In an online labor market experiment involving 2,000 active job seekers, researchers tested the effectiveness of different recruitment language. Half of the participants viewed job postings using "explorer" language, while the other half saw identical postings with "genius" language. The findings indicate that "explorer" language, emphasizing curiosity and openness to new experiences, is more effective in attracting creative applicants than the prevalent "genius" terminology.