‘There’s a disconnect’: Brands are hiring the wrong people for editorial roles

Last year, a high-profile consulting company was excited to have landed an experienced former journalist for a top editor role leading a critical content initiative. Six months in, things changed rapidly.  The initiative was not meeting goals. “The job wasn’t at all what I had been told it was, and I wasn’t at all the right person for the job they wanted me to do.” This person was laid off, with a severance agreement that made them unable to talk on the record for this story.  It’s becoming a familiar pattern: Brands are hiring editorial talent that simply isn’t the right fit, leading to wasted time and money and fallout that is negative for all parties.  “There’s a disconnect of sorts happening right now as the supply of talent in the market grows expon