Five traits to look for when hiring your next marketing genius
- August 09, 2018
Five traits to look for when hiring your next marketing genius
Marketing recruitment can be pretty time consuming, not to mention stressful. But however tempting it is to rush through the recruitment process and get people on board as quickly as possible, it’s more important that the employees you are hiring are the right ones who can bring real value to your business. With the REC predicting that a mid manager bad hire with a salary of £42,000 could cost companies an eye-watering total of £132,500 when you factor in the cost of wasted salary, training, recruiting, loss of productivity and staff turnover costs, making the right marketing recruitment decision is more important than ever before. Read on to find out how to make sure your next hire is the right one…
1. They have the right skill set
Although skills can be developed on the job, it’s still really important to ensure that every potential employee has the basic must-have skills in order to have a positive impact on your company and help your business grow. Out of all the skills out there, we’ve looked at every hire we’ve helped our clients make and without a doubt the top three must-have skills are:
- Strong communication skills - From communicating with the team to conversing with clients, strong written and verbal skills that can drive meaningful conversations are an absolute must in the marketing industry.
- Marketing knowledge - Marketing is changing all the time, with the rise of inbound transforming the industry as we know it. As a result, a strong knowledge of social media marketing, SEO, email marketing and content curation is no long a nice-to-have - it’s a necessity.
- Strong numerical skills - From PPC campaigns and HubSpot to Google Analytics, the ability to analyse and understand data is essential for the modern-day marketer.
2. They are passionate about marketing
An employee that is truly passionate about their job will be eager to delight customers, willing to go above and beyond their job description and add real value to your organisation. Do they have prior experience? How did they show passion and drive in their previous role? Even if you are looking for an entry level hire, there is still a clear difference between candidates with a true passion for marketing and those that don’t. Do they read blogs or subscribe to any particular podcasts? What companies and brands do the follow on social media? Candidates with passion will most likely keep up to date with the latest trends and industry news, so this is always a great question to ask. Also look out for any industry-specific certifications, from accredited qualifications with the CIM to free inbound courses with HubSpot or SEM Rush.
3. They are determined
Another important thing to look out for are candidates that are determined and driven. Employees who know exactly what they want and how they will get there are invaluable to businesses and will help your business grow, as well as encourage your team to work to the best of their ability. This is especially important in the marketing industry where the very best talent needs to be bold, assertive and not afraid of trying new things to deliver results. Applicants who are focused on development, passionate about educating and improving themselves and who aren’t scared of taking risks are exactly the sort of candidates you need to drive your creative agency forward.
4. They possess a creative flare
It makes sense that employees at marketing agencies have a creative flare - but in today’s constantly advancing world, this is more important than ever before. Your employees should be tech savvy, up to date with the latest technologies and trends and therefore be able to come up with fresh ideas and new approaches that push the boundaries and get your business noticed. Marketing is all about looking for creative ways to solve a problem, so your employees need to be curious, creative and able to create valuable content that drives leads for your clients. Have a look at their portfolio or any personal blogs to get a feel for what they can deliver.
5. They are a cultural fit
So they’ve got a dazzling CV with all the right experience. They’ve said all the right things, they’ve wowed you in the interview process and they pretty much tick all the boxes in terms of the type of candidate you are looking for. Job done, right? Wrong. You also need to make sure they fit into your company culture too. As the work-life balance becomes ever-more more important, company culture is more paramount than ever before - so you need to make sure that your new hires work well with your existing team and share your company morals and values. It’s actually more important than you think; the wrong cultural hire can actually impact the motivation and morale of your entire team, so it’s vital that your next hire isn’t just excellent on paper but that they fit in with your culture too.
If you’re on the lookout for your next great employee to help drive your creative agency forward, contact one of our marketing recruitment experts to brief your vacancy today. Five traits to look for when hiring your next marketing genius.