So Why Are They Your Marketing Recruiter?
Believe it or not, over my 10+ years of marketing search, I have heard the following:
• Our retained recruiter told us there is no such thing as a senior product manager
• We asked our search partner to send us strategic marketing candidates and all we are seeing is marketing communications people
• My current recruiter doesn’t know the difference between downstream and upstream marketing
• And on, And on, And on…
As a classically trained marketer turned recruiter, I continue to be stunned by the number of recruiters that frankly have no understanding of the diverse nature of marketing and product management roles. And they have even less understanding that what makes for a great marketing candidate can vary greatly between industries.
Yet somehow, these recruiters manage to convince clients that they can bring them top talent!
How in the world can you assess marketing talent if you don’t even know what the roles entail? Worse still, just imagine how they are presenting your opportunity to those top marketers you are seeking in the unlikely event they find them. In order to find and attract top marketing talent, you need a top marketing recruiter.
Here are just a few of the questions you should ask a potential marketing recruiter:
• What kinds of marketing talent have you recruited? For whom?
• How would you market our role?
• What do you think a typical “day in the life” is for this type of role?
• Considering our role and industry, where would you look for candidates?
• How would you screen candidates, so you bring us only the best of the best?
If the recruiter can’t answer these questions, they may not be acting in your best interest to find the talent that your marketing team needs to succeed. They are really just keyword matching and dumping resumes on your desk hoping to get a placement. At the end of the day, they are no different than a job posting. So why are they your marketing recruiter?!