This is an issue for many organizations with smaller, more dynamic teams that have many responsibilities.  In such an organization when headcount becomes available, hiring someone full-time may not always be the best solution.  The hiring manager can use this opportunity to explore multiple hiring options.

The key to making the proper determination on how to fill your need may be to dig deeper into the job position and develop a complete picture of the landscape.  Typically, I utilize these key questions to guide clients in making a hiring decision that is best for their needs:

1.      What is your need?

This may seem like an obvious answer – ‘I need a project manager with digital experience who can perform x, y, and z tasks’ or ‘I need a product marketer who can develop a marketing plan for a new product line.’  Sometimes clients cannot answer this question in one sentence, which is why I ask the following question…

2.      Why do you have this need?

• Do you have a skill set void?  You might be looking for specific industry experience, marketing expertise, or software skill(s).  Once you have identified which specific skill set is most important to perform the job, then you can determine the job qualifications and for how long you will need those skills.

• Do you need to replace a FTE?   If this is your situation, an exit interview with the departing employee might shed more light.  Many times the job description has changed dramatically since you first hired this person and this interview can provide you with valuable information on how exactly the job has evolved.

• Do you need an extra set of hands?  When adding a staff member to a team it is crucial to identify the true scope of your need.  You might have a deliverable-based need and if you bring on a full-time employee they might not have anything to do six months down the road.  However, it is important to look beyond your deliverable date to see what might be on the horizon for your particular project, i.e. a new product launch or digital initiative. You do not want to have to repeat your search in six months.

3.      What is unique about this position?

Consider your company’s culture and workplace environment to help you identify what a successful team member looks like.  If you find you have a somewhat unique situation, perhaps a contract-to-hire period would be ideal for both you and your potential hire to determine the likelihood for a long-term fit.

4.      Where do I see this position going?

If you have a short-term deliverable or goal, you might assume you need an interim consultant.  While your need is short-term, it is highly likely that the resource you bring on has a particular skill set which could be very useful to others in your organization to deliver on projects and tasks.

Making the wrong hiring decision can be more costly for your organization than making no hiring decision at all.  Asking yourself these questions and looking at the bigger picture might help you better assess your staffing needs and avoid many common hiring downfalls.

Did you find these questions helpful?

Ask yourself:

• Has my team missed a deadline lately?
• Am I about to miss another deadline?
• Has my team brought an incomplete project to my desk?
• Could I be missing critical project data that I am unaware of?

If you answered ‘yes,’ then you need help! Consider hiring a consultant on a short-term or long-term basis.

No matter your profession, it is important that you stay up-to-date, and identify and anticipate market trends.  With a knowledgeable and experienced consultant, you can keep up-to-date with trends and analysis.  You will be free to spend time managing your teams’ progress with confidence of meeting a project deadline.

When hiring a consultant you know it is important select a well qualified candidate and McKinley Marketing Partners is a trusted source for your marketing needs.  We form a partnership with you and provide you with a specialized consultant ready on day one that will save you time and resources in the long run. We will introduce you to seasoned professionals who have been completely vetted and who will immediately produce results.

We would love to put your mind at ease and listen to your concerns about hiring a marketing consultant.  Call us today at (703) 836-4445 or send us an email!

The IMM selected for this organization’s temporary project had over

Event Marketing Specialist

15 years of event planning and marketing communications experience and was placed as a project manager to help the organization plan/organize a four day global event in Geneva, Switzerland.  The non-profit contacted McKinley recognizing a need for additional experienced staff to help execute the marketing and logistical aspects of their event.  It was the IMM’s first project placement by McKinley and she felt it was the perfect fit for her and the organization.

The event was a success.  Not only was the client happy, but so was the IMM.  The client felt that the IMM had exceeded expectations and that McKinley delivered a marketing consultant with an excellent attitude and a great work ethic, who also fit well within their organization.

Here are a few of the IMM’s accomplishments as an event marketing manager:

1.)          Hall of Fame Establishment

•  Established the Hall of Fame (HOF) as its own brand
• Developed and executed the HOF award program strategy, including award selection, production, and distribution
• Collaborated on run-of-show schedule for the HOF induction ceremony
• Served as VIP point of contact for HOF recipients, coordinated travel, accommodations, and ground transportation arrangements

2.)       Coordinated Remote Participation

At one of the first planning meetings that the IMM attended, an idea was presented to add a remote participation component to the conference.  No one in the room had any previous experience with setting up remote participation.  Unafraid of a challenge, she volunteered to take the lead on this element of the conference.

