How To Hire A Junior Marketing Manager

Finding a marketing manager is not easy. It requires you to find somebody with the right skills, attitude, and a certain degree of efficiency with many social media platforms (fun, right?) that your company may use to spread its message and convey its story to the masses.

Lucky for you, there are many marketing managers in the United States. Did you know that there are over 281,737 of them currently operating according to Zippia? And that’s just the current status. More and more people are qualifying for such positions as you read. By the time you’re done with this article, there may be more. Maybe…

But which one is right for you? And what skills are indispensable in regards to this position? In this article, we will cover the top 5 traits to look for when hiring your junior marketing manager. We will start with the all-important questions: do you, in actual fact, need one?

5 Traits to Look for When Hiring a Junior Marketing Manager

Content marketing is a position with many moving parts. Therefore, there are a lot of traits to watch out for in your search. Not to mention, every marketing job differs from the next in terms of content. A software company has different needs than a business that sells washing machines, for instance.

However, there is a general demeanor that is important for marketing managers to have. It might even be worth hiring a tried and tested marketing manager to interview and check into your applicants when their portfolios start rolling in.

But put that aside for a moment. The first consideration is whether you need a marketing manager to begin with. There are many reasons to hire one, but the first question is why? What issue are you solving by recruiting one into your company? For companies who want to conduct all of their marketing in-house, a marketing manager can be a great asset to a business. Unlike agencies that one might outsource to, an in-house marketing person doesn’t have to learn your brand and construct their material from research. Somebody who works for you will know this already, it’s built into the job.

But if your conclusion is yes, hiring a marketing person is the next logical step for your company, then there are a few indispensable traits to look out for. Let’s dive in together and take a look.

1: Communication Skills

Marketing is all about communication. That is its entire function. To advertise solutions to prospective clients and customers, while telling your story at the same time. Therefore, communication skills are a key skill that your chosen marketing manager must have.

It is also the case in the context of teamwork. Because a marketing manager doesn’t work alone. They communicate their ideas and strategies to the team as a whole. Sometimes, they need to communicate certain needs to different departments. For this reason, it might be wise to look for a person who fits in with your company, and whom the rest of the team will be compatible with. This isn’t mandatory, but might be worth your consideration.

Then there is the content. It will be better, in the long run, to find a candidate who is capable of understanding your mission, as this indicates how they will be able to communicate that mission through marketing content. This is because teamwork and content go hand in hand.

2: Platform Awareness

In today’s developing world of interactive platforms, candidates are more promising when they have an acute awareness of the marketing platforms. There are a number of them to be considered here, so let’s go through a few of the most prominent ones.

A. Social Media

With social media, there are two factors that are desirable. The first is an acute awareness of how the different platforms work in terms of marketing efforts and social media management, but also which ones are appropriate for your business. For this, consider crafting a question or two on this topic.

B. Marketing Platforms

There are also other platforms such as Hubspot where services are sold. If your company operates through any of them, it might be worth mentioning this in your job description.

Your candidate doesn’t need an intricate understanding of the mechanics of every platform under the sun. They just need to show capability in the general area, and the ability to learn and use platforms. If there are any that are alien to them, they need to be willing to learn and adapt to them.

3: Previous Marketing Experience

This one is a must. Your candidate must have a reasonable amount of prior experience in the field of marketing. To put proof in the pudding, you can ask them to give examples of marketing projects they have run themselves or assisted in running.

Those who strive to work in marketing will have some form of experience. In some cases, they can physically show it to you via their portfolio, in others they can explain it to you. The interview scenario, most prominently. In both instances, look out for that all-important know-how that will inform you of their capabilities and work ethic.

One more element to note on this topic. You should always take the individual experience of your candidates into account, as this will show you aspects that a simple ‘by the book’ process will not. For example, what can a marketer of software bring to the table that the marketer of a DIY tool shop cannot, or vice versa? Every industry has its unique mechanics that can’t be found in the next.

4: A Detailed Understanding of how Marketing leads to Sales

The thing about marketing is this: it is used for the purpose of making sales. The job of a marketer of any kind is marketing (duh!) but the end result is sales. Therefore, one of the key indicators of a promising junior marketer is their understanding of how their marketing campaigns lead directly to sales. Whether they show it through their portfolios or otherwise, keep an eye on this skill.

As an employer, you won’t go far wrong to request evidence of understanding how marketing leads to sales (like with the prior experience point). Furthermore, you could also make a point of noting how marketing to sales expertise includes an understanding of consumer needs, different types of sales, and overall psychology of customer happiness.

5: Organization & Planning

Lastly, look for the ever-enduring traits of solid organization and planning skills. After all, it’s built into the nature of the marketing manager job, and should be considered. You can seek it in the manner of a candidate’s speech, as well as the presentation of their portfolios.

Remember, the end goal is to have somebody on board who can construct solid marketing campaigns with your company’s personal branding in place. Moreover, it also requires a strategy that hits the company’s objectives.

It is also worth remembering that out of the 280 thousand people who are qualified as marketing managers, a great portion of them gained their experience in content marketing. 38% in fact. What does this mean? That content marketing is a common skill to watch out for, and one that your candidates are likely to be experienced in. But make sure you find a way to let your candidates demonstrate this.

Evaluating your Junior Marketing Manager Candidates

The important factor to hear in mind is that the skills and competencies listed here are important, so it is worth broadening your search to various recruitment websites and leaving no stone unturned.

Also, if you are looking for an efficient way to manage all of your potential candidates, perhaps you need a solid platform to work with. Everytalent gives you the ability to assess hundreds of employees at a time. It searches across a diverse range of educational backgrounds, so you will get the wide range of candidates that you are looking for. Not to mention, you can test them for free!

The Verdict

If you search far and wide for a candidate who bears all of these skill sets, you are certain to hire a fantastic marketing manager. Then, you will be one step closer to creating a full in-house team who are prepared for anything. 

Best of luck!