The three Ps of marketing have historically been product, price, and promotion. But given the challenges of finding and keeping great marketing talent, there is a fourth critical P: people. Every organization needs people who can speak to its customers and influence their buying decisions.

However, while marketing talent is essential to your success, finding the right candidates can often be challenging. Here’s what you need to know about the challenges of hiring marketers, and what you can do to realize the rewards of making a great marketing hire.

The Challenges of Hiring Marketers 

Having trouble attracting top marketing talent isn’t a new phenomenon. In a pre-pandemic Spear Marketing survey, more than 90 percent of companies said they had difficulty finding and hiring marketing talent. However, trends such as “The Great Resignation” and “Quiet Quitting” have put even more pressure on organizations seeking to hire and retain marketing talent. In a recent Salesforce State of Marketing report, 71 percent of marketing leaders said they had more trouble retaining talent in 2022 compared to 2021.

While a competitive job market can make hiring difficult in any job function, marketing hiring has some unique challenges. Here are a few of them:

A diverse mix of marketing skills and experience

Since every company approaches marketing slightly differently from the next, there is no universal set of skills and experiences common to all marketing professionals. For example, if you’re looking for a marketing manager, you’ll encounter some candidates with extensive digital marketing skills and others who are stronger in areas such as field marketing or print and direct marketing. So while there may be plenty of applicants for your open marketing positions, it’s possible only a small number may possess the skills and experiences that meet your organization’s needs

An ever-changing marketing function

Chances are, the marketing techniques your organization used ten or even five years ago have evolved considerably. As a result, the skills and experiences you look for in candidates have also changed over time. Not only can the constant change make it difficult to identify and attract the “perfect candidate,” but your hiring managers may also have difficulty articulating the kind of talent they need, which makes the process even more challenging.

Candidate scarcity in select roles

There are many types of marketing positions, including brand marketing, product marketing, and event marketing, just to name a few. Unfortunately, candidates aren’t evenly distributed across those areas of specialty. In some cases, there are so few candidates to go around that you can find it hard to find the ones with the unique skillset you need. Roles using newer technology platforms, such as marketing automation specialists, UI/UX marketers, and SEO specialists, may have a limited number of candidates, which can further extend the time it takes to find the candidates you need.

Tips for Making a Rewarding Marketing Hire

Despite the challenges, it’s critical to get marketing hiring right. When you do, you stand to achieve the following: 

• A better understanding of your customers and their needs
• The ability to use new methods for reaching prospective customers
• Successful development of leads for your sales team 

To hire top marketing talent and realize these benefits, take the following actions:

Be competitive on compensation and benefits

In a competitive labor market, you can’t afford to miss out on candidates because of pay. In addition to understanding the market pay for roles in every geography where you hire, you should also consider posting compensation ranges for open positions. Being transparent about pay can help you attract candidates who might have otherwise overlooked your position. 

Work with capable recruiting partners

Whether you make a few strategic marketing hires each year or you have dozens of open marketing positions around the country, it’s essential to follow best practices for attracting marketing talent. By working with recruitment partners that specialize in your industry and have lots of experience sourcing marketing candidates, you can widen the net of potential candidates for your organization. 

Redouble your employee retention efforts

Retaining your best marketing talent can help cut down on the number of new hires you need. While you don’t always know who will resign next, taking proactive steps can be a great way to stay informed. For example, conducting stay interviews and regular one-on-one meetings with members of your marketing team can help you understand their work experiences and the factors influencing their decision to stay or leave.

Building an outstanding marketing team can take some time. But when you overcome the hiring challenges and incorporate some game-changing best practices, the possibilities for marketing success are almost endless.

ForceBrands offers end-to-end hiring solutions for all stages of growth. Whether you’re just starting to hire or are looking for the next step in your career, we’re here to help you be a positive Force that makes an impact.