Though many marketers believe that attending one conference, unlocking one algorithm, or increasing their ad spend is going to be the difference between a mediocre campaign and the career-making campaign that wins awards and goes viral, the truth is much simpler. The one ingredient that’s too often overlooked when it comes to sweeping up accolades and earning big bucks is something anyone can accomplish: hiring well.
Here’s why that might sound a little too simple:
- Attracting great candidates might mean offering exorbitant salaries you can’t match
- You aren’t certain what “hiring well” looks like for your team or company
- Hiring isn’t exclusively up to your team (you’re reliant on executive approval or HR)
- Your team is already at capacity, you’re a team of one, or you rely on external support
But here’s why it’s actually achievable:
- Hiring well doesn’t mean beating out every other company in your field; it just means hiring as well as you possibly can with the salary and benefits available to you. That means…
- That means understanding what hiring well means for your team. What aspects are missing that will round out your current marketing talent? What are creative perks or projects you might offer that get candidates excited to join you?
- If you don’t have the final word on who joins your team, make sure the people who do understand your needs. If there’s anything you know how to do, it’s pitch and persuade!
- It’s possible that your missing element is actually a partner agency or external support; if that’s the case, identify what elements will best strengthen the skills and experience you’ve already mastered and find a partner who’s likely to get to know you well and commit to a lasting relationship, just like a great hire would.
A great staff is instrumental not just because of the skills and experience they bring, but because they bring great attitudes, add to overall team morale, and bring elements that aren’t already present (in terms of personality, ways of thinking, communication style, backgrounds, and other unique aspects that can inform your creative and strategic marketing work).
Reducing turnover strengthens your team, as well, because less time is spent interviewing, onboarding, and training new candidates—time that is better spent focused on the work itself. Hiring well the first time, then putting in the work to retain great candidates, is an approach that feeds into better overall work.
Any number of decent candidates can network at events, stay abreast of software upgrades, or help you find clever ways to make good use of your budget. But the best candidates amplify everyone else’s abilities and help the whole team put out the highest-quality work on every assignment, every time. And that’s how you ultimately achieve marketing success.