Hiring a marketer? It’s a candidate’s market. Here’s how it affects you.
The 2017 job market is a healthy one. This is cause for celebration, especially for those of us who remember the 10 percent unemployment rate during the Great Recession. Times have massively changed and the pool of active job seekers continues to shrink. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the percentage of Americans that are unemployed is lower than it has been in more than ten years. This has major implications for the hiring process.
First, strong candidates may only be on the market for as little as two weeks. Moral of the story? Act quickly. If a stellar candidate darkens your door, make your move as soon as possible. A four to six-week deliberation window is simply not an option. For many companies, this is extremely challenging because they do not have a clear picture of what they need.
That leads to our second point. Put the necessary processes in place for evaluating portfolios and writing samples. If you’re filling a skill or knowledge gap on your team, it’s possible no one on your team has the knowledge to determine which candidate truly has the strongest skills. Make sure you get the support you need to be able to make educated decisions.
Third, make sure your job description is clear. If you’re backfilling a position, consider the most outstanding skills and characteristics of the last person in the role. Make sure to build the skills that are still relevant to the position into the job description. If this is a new role, think about your ideal candidate and what qualities they would need to stand out from the competition and be an exceptional member of your team. The stronger your job description, the less time you will waste on candidates who truly are not right for the position.
Fourth, flesh out all the details of the hiring process. By having the process well thought out in advance, you can move quickly when the right person appears. Red tape and logistical hurdles can slow you down, and you may lose out on your ideal candidate.
And last, remember, the best candidates may not even be looking. According to our 2017 Hiring Trends report, only 24 percent of digital marketers—the most in demand marketers in 2017—are actively looking for new opportunities. This means a majority of digital marketers may never see your postings or know these opportunities exist. That’s not to say they aren’t open to a move; they just aren’t actively seeking one out. This is just one reason why it’s important to work with expert recruiters who have the bandwidth and specialized expertise to dig deep and find the hidden gems you never knew were there.
A candidate’s market is a sign of a healthy economy, but it does make the hiring process more challenging. Being well-prepared, having a clear picture of your needs, and acting quickly are all key to finding your next all-star employee.
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