Our talent columnist covered the recent Future of Online Advertising conference and shares what top interactive chiefs are looking for in their human capital.

In between the keynotes, panels and cocktails at June's Future of Online Advertising (FOOA) conference, I was able to sit down with many of our industry's leaders to learn what they look for in new staff as their businesses continue to evolve. The following highlights should be beneficial to hiring managers and candidates.

Smart and nice
Brightcove Founder & CEO Jeremy Allaire put it best when he said his company looks for smart and nice people when it's recruiting. This might sound simple but it's often the toughest challenge to identity candidates who embrace the necessary skill set and are able to integrate into an already established culture.

Companies that want to hire impressive performers with good attitudes should focus more on active recruiting (headhunting) as opposed to job posting and passive searching. If you want to find happy people to make them happier, you need to go after them because these stars are not typically looking. 

Let go your ego
It should be expected for a business head to be confident but egos have a harder time flying these days. Many of the people in this space have Tim Sanders' "Love is the Killer App" in their bookcase and subscribe to the text's advice of being a "lovecat." In addition to showing the love, bosses need to empower their players by giving them space, encouraging pushback and allowing change. Attention candidates: If you're a superstar on the way to senior management, lose your ego and practice the golden rule of how to treat others. 

Highly adaptive
Everyone I met with talked about how vital it is for their employees to be able to conform quickly. In the world of online marketing, changes happen in real time and individuals must be able to handle that. Managers have to embrace pattern recognition so they can see far down the road and help their teams change course appropriately. Salespeople and client service executives must be able to listen for what prospects/clients are sometimes not saying in order to pitch successfully.

Outside industry
Because we're facing one of the worst talent droughts in the history of this space, several chiefs admitted they're becoming more flexible with their job descriptions. One online publisher has been looking for someone to lead its consumer packaged goods vertical for almost nine months! There was no hope in sight until recently when the company began to accept candidates without the originally desired online experience. The hiring managers narrowed it down to two finalists, both of whom are coming from print publishing.

Don't settle
Despite the dry talent pool, companies should not rush on pulling hiring triggers. Each manager agreed that it costs more money and causes greater pain to hire (and let go) the wrong person than keep a position open. The most effective leaders practice consensus hiring where the entire team needs to give the green light on someone. At the end of our conversations, all admitted that their best hires were a result of listening to their gut.

Brandon Gutman is director of marketing & business development, Stephen-Bradford Search. Read full bio.