How to attract top marketing candidates as an SME

All business leaders in the marketing industry recognise the competitive nature of the sector. Businesses are always looking to innovate, and out-perform their competitors. This can happen in a number of ways. In the form of new business pitches, formulating campaigns across channels, and when hiring new staff to join the organisation. It can be harder for smaller business to outshine their large corporation counter-parts in these areas.

Building a team of talented professionals can help and in order to do this, you’ll need to set yourself apart as the employer of choice. We can help you attract the best talent in the sector and become the SME to work for in marketing.

Utilise stand-out company branding

As a business leader, you will already live and breathe your organisation’s brand. The most talented professionals in marketing are picky about where they choose to work, so you’ll need to make sure you’re appealing to the top talent in your sector.

As a CEO, CMO or CIO, you will be aware of how your position forms a part of the overall brand. Your reputation and conduct help to define the company image. Making sure that your branding is done well, and consistently across your organisation can help you to stand out. This will give a clear picture of what you and your business stand for. Marketing professionals will be looking out for clear branding and will probably hold businesses in higher regard if they have gotten this right. A prime place to promote company branding is on social media. Post on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Share your senior employee’s posts, to promote your business to your wider network. 

Streamline your processes

Looking at your organisation’s processes, no matter the level, can help to improve your wider business functions. Consider different areas of your SME business and how they can be improved. The simplest improvements will add up and potentially improve attrition rates, and attract the best talent to your organisation.

A strong recruitment process

A clean recruitment process will go a long way with any candidate. Ensure your candidate feels valued and wanted throughout the entire process, as this can amount to the difference between the acceptance or rejection of a job offer. This is particularly valuable to SME organisations, where you have the opportunity to create a very personal experience for your potential new hire. This is an aspect that a larger corporation with multiple departments might struggle with. Here are some more top tips on improving your recruitment process.

Well-written job descriptions

Job descriptions are undoubtedly a crucial part of the recruitment process. They are the first glimpse that a candidate will have into a potential role, so it is important to get this right. Outline the key requirements of the role to your recruiter. That way they are sure to find the best candidates to shortlist, that are the best fit for the role and the culture of your organisation. 

Provide a detailed company overview

When you are inviting shortlisted candidates to an interview, it is important to provide them with a comprehensive overview of the organisation and the job role. Consider the company culture, the future of the business, and how their role will contribute to the success of the organisation in the future. Providing this before the interview stages will ensure that you are outlining the type of business that you are before meeting them. This should streamline your recruitment process in that if the company isn’t the right fit for the professional, you can reach out to alternative candidates.

Conduct an honest interview

Making sure you conduct an honest interview is crucial to ensuring the candidate gets a full sense of your business. The minute a candidate enters your doors they will be envisaging themselves working there. Make it clear why they should want to work for you, as it is increasingly important to candidates that they feel comfortable and happy within an organisation which mirrors their cultural values. An interview is a two-way street, so be sure to impress the candidates you meet with, or you might lose out on top talent.

If you are interested in looking at advice on how to improve your business, why not look at our insightful advice articles. Alternatively, get in touch with one of our specialist recruitment consultants today and we can help you with all of your hiring needs.