Hiring digital marketing professionals has never been so challenging. Emerging technologies require new skills, new structures and new strategies. The hiring market is also increasingly candidate driven. With candidates in the driving seat, employers need to make sure they stand out from the crowd.
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We live in an increasingly digital world. According to Statista, almost 60% of the global population now has access to the internet and businesses and organisations know how important it is to leverage digital and mobile technologies and media to achieve their marketing objectives, engage and retain an audience and grow as a company.
However, hiring digital marketing professionals has never been so challenging. Emerging technologies require new skills, new structures and new strategies. The hiring market is also increasingly candidate driven. With candidates in the driving seat, employers need to make sure they stand out from the crowd and show that they have a lot to offer the very best digital talent.
First and foremost, employers need to know which digital skills they will need to support their current marketing strategies and campaigns, as well as their future ones! From there they can structure a recruiting strategy targeted at finding those skills in a talent shortage and attracting them to their roles.
1. Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)
Webstores, not physical locations, are (metaphorically) the new shopfronts for all businesses and search engine optimisation, or SEO, is the cornerstone of increasing the quantity and quality of a company's web traffic. An SEO specialist is critical to generating page rankings, clicks and increasing conversions through streamlined user experience.
2. Video creation and editing
Video content is a powerful way to grab a user's attention and create brand awareness, particularly on mobile and social media platforms. Better tech has also made it cheaper and quicker than ever to create and edit quality video content.
3. Data analytics
One of the biggest advantages of the consumer shift to a digital-orientation is that it produces data. Lots and lots of data. Being able to measure and analyse that data and leverage key tools such as Google Analytics to streamline your content, improve your user experience, and make better marketing decisions is the job of a skilled data analyst.
4. Social media marketing and advertising
Social media channels are impossible for companies to ignore. However, getting eyes on your brand is more complex than just a nice photo and a relevant hashtag. Skilled social media marketers can bring together organic content, paid posts and influencers to make brands resonate with their target audiences and get people talking. Social advertising experience is becoming an increasingly in-demand skill amongst digital professionals.
5. Marketing automation
Specialists in marketing automation use software to optimise marketing processes, such as: email campaigns, social media channels, push notifications and ad management. In doing so, companies can identify large numbers of potential leads and turn them into customers by creating and maintaining brand awareness, a top skill set to have!
This wider digital skills gap was exposed when companies shifted their focus and spend onto digital channels to respond to changing consumer behaviour and realised that content creation, social media optimisation and analytics in-house skills couldn’t meet the increased demand.
Many in-house marketers are rapidly looking to upskill and retrain in some of the most sought-after areas of digital marketing, however demand is still outpacing supply. Many companies are navigating the skills gap by increasing their use of highly skilled or niche freelance creatives and agencies as well as adjusting their long-term hiring strategies to better target the right digital skill sets.
Research published by World Skills UK in 2021 shows that:
92% of employers consider basic digital skills to be important for employees
27% said that the majority of their roles required advanced digital skills
However, Lloyd’s UK Consumer Digital Index shows that 17.1 million adults or 52% of the total workforce lack the essential digital skills required to navigate the modern workplace.
Once you’ve identified the digital marketing skills that will be valuable for your team, you need to identify where to find professionals with those skills to ensure you’re not impacted by the talent shortage. By thinking outside the box, you can increase your company’s visibility to those that matter and even engage with top digital marketing talent even if they are not actively seeking a job.
Some ways to engage with marketing professionals outside of traditional recruiting spaces include:
Specialised job boards
Recommendations from current employees
Social media channels such as Twitter or Instagram
Freelancing websites
Now that we’ve identified where digital marketers are looking for jobs, you can shape a recruiting strategy that will appeal efficiently to them. We’ve prepped a guide to help you shape your recruiting strategy to attract top digital talent:
Advertise where they are
Utilise social media, professional communities, your existing marketing team and other strategies to engage with skilled marketing professionals and advertise your job where it will be seen by them.
Unify your employer brand
Ensure that your company careers page, blogs, About Us and social media channels all represent what it is like to work for you in a cohesive and positive way.
Think about additional benefits offerings
Think about how any additional benefits you offer fit with your company culture and the values you embody.
Offer a competitive salary
Extra benefits are important but candidates want to know that you understand their value in the wider market. Make sure your remuneration package reflects that.
Ask creative questions
Marketing is a creative discipline so try to think creatively about the questions you ask at the interview stage and tailor them to the role you are hiring for.
Get in touch with a specialised digital recruiter
A specialist recruiter can help you get the right person into the right role quickly and efficiently.
Successful marketing teams start with talented individuals that can collaborate effectively to drive performance and results. Our global talent consultancy at DMCG Global helps to quickly connect marketing agencies and brands with the right individuals anywhere on the planet. If you are looking for marketing professionals and would like a bespoke, high-quality recruitment service, our expert consultants will be happy to help.
Get in touch below to find out more.
