Many believe that recruiting gifted marketing individuals is a human resources endeavor. While this belief is correct from the standpoint that HR often handles the process, convincing the top marketing talent to accept your offer instead of choosing the offers behind door B or C requires you to take a sales role. You need to help candidates see how your organization is different from the rest and the benefits of working with you.
Identifying Top Talent
Successful marketing in this digital age requires much more than catchphrases and jingles. The focus of marketing campaigns is shifting away from print ads, direct mail, and television advertising popular in the 1990s. Reaching consumers now entails contacting them where they spend their time, including websites, social media, and mobile devices. In all, marketing is a much more technology-driven, targeted field. The skillset of top marketing candidates should reflect these new challenges.
1. Adaptability – Twenty years ago, experts could not have predicted the complexity of the current marketing landscape. The rise and fall of numerous social media companies and the development of smart technology make it challenging to keep up with consumers. Successful marketers are chameleons in their trade. They are readily adaptable, but they are also curious and often early adopters of technology trends. They effortlessly innovate new ways to use changes to their benefit, differentiating themselves from the competition by taking something old and reinventing it to reach their audience in unique ways.
2. Sixth Sense – Catering to your target market involves developing a deep understanding of who they are and where they can be found. Simply placing an ad in front of a large audience will yield suboptimal results. Marketing employees must understand what motivates their audience to act, make a purchase, or sign up for a service. This type of insight allows marketers to tailor their message to speak directly to the motivations of their audience, driving results in the form of sales and customer acquisition.
3. Risk-Taker – In most lines of work, repeating the same approach leads to the same results. However, marketing the same product the same way is likely to produce diminishing returns. Potential customers may ignore stagnant advertising, tuning it out in favor of something unique.
Marketers who are afraid to try a new approach or take a leap of faith based on market analysis and customer feedback will miss opportunities for growth and sales. Not every jump will be met with resounding applause. Sometimes, the best-laid plans fall flat. The sign of a good marketer is a willingness to jump in with both feet and take the outcome in stride. Every innovation is an opportunity to succeed or learn.
4. Communicator – The ability to express oneself verbally and through written communication is imperative. Every word on the page influences readers. The words used to advertise your company can make or break an ad. Marketing experts understand that choosing words that speak to your target audience’s heart and mind is vital to your campaign’s success.
Overcoming Hurdles
Once you’ve honed in on top talent, you’ll need to sell the position and the company. Making yourself stand out against a background of businesses clamoring for the most talented employees is key. Marketing recruiters specialize in finding the right fit for each company and can assist you in aligning your position and compensation with market trends, ensuring that you can attract the talent you are seeking.
The interview is your opportunity to connect with candidates to find out what is most important to them. Be sure to do your homework and understand their workspace before you meet. Learn to speak their language and be able to ask follow-up questions. Why have they done what they have done? What have they learned from past successes and failures? What are they hoping to gain from future employment? The answers to these questions can enlighten you as to whether they possess all the necessary skills and whether they are likely to find fulfillment in the position you are prepared to offer.
Before the end of the interview, be sure that each candidate understands how the open position contributes to the company’s overall mission, so they know the purpose behind the time and effort involved. Explain your mission and the unique aspects of your company culture that make it a great place to work. Employees are looking for benefits beyond money and health plans. Training opportunities, which allow them to advance their career and expand their skillset are very appealing. Often the work environment and company values play a significant role in attracting and retaining highly skilled employees.
Avoiding Disaster
The marketing material your company sends to potential customers and clients helps to define your brand, voice, and public image. A poor choice in marketing can have lasting ramifications. Advertising that doesn’t accurately reflect the company’s mission is not only a misrepresentation, but it may lead to lost business and sales. A poor hiring decision can cause attrition among current employees. It can be more challenging to fill those vacant positions with a damaged reputation. Because marketing is often the only connection between prospective customers and your company, taking the time and effort to hire the best person to generate the material that will be the face of the company is vital.
For help hiring highly skilled individuals for your marketing department, contact us at PrincePerelson. Founded in 1992, we understand the unique business and cultural needs of companies in Utah. We work hard to find candidates with the necessary skills for the job who also align well with each company’s goals and vision.