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How to successfully hire a digital professional

27 Aug 16:00 By Houman Bigloo

Copy Of Lunch (1) Min

Have you recently tried recruiting for a Digital position either in marketing or design and could not find the right person despite all your efforts?


Candidates either did not have all the requirements for the role, pulled out of the interview, declined your offer, high salary expectations for someone with only two years of experience? They started working with you and left after 6 months? or even worse, you did not get any traction at all?


These are some of the most common challenges in the competitive digital market which I hear from clients all the time. 


There are solutions to these challenges. But before providing you with the answer, I would like to give a quick insight into the digital industry and why traditional recruitment approach does not work. 


The digital industry is an ever-evolving market and unlike some other industries where someone with 10 years of experience can be trusted with having the best skill-set. Since the digital landscape, is constantly changing, it attracts individuals who are ambitious and not afraid of constantly learning, changing and growing. As a result, digital professionals are not likely to enjoy doing the same thing over and over. 


On top of that, it is an on-demand sector, where your potential new hire is bombarded with opportunities every day. So, why would they want to come and work with you?


The answer is simple, the recruitment process is a two-way street and you need to look at how the new member of your team can help you reach your goals, and how you can help them reach theirs. 

Based on these insights, I have the following suggestion, that I hope can help you. 


1- Do not put so much focus on finding someone who has been doing the exact same job as your position, for the last few years. As we already discussed, digital professionals like to grow and evolve. If someone has been doing the same job for more than two years, they are more likely interested in a job that can challenge them and help them gain new exposure and skills. For example, if you are looking for a social media manager, and look for someone with 5 years of experience, you are really limiting your pool, as most social media managers with 5 years of experience, would like to more strategic roles where they are no longer hands-on. 


2- Look at the individual’s drive, attributes and problem-solving skills as opposed to their previous experience. For example, if someone is a quick learner and a strategic thinker, they are able to adapt their skills to a new market. You may say that training someone is a cost to your business. But I would ask you this: “What is more expensive, not having someone in the business for 6 months and spending hours and hours searching for the right person or training a gun professional with the right attitude for one month?


3- Do not say no to a candidate because they have not used the exact same software as your company. There are many software or programs that are quite similar, and your new employee can easily learn new software if they have previously used a similar program. For example, you might use Hubspot for your marketing automation. If someone has previously used any other marketing automation platforms, they will be able to make the shift. If you offer them training, they will help you with your business goals and you will help them with career development. 


4- As I previously mentioned, recruitment is a two-way street. Once you identify someone has the right skills and attitude, ask them about their goals and see how your business can help them achieve those. Sit down with them every 6 months and learn about their ideas, aspirations and goals to see how you can keep them satisfied within your business. That way you can increase your staff retention. 


These are only a few suggestions I hope can help you with finding your new digital team member, however, if you do not have the time, resources or the energy to do all of the above, you can, of course, give me a call to help you with your recruitment and you can focus on what you do best, which is running your business or team. 


You can contact me on 0481 332 461 or houman@creativerecruiters.com.au