Are actively considering hiring a marketing recruitment agency to source exceptional candidates for vacant positions? You’ve come to the right place.
In this guide, we’ll break down all you need to know about working with marketing recruitment agencies. With the right agency in your corner, you can connect and engage with the very best marketing talent out there.
Whether you are looking to hire your first marketer into your B2B Tech Startup or looking to fill a specialist B2B marketing job, working with a top marketing recruitment agency is an extremely effective way to source top talent and streamline the hiring process. However, it’s important to understand how agencies operate and what you can expect from a marketing recruiter.
Let’s dive straight in.
First let’s talk about the benefits of working with a marketing recruitment agency.
For most companies in 2022, hiring is on the rise. So when you don’t have an internal recruitment team to spearhead your hiring efforts, working with an agency can save you a lot of time. A good marketing recruitment agency will have a wide network of contacts and understand how to effectively engage the types of marketers you need. This means that they can quickly identify suitable candidates for your vacant positions and present them to you at a rapid pace.
Those with internal recruitment teams can also benefit from partnering with an agency. This is because recruitment agencies can help take some of the load off your in-house team and free them up to focus on filling other vacant positions. If your internal resources are not equipped to handle a high volume of applications, the support of an agency is also very helpful in this regard.
Agencies have dedicated teams whose sole focus is on sourcing and screening candidates. As such, they are highly efficient at shortlisting candidates and presenting clients with pools of qualified individuals to choose from. Internal recruitment or talent acquisition teams can often get bogged down by other duties and responsibilities, resulting in slower hiring processes and needless delays.
If you need to fill a position quickly, working with an agency will help you achieve this objective. Recruitment agencies know that vacant positions can affect your ability to move forward with marketing initiatives and place strain on your existing team. Agencies will work quickly to present you with a shortlist of candidates so you can make a hire as soon as possible.
When you work with an agency, you can tap into their wealth of experience and expertise. For those who are new to the recruitment process, this is an invaluable resource. The right recruitment agencies can provide you with guidance on the latest hiring trends, crafting job descriptions, give advice on salaries, and help you understand how other technology companies go about growing and building their marketing teams.
But with the benefits, there are also some reasons not to work with a marketing recruitment agency.
One of the main drawbacks of working with a recruitment agency is the cost. Agencies typically charge a percentage of the annual salary for each role that they fill. So, if you are looking to fill multiple positions, the cost can quickly add up. Although, it’s important to remember that the cost of working with an agency should be considered an investment. And it ultimately depends on how much value you put on your time, or being able to hire the very best marketers quickly to help your technology company achieve its growth goals.
Finding a good recruitment agency is essential if you want to ensure that you are presented with high-quality candidates. To avoid working with a subpar agency, it is important to do your research and only partner with an agency that has a good reputation. The best agencies will have a track record of placing candidates in similar roles to the one that you are looking to fill.
Generalist recruiters who are not familiar with your industry or the specific role that you are looking to fill may have a difficult time understanding your needs. This can result in them presenting you with candidates that are not a good fit for the position.
Do they truly understand demand generation, content marketing, product marketing or marketing operations?
To avoid this issue, it is essential to partner with an agency that specialises in recruiting in your industry.
▶︎ The cons outweigh the pros? Check out these 5 marketing recruitment agency alternatives.
You can identify potential agencies to work with by asking for recommendations from your network. If you know anyone who has recently hired a marketing professional, ask them if they used an agency and whether they would recommend their services. Referrals from marketing leaders and Founders you know and trust is always a good place to start.
Which recruitment agencies are posting and sharing good content? Look at the professionals and agencies that are engaged in the conversation with your peers and start to research them.
Do they run a podcast, or create videos?
To find the cream of the crop, just browse through LinkedIn and see who is leading and participating in the conversations around marketing and recruitment. There is plenty of engaging content out there.
Who is dominating the SERPs with their marketing recruitment expertise? Google Search can provide you with a treasure trove of agencies to choose from. Check out the agencies that are ranking at the top of Google and see if they offer the services you require. Especially within the marketing space, does the recruitment agency practice what they preach?
The first thing you need to do is assess whether the agency has a good understanding of B2B marketing. To do this, you can ask them about the latest trends in B2B marketing and see how they respond. Measuring their expertise is vital. If they are able to provide you with insightful and intelligent answers, then it is a good sign that they understand the industry.
In addition to assessing their understanding of marketing, you also need to make sure that the agency specialises in working in your industry. To do this, you can ask them about the types of companies they’ve worked with in the past and see if they have experience recruiting for your vacant positions. Because doing marketing for a professional services firm is very different from doing it for a Series A SaaS Startup.
A reputable recruitment agency will have a solid track record of delivery. To assess an agency’s reputation, you can ask for testimonials from their past clients. You should also look for readily-available case studies on their website. These will enable you to assess their ability to deliver results, as well as understand the types of clients they have worked with in the past.
Above all, you need to make sure that you can work with the marketing recruitment agency. To do this, you should schedule an initial consultation with their team to get a feel for how they communicate with clients. During the consultation, you can ask about how they attract candidates, assess those candidates and manage the recruitment process.
All agencies charge a percentage of a basic salary. For instance, if you are hiring a CMO, the agency will take a percentage of their first-year salary. And many recruitment agencies will offer a rebate scheme. This is where you get a refund (or a partial refund) if the professional leaves early on. Here’s a breakdown of the fees attached to different types of recruiters:
While the fees may seem high, it’s important to remember that a good recruitment agency will save you time and money in the long run. They will also help you avoid making a bad hire. In many cases, it is better to work with specialist recruiters that understand the nuances of your industry. You can have confidence in the candidates they identify for the vacant positions.
Briefings are important because they help ensure that the recruitment agency understands your specific requirements. This will enable recruiters to identify the most suitable candidates for the job. When you provide a detailed briefing, you are also more likely to receive high-quality candidates that align with your unique requirements for the vacant position.
The first step is to book a phone or video call with the recruitment agency. This will enable you to provide them with an overview of your organisation and the vacant position. It is also an opportunity for you to discuss your specific requirements for the candidates in detail. If the recruitment agency is local, you could instead schedule an in-person meeting.
When you meet the recruiter in person for an initial consultation, you can gain a sense of whether they are the right agency to work with. It is also an opportunity for you to ask any questions that you may have about their recruitment processes and procedures. A solid understanding of how they operate can help build trust between you and the agency.
After the initial consultation, you will need to provide the recruitment agency with a written job description. This should include information on the vacant position, your company and your specific requirements for the ideal candidate. The job description will be used by recruiters to generate a list of potential candidates that they can approach about the role.
What’s the company culture like? It’s a common question that candidates ask, so when briefing an agency on a job it’s important to provide insights into the company culture. This will enable them to identify candidates that would be a good fit for your company.
When you are recruiting for a B2B marketing job, it’s important to offer insights into the potential career prospects. This will help attract high-calibre marketers that are looking for an opportunity to progress their career. If your company is experiencing growth, perhaps your headcount has doubled, you’ve raised a Series A round, whatever it might be make sure to mention this in the job briefing and job description.
It’s important to be upfront about the interview process with the recruitment agency. This will help to manage expectations and ensure that candidates are not discouraged by a lengthy or complex process. You should also provide an insight into the type of interview that candidates can expect.
Working with a marketing recruitment agency can save you time and money, and help you identify the very best talent needed to help your technology company achieve its growth goals. And there are a number of aspects we’ve discussed in this guide, but, in our opinion, the most important aspect is selecting a recruitment agency that specialises in your industry.
▶︎ Next steps? Book a call if you’re hiring or looking for a new job with one of our team to talk about how we can help you.
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