Hello Krishnash,
Marketing always seems to be a difficult area for recruitment. One of the reasons, I think, is that marketing is not an exact science. There are few positions which are exact, but marketing is one that is even less exact!
Most of the concern and opportunity in recruiting in marketing comes from a mistaken assumption of what marketing is. I prefer to advise clients what marketing is NOT. Marketing is NOT advertising, although advertising can be considered to be one form of marketing.
Marketing, as I've said on here previously, can be defined as creating a need in the mind of the consumer. The need can be created in one of probably eight or ten areas—let's see—there's goods, services, experiences, events, persons, places, properties, organizations, information, and ideas. I've probably forgotten one or two. A good marketer working with any of these can outline the proper ways to go about creating that need in the mind of the consumer.
I can tell you, as a Marketer, how I'd be recruiting...and what I believe are key, critical areas for examination.
1) In the question pool, I'd work to determine if the candidate understands the relationship between the producer and the consumer or user. Ask open-ended questions. Be forearmed with existing plans or programs and ask them to comment on those plans.
2) I'd ask by what methods the marketing candidate will communicate with his client/customer. Today, more methods than ever before exist for communication. Does your company have a blog? Give the candidate an opportunity to read the blog entries and comment. What specifics would he address?
3) I'd discuss the buying power and communication power of the consumer. Whatever it is that you offer, someone uses it. What does your marketing candidate believe about the client's ability to buy, compare, and communicate with others?
4) What does your Marketing candidate see as his/her role as the intermediary between the market and the company? This defines how he/she will communicate, how he/she will advertise, what methods of communication he/she will utilize, and what expectations he/she has for growth and development of sales and service of any of those 10 key entities that are marketed—especially information.
5) One thing you may seriously want to consider is the issue of how the candidate will fit into a small and flat Marketing department. Your Marketing area is probably small and flat and is probably going to stay small and flat. It takes fewer experts to do the work of many more generalists than, even, five years ago.
This doesn't mean that Marketing is lesser in importance—far from it.
Marketing is one of the key critical competencies of any company. Effective marketing, however, demonstrates the ability to evolve, and effective marketers must be able to fit within that concept.
I hope, even though it's pretty general, that's helpful. If you'd like, I'd be happy to send along some specific elements you should be seeking. If you want to explore it further, send me an email and I'll be happy to respond.
Alan Guinn, Managing Director
The Guinn Consultancy Group, Inc.