Perhaps you will recall this scenario with fondness: Someone quits. You post a job. Stellar resumes flood your Inbox.
But the days of reactive recruiting are behind us. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, the process of recruiting for marketing roles had become more complex. An increasing number of digital marketing sub-specialties—such as UX design, social media, SEO strategy and more—had already made it more time-consuming for recruiters to keep current on the soft skills, software tools, and hands-on experience that marketing teams require. The additional steps of sourcing, vetting, and interviewing candidates have required more urgency over the past two years as a record number of U.S. employees have vacated their roles for one reason or another.
Facing the Moment
Today, the ripple effects of the pandemic continue to upset recruiting norms. Numerous articles have commented about the Great Resignation, the Great Re-Shuffle, or even a company’s worst nightmare, Quiet Quitting. As large numbers of employees leave their current roles, it has had a significant impact on the workload of hiring managers.
Consider the following statistics shared in an October 2022 article on Zippia.com:
- On average, 4 million Americans are quitting their jobs each month in 2022.
- In August 2022, at least 2 million Americans quit their jobs.
- 40% of employees are thinking about leaving their jobs within the next 3-6 months in 2022-2023.
Among women in leadership roles, attrition is even higher. In her article, The State of Women at Work, LinkedIn News Editor Taylor Borden made this sobering statement while referencing a 2022 report by McKinsey & Company:
“Women leaders are leaving their roles at the highest rate ever, according to new research from McKinsey and Lean In… For every woman who gets promoted past the director level, two women directors are leaving.”
But it’s not all bad news. Many of those who leave their current roles will land somewhere else—and companies can position themselves to attract them with some thoughtful planning. PBS News Hour reported in September 2022 that about one-third of Americans had switched jobs over the past two years. And, according to a recent CNBC article: “Data suggests most aren’t quitting to sit on the sidelines — a strong job market with ample opportunities and higher pay are luring them to find work elsewhere, according to economists.”
Exploring Options
No matter why or how someone makes a sudden departure—it could be labeled as an early retirement, extended or indefinite medical leave, frustration-fueled resignation, or even an urge to sell everything and tour the country in an RV—the workload does not go away when they do. It can be a stressful time for the remaining team members who are trying to manage the capacity constraints. For staffing managers, this may involve working on a short-term fix while simultaneously recruiting for the company’s longer-term needs.
Companies can take steps to meet these challenges by articulating their most urgent staffing priorities and then evaluating various options. Balancing the needs of current workload while also planning for the future doesn’t have to be overwhelming.
Marcomm offers much-needed support for companies struggling with these decisions. Whether your company needs someone to cover a short project or a long-term assignment—or both—no job is too small or too large. Marcomm offers the flexibility of four marketing staffing models to get the work done: contract staffing (which can be on-site, remote or hybrid), fractional marketing services, project/scope of work services, and hiring solutions.
Focusing on Candidate Care
Considering today’s tight job market, it is more important than ever for recruiters to match quality candidates with immediate opportunities. However, developing a network of talented professionals and cultivating long-term relationships is also vital. Seasoned recruiters know that if a candidate isn’t selected for the open position at hand, they might be ideal for an opportunity just a few weeks or months down the road.
Paula Caldwell, a recruiter at Marcomm, believes strong communication skills are essential to building win-win relationships where candidates are not treated like commodities. “We are passionate about candidate care,” she states. “By practicing active listening and transparent communication, we try to make sure our candidates feel seen, heard and valued.” Even if she is working with a candidate that is not selected to move forward on a position she is recruiting for, Caldwell will often refer them to other opportunities in her network. It is one way to build bridges and maintain positive relationships with a community of quality candidates.
Since timing is everything and competition for experienced marketers can be fierce, it takes a focused effort to attract, vet, interview, and then keep top-quality candidates engaged throughout the hiring process. Marcomm’s Chief Revenue Officer, Jamie Simpson, says companies can benefit from working with a recruiting partner that excels at candidate care. “In today’s environment, reactive recruiting results in missed opportunities. Marcomm has the capacity and the connections to help companies snag those marketers on the move.”
Going Beyond the Job Description
Another advantage of working with a marketing staffing partner like Marcomm is advocacy. In other words, when talking to prospective candidates, Marcomm is sharing more than a job description.
With more than 30 years of staffing experience for marketing-specific roles, Marcomm has developed great instincts around factors that can either derail or advance the recruiting process. Dissecting a candidate’s resume, skills and past experience is only part of the equation; it is equally important to consider how their strengths, goals, motivations, communication style, and other attributes might complement an existing team or organization.
On the client side, understanding the business is foundational to any recruiting or hiring plan. Jamie Simpson explains, “Of course we focus on understanding the marketing objectives and the type of work that our clients need to execute; but our intuition also gives us a good read on a company’s culture and values.” She says this means that when Marcomm recruiters meet with qualified candidates who would thrive in that environment, their enthusiasm is authentic and contagious.
“At that point, we can honestly share why it’s a great opportunity as a champion for the client’s cause—and it respects everyone’s busy schedules when we bring only the strongest, most engaged candidates to the table.”