The IMM conducted due diligence research, formulated a strategy and received the client’s approval to execute.  She assembled an internal team that executed the following tasks:

• Developed and distributed remote participation guidelines and instructions for training of remote hub hosts and moderators
• Identified and trained the remote moderators (on-site in Geneva) that would be serving as the voice of all those participating around the globe
• Set up Livestream broadcast feeds of selected roundtable and concurrent sessions from Geneva, accessed via the organization’s website

3.)       Managed Application – EventMobi™

The IMM was tasked with investigating a new conference application (app) to determine its suitability and relevance at the conference.  The app she implemented was called EventMobi, an interactive mobile app that does not require a download and runs on any mobile smart phone or tablet device.

This app allowed users to view the program guide electronically, saving substantial printing costs.  The app was interactive and customizable by the user and was made available in three languages: English, French and Spanish.

4.)        Post Conference Satisfaction Survey

Given the IMM’s extensive experience in the design and implementation of customer satisfaction surveys, she accepted the project management responsibility for this element of the conference.

She provided the content and organizational design of the survey instrument and contracted with a well-known and regarded research company based in Switzerland to program and launch the data analysis and reporting.

The IMM placed on the project worked with a diverse group of interim and full-time staff globally positioned and focused on a common goal – creating a successful event. 

Click here to read the full case study.

We have compiled a list of best practices to help the over 50 job seeker to best represent themselves to hiring managers.

1.      Be flexible

If you are a job seeker over the age of 50, flexibility is the name of the game.  Flexibility on all aspects of the job is important, but salary is one that can make or break you.  If you can prove to the hiring manager that you will work for a reasonable rate and not demand top dollar, you will have won a big part of the battle.  Hiring managers today are not pressured to pay top dollar to anyone necessarily, and younger candidates will always be willing to work for less.  Make sure you don’t stand out as the “experienced, but not worth it candidate.”

Be reasonable, even if the offer is 10-20% less than you were making when you were last employed.  Remove your ego from the equation, especially if it is a job that fits you well.

2.      Keep up with technology

Staying current with technology and trends in the online world are always helpful, even if your skills are unrelated to the online world.  Everyone should understand the bigger picture of these trends.  For example, social media and online marketing trends may not be your “sweet spot”, but you should know what they are and understand their value.

3.      Find a cultural fit

Conduct preliminary research on the company and its employees.  Try to get a feel for the average employee age and years of experience.  Understand the nature of their business and if it is a fit for you based on the stage of your career.  If you find that the average age of employee is 31, you might want to keep looking.  Fitting in is far better than standing out when it comes to company culture.

Age is a state of mind.  If you think you can’t learn new tricks, demand special attention, a big title, and top dollar compensation, your resume might be the first one to hit the recycle bin.

Our clients reach out to us when their marketing department needs a specific skill set or an extra set of hands.  More importantly they reach out to us, because they know we will find a marketing candidate who fits in their work culture/environment and has the desired skill set.  Through an established relationship with our clients and Interim Marketing Managers℠ (IMMs℠), we are able to help our clients find great employees and help avoid a wrong hire.

One of McKinley’s Featured IMM’s, Laura Brown, was recently praised by her client for not only being a dedicated worker, but also for her personality and the positive impact her presence brought to the team.  We placed Laura with this client knowing it is a company (like many others) who evaluate employees on not only productivity, but on the intangibles they bring to the cultural environment.

How can you determine if a candidate will fit into your company cultural? One option is to present candidates with a personality test to properly analyze their work ethic and personality traits.  You can then compare their traits with the values, expectations, policies and procedures that influence the leaders of your company.   A personality test could ensure a proper cultural fit and enhance the employee’s productivity.  Refer to Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® or CPI 260 Assessment.

Another option is to reach out to a resource like McKinley that maintains a roster of skilled marketers that have been personally vetted by our staff and can hit the ground running for clients.

Mike joins the team with more than 15 years experience in leadership roles for Fortune 500 firms including, most recently, as vice president of customer marketing at Vocus and senior vice president of marketing at Merkle Inc., where he grew the company by more than 20 percent annually.

“I’m thrilled to welcome Mike Savage to our team as Chief Marketing Officer,” says Michelle Boggs, our President and CEO. “With Mike’s ability to implement integrated marketing strategies, McKinley will continue to grow as a leader in the interim and direct-hire staffing industry as well as develop solutions-based products to our client base.”

