Don’t let my constant social media posting and other projects fool you, I’ve been doing a lot of job hunting lately and I have never known the hiring landscape to be as dire as it is now. Very often marketing and communications professionals (and everyone in between) are hired by a business who has little clue what we do – a gap that this very digital marketing blog is trying to bridge. I’m coming up against the same faux pas, frustrations and facepalm moments again and again, and I am seeing the same grievances being aired on LinkedIn, so I know that I am not alone. So, as a marketing and communications professional with 14 years of experience (the very reason I started this blog in the first place!), let me talk you through how to find the best and brightest commsies who will make your business shine.
Listen businesses, stop this silly guessing game! If you want someone who is good, do your research, see what companies are offering for the equivalent role and list your price clearly on the job description. I have been rejected for job opportunities because I didn’t guess the correct salary – and there’s not always a box on the form where I can let you know that I am willing to talk. Many, many moons ago I applied to Mothercare, they asked me to guess a salary and then rejected me because I overestimated by £2,000. I called them to ask for feedback, and as soon as I said that I’d drop, I was invited to an interview. Equally, I have passed on opportunities because a salary wasn’t listed, or because one was listed that was too low. So please do your research and save both of us this additional stress. My answer will always be that I trust the business I am applying to to offer me a salary that fairly reflects my extensive skills and experience.
Marketing is a job that you can, on the whole, do from anywhere. There’s no need to be rigid about office attendance days. It makes sense for the marketer to come in for important meetings or to host events, it makes no sense to have bums on seats for the sake of bums on seats. Inflexibility is screening out some of your best talent and they tend to be working mums, carers and people with disabilities who find it harder to attend the office or function there.
Whilst we are talking about geography and proximity, I was rejected for a job because a hiring team in Berlin didn’t recognise that I live in a commuter town just outside London. All they saw was that I don’t live in London, so I was automatically discounted. Google Maps is on every web browser and commuter expectations are different around the world (as you’re asking, I’d expect up to 1.5 hours each way), so double-check that too before saying no.
Most companies I have applied to have that clause on the application that they welcome disabled applicants and ask if they should need anything. Not every company goes further by including a field on the form for candidates to actually request reasonable adjustments. Some companies don’t even have a clue what reasonable adjustments are or should look like. Disabled candidates are legally (in the UK) entitled to adjustments, and they shouldn’t have to jump through hoops to secure these. Include a field and be guided by your candidates if you are uncertain. It might provide some reassurance that you won’t automatically screen them out just for being who they are.
I’ve trudged through exceptionally long job descriptions which list the same criteria over and over in different ways. Firstly, for you it’s one job description, for me it’s one of hundreds. Secondly, in the modern age I have to be alert for AI, so whereas before I’d condense the main criteria down sensibly, today I have to guess what your AI system such as Workday or Successfactors will reject me for. The process is exhausting enough as it is without me having to walk on eggshells and second-guess.
If you’re hiring for a temporary role, perhaps just accept a CV rather than making candidates complete a long application form. It’s a lot of work to put in for a position that’s 6, 9, 12 months long - only to have to go back to square one once the job is over.
My record rejection time for a position was 3 minutes, at night. Another position that I spent hours perfecting and aligning a form for rejected me ten minutes after submitting. It’s horrible doing application after application not even knowing if a human will read it, or if you’ll receive an automatic rejection because you used one wrong word. Some companies are declaring that they are using AI to filter applications, and this is a start. But in the past it was rare to see the same job descriptions being posted again and again for a year straight, so I’d reassess your priorities, I am not sure that AI is doing your business any favours here.
If I have proven in my application that I meet the criteria, why am I being asked to do GCSE maths comprehension questions? The colour of Jane’s postbox on the fourth floor has no bearing on my ability to transform your internal communications function. These tests also set up neurodiverse candidates with conditions such as dyslexia to fail. As always, if anyone reading this has a different perspective and you would like to share your insight into verbal reasoning tests and why they are good, please get in touch.
By definition, we are the promoters. We come into a field and learn from the business, uncovering what is good, what would make customers use a businesses services or what would bring colleagues together. We are fluid and capable of researching, learning and being detectives. I have worked across tourism, aviation, freight and logistics, construction, SaaS, entertainments, retail and the British Civil Service. I also have a healthy knowledge of many areas that I haven’t worked within yet due to my general interests and nerdy desire to learn, plus I have taught myself how to use lots of different tools and software. Please don’t pigeon hole us or conjure up an unrealistic picture of the perfect marketer that most of us can never be.
Job hunting can take months, and in the current climate easily over a year. It’s demoralising, dehumanising and unnerving. Behind many applications are human beings in a difficult situation. Please take some time to offer them some feedback – it could easily be made part of your CSR objectives. Feedback can make all the difference in the world to someone who is down on their luck and help them succeed.
What did I miss? Leave your comments below. And to all my fellow job seekers, I wish you the best of luck in your job search and hope that you find something soon.
To feature on All About Digital Marketing and share your marketing or business expertise, please check out the guidelines blog and get in touch. And don’t forget to subscribe.
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