The concept is simple. Yet, there’s no one-size-fits-all recipe for assembling a digital marketing team because no two marketing departments are the same.

And since there’s no single right approach to hiring your digital marketing team, it can be challenging to come up with a definitive solution or step-by-step plan.

But what can you do to make sure you are not to blame for your company’s poor marketing results? Below are 9 digital marketing hiring tips that can help you greatly.

Tip #1 — Look For Experts Instead Of Sub-par Talent

Avoid hiring all-rounders, and prefer experts who do not know a little bit of everything, but a lot of one subject. To be clear, experts are those who have thoroughly mastered a particular digital marketing talent and have a lot of experience in that field.

A traditional marketing team can make do with a few jacks-of-all-trades, but a digital marketing team needs specialists. The kind of talent that has the time, desire, and energy to keep up with the ever-evolving trends.

Tip #2 — To Get Creative Answers, Ask Creative Questions

Like treasure, talent does not just come along; it requires work.

Interview questions should be creative; disregard outdated information you have read on blogs. Instead, ask for obscure scenarios that will tell you everything you want to know about how a person functions, reacts, and feels about your chosen topics.

This way, you’ll get valuable answers that shed light on how well your potential employees handle pressure. Value answers that do not follow the usual path. Take into account that all applicants must be able to learn new software, procedures and strategies. Therefore, flexibility and perseverance are the essential qualities in a digital marketing team.

Tip #3 — Figure Out What You Need

When it comes to hiring, we often feel we are in a position of power and forget to double-check ourselves. What is your team missing right now?

If you do not know exactly who will help you succeed, it may be time to slow down or stop the hiring process and start over. While it’s desirable to hire candidates with experience, relevant degrees, and software skills, those qualifications alone are not enough to make the best choice for your team. 

Examine your team’s strengths and weaknesses; discover the gaps and problems. An informed decision always leads to better results than a quick one. For example, if your digital marketing team lacks technical skills, look for a software expert who can solve most of your problems with programmatic solutions.

Tip #4 — Carry out Multi-Stage Interviews

Although you cannot expect potential employees to work for free before hiring them, it’s a good idea to conduct a short practical test and several oral interviews.

This way, you can put applicants’ standards to the test and make sure you’re not just going for the loudest voice or the most charismatic candidate. Focusing too much on an applicant’s personality in an interview will lead to compromises in their skills.

Testing skills, including typing speed, problem-solving abilities, and spontaneous thinking, can provide quantitative results while eliminating bias from the hiring process.

Tip #5 — Ask Other Senior Staff For Advice

It is tempting to rush the hiring process to maintain control of the task. This is especially true when your workload is overwhelming and there are numerous applicants on the table. However, taking the time to communicate with other senior staff members will yield the best results in the long run.

Consider sharing your hiring notes with them, evaluating the application materials together, and asking for their advice when it comes to creating a list of final candidates. Remember that asking for support is not a sign of weakness.

Tip #6 — Tap LinkedIn groups And Online Communities

If you want to assemble an all-star digital marketing team, you need to go where these individuals spend the majority of their time.

For example, a company looking for developers should look at development groups on Reddit or visit Stack Overflow and look for reviews. Look for marketing talent in discussion groups, forums, and communities where people share their expertise.

Tip #7 — Take Competitive Pay Into Account

Don’t be the kind of company that calls a team a “tribe” Some companies believe that an interesting bonus package is a fair exchange for financial compensation.

No amount of shopping vouchers, distracting game rooms, or unpaid vacation is going to get an independent, qualified employee who knows their worth to commit to your company.

Of course, not every company has a large human resources budget to recruit top candidates, but if you have a little extra money, please don’t waste it on a ping-pong table.

Tip #8 — Make Job Descriptions Task-Oriented

Make it clear in your job offer that you are looking for professionals.

Being specific about your expectations will help you identify competent candidates and make it easier to weed out applications.

Job descriptions that focus on tasks rather than personality traits have an advantage in the gig economy. It’s all about appealing to a new generation of workers for whom competence is more important than status.

If you mention that you are looking for a new team member who is bubbly and fun-loving. In this case, then you should rule out any intellectual introvert who might be a valuable addition to your team! Pay close attention to the dynamics of your digital marketing team at all stages of an employee’s career. A toxic team can always be reinvented through restructuring, team building, or additional training.

Tip #9 — Offer Remote Work If Possible

Look globally. There’s no reason your digital marketing team should be limited to your company’s location.

Remote employees are usually self-motivated, highly skilled, and well-organized. If you have doubts about whether you should hire remote employees, you can always start by hiring people on a freelance basis. This way, your working relationship will gradually develop until it reaches a natural conclusion.

Digital marketing is a field that attracts many people who are not tied to a specific location. These digital marketing hiring tips are essential to getting great talent.

Here are some places you can promote your job or role.

• Indeed
• Linkedin
• Facebook Business Page
• BetterTeam
• MarketingHire
• ZipRecruiter
• And many more

You may be wondering if it’s better to hire a marketing agency or take on this process yourself. The answer largely depends on your workload, business needs, and budget. The first option means you do not have to spend time or money hiring new staff and training members of the digital marketing team. Plus, a reliable agency, like Momentum Digital  can bring new ideas and knowledge to the table and provide an objective view of your company’s marketing performance. 

If you have more questions about hiring a digital marketing team for your business, we’d love to hear from you.

We hope you found these digital marketing tips helpful. At Momentum Digital we are always hiring so apply online for a marketing internship or account manager job with our marketing team.

Call us today to learn more or apply with us!