As companies embrace innovation and digital disruption, demand for digital marketing talent continues to rise. In our ongoing job market research and through reports from the recruiting front lines we know that hiring managers find this very talent among the most challenging to attract, hire, and retain. Digital and marketing professionals seem unaffected by job market volatility – the need for them persists. Here is some of our best marketing recruitment advice for navigating the conundrum:
Embrace Freelance
While searching for the digital needle in the talent haystack, companies have successfully kept initiatives moving forward by working with a Marketing recruiter to hire specialized freelancers. As a talent management partner, 24 Seven encourages clients to adopt this hybrid approach to filling the talent gap. The most important immediate thing is to find the best hire for the role – regardless whether the candidate is interested in freelance or full-time employment. It’s important to stay flexible with an eye toward securing the most talented or skilled individual to fuel innovation and progress goals.
Sweeten the Deal
Regardless of the economy or job market, digital marketers continue to call the shots during the recruiting process. It’s not unusual that many of them have multiple offers to consider at one time. These coveted candidates can demand more salary, more perks, better benefits – and get it. Companies must take a hard look at their employment proposition. A Marketing recruiter can help benchmark compensation, set a realistic hiring budget, and critically evaluate the benefits package – is it modern? Is it personalized? Is it life-balance friendly? Are there remote work options? Flexible schedule options? These are all the things that digital talent seeks. Is the company missing out on the best hires because the offer doesn’t pass the ideal job litmus test?
Expand Your Horizons
Sometimes companies can become unreasonably picky about where to search for a candidate, with strict industry and geographic requirements. But with more remote work models and tight demand, employers should consider widening the scope of their search. Companies who are successfully filing digital roles are poaching talent from different business sectors and adjacent industries in cities further than initially acceptable. With more remote working, talent is everywhere and can work from anywhere. Yet some employers are willing to foot the bill for relocate the right professional. The companies who see hiring success are willing to expend both time and money to locate and move the players into place to win the long game.
Upskill & Reskill
Companies are encouraged to look inward and identify high potential employees who can be reskilled, upskilled, and pro-trained (proactively prepared for the skills that will be required in the near and far term future). This is a powerful talent management strategy because it positions the employer as a learning organization (a highly sought employment brand feature among job seekers) and it also improves retention of current, top performing employees. Year over year in our studies of talent attitudes and behavior, employees tell us that professional development, career pathing, and training are among the factors that increase their loyalty, engagement, and on the job happiness.
When searching for hard-to find and win-over digital marketing talent, the “we’ve always done it this way” closed mindset is a defeatist mindset. Companies who want to win the talent war need to shake it up to staff it up. Check out our Ultimate Guide to Recruiting Marketers for more insights. To fill those digital marketing talent gaps efficiently and effectively, talk to an expert Marketing recruiter from 24 Seven.