8 Steps to Hiring the Best Talent for a Digital Agency
If you're running a digital marketing agency, hiring the best talent is essential to your success.
The competition for talented professionals is fierce, and if you don't have the right team in place, you'll quickly fall behind. In this blog post, we'll discuss some tips for hiring the best talent for your agency. We'll cover everything from recruiting to retention, and we'll give you some ideas for creating a workplace that talented professionals will want to join.
Here's our 8-step approach:
Define what you're looking for in a new employee and write a detailed job description
Cast a wide net - post your job opening on multiple job boards and social media platforms
Go wider, Consider outsourcing globally
Ask the right questions, and make good use of the interview process
Always reference check your top candidates
Make sure the candidate is a good fit for your company culture
Negotiate salary and benefits packages to get the most out of your investment
Make sure new hires are onboarded properly and given access to the necessary tools and resources
If you're wondering how to hire the best talent for your digital marketing agency, Let's take a closer look:
1- Define what you're looking for in a new employee and write a detailed job description
When you're hiring for your digital marketing agency, it's important to take the time to define what you're looking for in an employee. What skills and experience are required? What personality traits would make someone a good fit for your team? Once you have a clear understanding of the type of person you're looking for, writing a detailed job description is a breeze.
If you're an SEO agency your needs might be very different than those of a web design agency. If your digital agency focuses on Brand, your needs will be far apart from digital agencies that focus on eCommerce.
If you're hiring a creative, your process will be different than hiring for a non-marketing job. You might be hiring for a revenue-related post, and you'd be looking at how strong the candidate is at building relationships with new customers.
So, make sure your job description is clear, concise, and easy to read. Include all the essential information that a potential candidate would need to know, but don't make it so long that they lose interest before they reach the end. And be sure to proofread! There's nothing worse than seeing a job posting with typos.
If you're not sure where to start, there are plenty of job description templates for digital agencies available online. Just do a quick search and you'll find tons of options.
2- Cast a wide net - Post your job opening on multiple job boards and social media platforms
Now that you have a great job description, it's time to start spreading the word. The best way to find talented candidates is to cast a wide net and post your job opening on as many job boards and social media platforms as possible.
Start with the big ones like Indeed, Monster, and LinkedIn, but don't forget about niche job boards that are specific to the digital marketing industry. There are plenty of great options out there, so take some time to research which ones will work best for your needs. We'd recommend the jobs board over at our friends Digital Agency Network. Click here
And don't forget about using social media to reach potential candidates. Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram are all great places to post your job opening. Think of hiring as a campaign with a custom strategy that encompasses SEO efforts, search engines, advertising and other marketing channel(s).
But before you go out posting that job spec across the internet on other websites, make sure your own website has a careers section!
3- Go wider, Consider outsourcing globally
The digital marketing industry is global, so why not consider outsourcing your hiring needs? There are plenty of great candidates all over the world, and you may be surprised at how much talent you can find outside of your local area.
With remote work being more common than ever, there's no reason not to consider hiring someone who doesn't live in the same city or even country as you. As long as they're digital experts and help you reach your business goals, you should consider hiring their services regardless of location.
When outsourcing your hiring needs, be sure to use a reputable agency or headhunter that specializes in finding digital marketing talent. They'll have a much better understanding of the global market and can help you find the best candidates for your specific needs.
Alternatively, take a look at online job boards that cater to global talent. Or work with some of the specialized international hiring and outsourcing providers out there.
You may need to invest in some language training for yourself and your team if you decide to outsource globally, but it's definitely worth considering if you're having trouble finding qualified candidates locally.
International employees will open the doors of new markets for you and help your organization discover new geographies and new clients, eventually contributing to your long-term results.
You can listen to Jamie Sergeant, Global CEO of Crowd on how to go global here
4- Ask the right questions, and make good use of the interview process
Asking the right questions during the interview process is crucial if you want to hire the best talent for your digital marketing agency. But it's not just about asking the right questions - you also need to take the time to really listen to the answers.
The interview process is your chance to get to know a potential candidate and see if they're a good fit for your team. So don't rush it! Take your time and really get to know each person you're interviewing.
Some great questions to ask include:
Do you want to start your own agency at some point?
What would you do if not marketing?
