Why Chemistry is Your Most Underrated Hiring Metric

I’ve built my entire business on a single belief, and after nearly 20 years, it’s truer than ever. You can’t coach chemistry.

We’re in an industry rightly obsessed with data, analytics, and of course now the power of AI. But when it comes to building the teams responsible for creating marketing magic, we’re becoming dangerously reliant on the cold, impartial logic of the algorithm.

And in doing so, I believe we’re losing something vital.

The Algorithm’s Blind Spot

I see it all the time. The automated CV screeners, the keyword-matching software, the promise of a perfect hire delivered by data alone. Technology has given us incredible tools, but in our rush for efficiency, we risk optimising the humanity right out of hiring.

An algorithm can tell you if a candidate has used Photoshop or Salesforce, but it can’t tell you if they have:

• Energy

• Personality

• A fire in their belly

• A collaborative spirit that lifts the whole team

• The resilience to hold things together when a pitch goes south

This is the algorithm’s blind spot. It’s fantastic at pattern matching, but terrible at spotting potential. It rewards candidates who tick the right boxes, while often filtering out the mavericks and creative misfits who bring the disruptive energy our industry thrives on.

The Spark You Can’t Script

So, what is chemistry?

It’s the intentional search for the qualities a CV can never capture.

I remember placing a strategist into a fast-growing indie agency. On paper, they were missing a key software skill the client had listed as essential. But in the room, they had this incredible energy. They didn’t just answer questions; they asked better ones. They got the agency’s ambition. We trusted our instinct, and so did the client. That strategist is now a Partner at the agency.

That’s the difference. It’s the curiosity in a candidate’s voice. It’s the passion in their eyes. It’s the humility they show when describing a past failure and what they learned from it.

It’s about looking for cultural addition, not just cultural fit.

A machine can find you someone who fits. A human connection can find you someone who will challenge and expand your culture. The best hires we’ve ever made were never the ones who looked perfect on paper. They were the ones who sparked something in the room.

How to Find the Chemistry

Now I’m not saying this is about abandoning technology. It just means putting it in its proper place. Use it to handle the logistics and surface the shortlist. But save the real, considered, human judgment for a genuine conversation.

Here’s how we’ve always done it:

• Treat interviews like a chat in a pub (the birthplace of MAD//Fest, after all), not an interrogation. Create a space where a candidate’s true personality can emerge.

• Involve your team. Chemistry is a team sport. Ask them if they can imagine this person in the Monday morning stand-up? Does the team light up when they’re around?

• Look beyond what’s on the CV. Focus on the why and the how, not just the what and when.

Your Human Co-Pilot

Ultimately, technology is a brilliant co-pilot, but you should always be the one flying the plane.

In an industry dedicated to understanding people, the most powerful teams will always be the ones built with a genuinely human connection at their core.

Article written by:

Ali Wallace
Founder & CEO
DNA Recruit
Official Talent Partner to Mad//Fest & Mad//North