The leader of your marketing department will be a serious influence on whether you are successful or not. It’s vital that you go out of your way to search for the right person, otherwise you could be left in a situation where you have a leader who simply can’t lead in the modern world of marketing. When only 29% of the workforce is engaged, you must get this decision right.
Understand that the marketers of today are entirely different from the marketers of five years ago. Hiring someone based on the results they gained years before is a foolish decision. You need to dig deeper than the same old operational metrics. You need to look at how they lead.
Can they Communicate?
The art of communication is essential in the modern business world. This doesn’t just go for a marketing manager. It goes for absolutely everybody. They need to be able to communicate the full story across all departments and then get the full story back to relate to the people under their charge.
An easy way to understand how a marketing manager communicates is by getting them to walk you through a step-by-step project. This is a virtual project and they will just give you a rough idea of how they would implement their ideas. Is communication ever mentioned or implied?
Do they Teach?
Mentorship is a crucial part of any company. Organizations are looking less at hiring people to do the job and more into who they already have in an organization who can do the job. This is because workers want the ability to advance up the company ladder. It’s the only way to keep employee retention rates high.
Can your employees find a mentor in your marketing manager?
A manager who simply tells people what to do and how to do it isn’t providing any real benefit in terms of organizational mentorship. The people involved aren’t learning anything. They are simply being told what to do not why they have to do it. It may be effective in the short-term, but in the long-term it’s a serious problem.
How Do They Run their Team?
Another skill you need to be looking at is how they run their teams. You know the culture of your company and you know what will upset the delicate balance you have established over time. The chances are if a manager tends to shout to get their point across they will leave a poor impression upon your employees and they won’t get the best out of them.
But you need to examine how they are going to run their teams. What you’re looking for is a democracy. A democratic team is best because it ensures that new ideas are welcome and employees feel valued. Running your team in this way will get the best out of them.
Your new manager should be someone who subscribes to this point of view.
What New Ideas Do They Bring?
This is something that you can discover either while looking at their resume or at interview. You want an innovator who is open to the latest changes in the marketing industry. New ideas are always springing up and you have to embrace them if you are going to stay ahead of the competition.
You can give them a mock project or you can ask them about some of the latest changes in the industry. Their responses will soon tell you whether they are aware of the changes in their industry or not. You want someone who is constantly on the ball and who is eager to do better.
Why Salary Doesn’t Translate to Success
Old-fashioned CEO’s have it in their heads that a big salary will attract the big names. This couldn’t be further from the truth. On the contrary, it may just attract the dinosaurs who believe that they are entitled to a big salary because they have been working in the industry for twenty years.
Seniority doesn’t always imply success. Sometimes it can mean nothing at all. You should offer fair compensation, but don’t offer the largest deal you can in the hope that it will bring in the most qualified candidate as it doesn’t always work that way.
Conclusion
Take your time when hiring a marketing manager. Go out of your way to examine more than the numbers you are getting back from them. Study them as a person and as an individual.
How are you going to get the best from your new hire today?