What was the most challenging project you've worked on and why?
What was the easiest project you've worked on and why?
How do you handle a tough client?
What kind of work environment do you thrive in?
For further inspiration you can check out Linkedin's interview questions here
The interview process is also a great opportunity to see how well a potential candidate works under pressure. So don't be afraid to put them on the spot with some tough questions! Ask them what your Agency's mission is, and see if they've done their research? or have them walk through their process for a digital marketing strategy for one of the brands you work for. Or even get granular on subjects that matter to you like keyword rankings or other cutting-edge technical SEO metrics.
By taking the time to ask the right questions and really listen to the answers, you'll be much better equipped to hire the best talent for your digital marketing agency.
5- Always reference check your top candidates
Never hire someone without first reference checking them! This is one of the most important steps in hiring, and it's one that far too many employers overlook.
When you're reference checking a potential candidate, be sure to ask about their strengths and weaknesses, what it was like working with them, and whether or not they would recommend them for the job. These questions will give you a much better idea of who the person really is and whether or not they're right for the job.
You should also take the time to check their references yourself. Google their name and see what comes up. Check out their social media presence and see what kind of person they are. The more you know about a potential candidate before hiring them, the better!
6- Make sure the candidate is a good fit for your company culture
It's important to make sure that the candidate you're hiring is a good fit for your company culture. After all, if they don't mesh well with the rest of your team, it's only going to cause problems down the road.
When you're assessing a potential candidate's fit for your company culture, pay attention to how they interact with other people, what their work style is like, and whether or not they seem like someone who would be a good fit for your team. The best way to do that would be to include a potential peer in the hiring process. Let them interact with a future team member and listen to your employee.
Make sure your new hire does promote the practices and behaviours compliant with the company culture you want to create. Ask yourself if you could partner with this person. If you can say yes, that's always a good sign.
For further details on company culture, you can listen to Oliver Merlin here
7- Negotiate salary and benefits packages to get the most out of your investment
Hiring the best talent for your digital marketing agency doesn't have to break the bank. If you're smart about it, you can negotiate a salary and benefits package that's fair for both you and the candidate.
When you're negotiating salary, be sure to take into account the candidate's experience, skillset, and what they bring to the table. You should also keep in mind what the going rate is for similar positions in your area.
It's also important to remember that money isn't everything! In addition to a competitive salary, offer things like flexible hours, remote working options, and other perks that will make your company an attractive place to work. By offering a comprehensive package, you'll be more likely to attract and retain the best talent.
8- Make sure new hires are onboarded properly and given access to the necessary tools and resources
The onboarding process is just as important as the hiring process itself. If you want your new hires to be successful, you need to make sure they're given the necessary tools and resources from day one.
Onboarding is an important process for both the employee and the employer. It's a way for the new hire to get acclimated to the company culture, the job duties, and the team they will be working with. It's also a way for the employer to make sure that the new hire is set up for success and has everything they need to be successful in their new role. Candidates expect digital agencies to focus on their well-being and success too.
There are a few key things you can do to make sure your onboarding process is effective:
1- Provide a comprehensive onboarding manual
The onboarding manual should be a one-stop-shop for all the information a new hire needs. It should include things like an introduction to the company, job duties, contact information, and anything else relevant to the position.
2- Offer relevant training materials
In addition to the onboarding manual, offer new hires access to relevant training materials. This could include things like video tutorials, eBooks, or even just a list of helpful resources.
3- Assign a point of contact
When a new hire has questions or needs help getting started, they need someone they can go to for answers. Assign them a point of contact, sort of like a buddy system, who can help them navigate their first few weeks on the job.
Hiring the best talent for your digital marketing agency doesn't have to be difficult.
By following these simple tips, you can ensure that you're hiring the right people for the job. With a little effort, you can build a team of top-notch marketers that will help take your business to the next level!
The hiring process is one of the most important aspects of running a successful digital marketing agency. By taking the time to find the right people and put together a comprehensive benefits package, you'll be able to attract and retain the best talent. With a great team in place, you'll be well on your way to taking your business to the next level!
You're now ready to start hiring the best talent for your digital marketing agency. Just remember to take your time, ask the right questions, and always reference check your top candidates.
Do you have any other hiring tips? Share them in the comments below!
Good luck!
