Not too long ago I was contacted by a marketing VP who was having a problem finding “good marketing people” as opposed to “qualified marketing people”. The job descriptions were all sent to HR but as he soon found out “job descriptions don’t provide enough information to recruit good candidates”.
What makes a good marketing person? That question could be open for debate for hours on and offline. To me a good marketing person is one who is always hungry for knowledge and can view your brand/product as a customer in addition to being a marketer.
So how do you find these people?
1ne: Don’t cast a fishing net on LinkedIn with an open position. Focus on people who continually post good information on marketing and the world we live in. Seek THEM out and tell them how much you enjoyed reading their BLOG or post and ask about the possibility of joining your organization.
2wo: Let HR know what it takes to succeed, but more importantly excel in your company.
3hree: Meet with HR regularly to ensure that the lines of communication are open. Talk about people who have succeeded as well as ones that are doing OK, but may not make it to the next level.
4our: When you spot someone who you think would be a good fit, keep their resume on file even if they are not available yet. Chances are they will become available.
5ive: Don’t be cute in interviews. Asking problem solving questions is not going to help you find a great marketer. Ask questions that tell you about the person like, “I read your BLOG. Why did you start it?”, “What magazines do you read and why?”, “what do you like to do on your down time?”
6ix: Pay the money. If you find someone who is, you feel, a winner, for God’s sake, get them the package they want. You can’t afford not to hire great people because of money restrictions.
Building a great marketing department starts with HR but you need to “sell” HR on what makes a great employee and marketer.