With Mike’s background in database marketing and executive management as well as his expertise in branding and social networking, McKinley is on track to expand nationally.

“The marketing industry is in the midst of a major transformation and world-class brands are struggling to deploy the right mix of talent to drive increased marketing results,” says Mike. “McKinley is at the forefront of this transformation and has established itself as the leader for specialized marketing services in some of the most exciting and innovative disciplines, including brand/product strategy, social media, marketing science and digital marketing.”

“Having spent many years on the client side of the business, I understand the value McKinley’s Interim Marketing Managers^sm bring to its roster of world-class Fortune 1000 companies,” the new CMO says.

Mike adds, “I’m excited to work with Michelle Boggs and the leadership team to build the strategic roadmap for the future and establish McKinley as the market leader in outsourced marketing solutions in the US.”

Read more about our Marketing Campaign of the Year in our press release.

Check out our award-winning team below!

 ”Ron and I enjoyed seeing the Hay Adams rooftop under cover and stepping out onto the balcony to view the White House. We met a diverse and interesting group of politicos and media, including John McLaughlin who provided lively conversation. We look forward to touching base with many of the guests again soon.”

 Check out the full story about the Correspondents’ Brunch including a list of VIPs and additional photos on WUSA9.com‘s Alexandria community events page: http://alexandria.wusa9.com/news/events/mclaughlin-group-and-reuters-news-correspondents-brunch-completes-weekend-celebration/56973.

Michelle Boggs and Ron Roys on the rooftop of the Hay Adams for the May 1 McLaughlin Group and Reuters News Correspondents' Brunch

Michelle Boggs, Ron Roys, author Carol Joynt, and John Schmiedigen and Nadia Subaran of Aidan Design

Ron Roys, Michelle Boggs and John McLaughlin

With military bases near each of McKinley’s offices, including 10 within the Washington DC area, 15 within the Dallas/Ft Worth area and 5 within New York, veterans and military families can turn to McKinley to find interim and direct hire marketing positions.

Current positions in all three areas include:

Washington, DC Metro
Database Marketing and Customer Analytics
Loyalty and Retention Marketing Management
Marketing Research Analyst
Membership Marketing
Senior Writer and Communication Strategist
Financial Services Business Writing Support

New York
Media and Sponsorship Marketing Consultant
Partner Marketing Consultant
Social Media/Technology Copywriter
Technology Writer

Dallas, Texas
Senior Associate, Business-to-Business Online Channel Marketing
Senior Associate, Search Engine Optimization and Marketing

We will continue to support the brave men and women in our military branches. Sign up to receive the White House email to see how you can help too.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2011/04/12/will-you-join-forces-us

Read more about what the White House is doing to support our troops on the home front in this week’s issue of Parade.

http://www.parade.com/news/2011/04/24-michelle-obama-jill-biden.html

This week, Jon discusses what he thinks about the current work environment and how he keeps his skills current. Jon’s answers in Part 1 and 2 might offer insight into whether or not interim work is right for you.

Has the economy affected your decision to work with McKinley or in interim positions?
No, I have been working as a consultant and in interim positions for going on 10 years. Over that period there have been both economic booms and busts; all that create the need for quality IMMs and project work.

What trends do you see in the marketing/communication industry?
Marketing and communications is a continually evolving field with the development of new strategies, tactics, and tools to reach customers, grow markets, and build customer loyalty. Some of the current areas I’ve been involved in recently include specialized digital marketing, developing social media programs, corporate blogging, micro-blogging and group marketing tactics, interactive marketing, Geo-targeting and localized marketing campaigns, developing brand advocates as well as more traditional marketing tactics. The days of simply using conventional marketing channels are gone. Consumers need more targeted messaging that incorporates the consumer’s lifestyle, interests, activities, and more. Remember, even if a company is not leveraging these newer marketing opportunities, their competitors most likely are.

How do you keep your skills current working in interim positions?
I keep my skills current through a variety of methods, some include keeping up on new and developing marketing trends and techniques, analyzing campaigns, attending professional seminars, training and tradeshows, conducting online research, and associating with formal and informal marketing professional groups and organizations.

Would you consider a permanent position?
I’m always open to the right permanent position with the right company, but I suspect I might miss the variety of projects, and the interaction with new clients.