Six ways to find, develop and retain New Zealand's most exceptional marketing talents. Part 1 of a 2-part series.

In late 2018 the Marketing Association brought together a group of marketing leaders from some of NZ's biggest companies and brands to discuss the issues facing our marketing industry. Despite different sectors, team structures, and marketing strategies, these 40 marketeers share several challenges - perhaps the most urgent being the perceived lack of well-rounded and skilled marketing talent in the New Zealand market.

More recently this group gathered again, this time to delve a bit deeper into this talent issue. There was consensus on three core concerns:

  • the increasing difficulty in finding, developing and keeping the best marketing talent;
  • the increase of specialisation in marketing roles (especially in digital), leading to a deficiency of generalist marketing skills;
  • also, the lack of complete marketing competence (core capabilities, technical competencies and behavioural attributes) and, in particular, the lack of commercial acumen of many mid and senior-level marketers.

In this two-part Marketing Talent blog series, we'll review these concerns, look at the possible root causes, and suggest a few practical solutions you, as a marketing leader (or aspiring leader), can apply today. In this first piece, we'll look at the issues around finding talent, developing them, and how to keep these exceptional marketers once you have them. Next time we'll poke into a bit more detail about how to plan and build the perfect marketing team.

So how did we get here?

The role, responsibility, and expectation of marketers today has never been broader or more complex. Moreover, while today’s marketing environment is increasingly complex, it is also the least complicated it will ever be. Technological innovation, and the resulting digital transformation, has changed almost every aspect of the marketing function. Long gone are the days where a solid understanding of the 4Ps and a relationship with a great advertising agency could propel you to market share domination and revenue success.

Digital and data are here to stay. And the rise of both have given marketers the opportunity to effectively, and more measurably, drive growth. But it has come with added expectations. Today's thoroughly modern marketer must be (or at least be seen to be) proficient in:

  • insights and market intelligence
  • strategy
  • branding
  • integrated marketing communications
  • customer experience
  • digital marketing and integration (don’t get me started on the plethora of digital technologies, platforms, systems, processes, functions and activities – that’s a whole other blog post)
  • data analytics and visualisation
  • partnership marketing
  • reputation, risk and compliance management.

And that doesn’t begin to touch on the leadership, management, financial and other broader commercial skills required of senior marketing leaders.

Unfortunately, most New Zealand organisations don't have the luxury of large marketing teams filled with specialist roles. So, we expect our marketers to be jacks of all trades eg. able to write and share engaging social media posts, plan the latest lead generation campaign, and calculate ROI from the results, and then effectively brief the agency on our next brand awareness initiative. Is this realistic? Many marketing leaders are finding many specialist marketers are unable to tap into the more fundamental marketing skills like the ability to craft an integrated, multi-channel campaign, or apply strategic thinking or commercial acumen to a problem. However, if this is a new truth, why are we seeing an upsurge in the number of "digital specialists"?

Jacqui Barratt, Founder and MD of global recruitment experts, Salt Recruitment, has visibility into multiple recruitment markets around the world. Currently, Salt's London-based team, where companies are several years ahead of NZ in terms of their digital transformation journeys, are looking for more specialist marketing roles. Conversely, Salt’s NZ marketing team is still predominantly seeking generalist marketers, in part due, she believes, to our smaller organisations and a lack of clarity around the specific competencies required for those teams. We can expect the NZ market to continue to shift towards this specialist leaning. But why?

The answer is simple – digital is critical to business success because this is where our audience is. We need to understand what, where and how they are using technology, and how to best reach them. And this is continuingly evolving.

If change is the one constant we can expect as marketing leaders, what if anything can be done today to address the talent shortage we’re facing? Jacqui Barratt suggests the following to get you heading in the right direction.

Stop looking for the perfect fit

Remember it is vital to work out the specific marketing and behavioural competencies required for your business to succeed and review what you already have before you start the recruitment process. This way you can recruit specifically to fill the gaps. Once you’ve done this, stop waiting for the "perfect" candidate who ticks all the boxes.

If a candidate can demonstrate 70% of the required competencies, including the skills and behaviours you deem critical, then look to develop the remaining 30% once they start. Make it part of the employment offer. Give the candidate something to strive for and make them accountable for their development right from the start.

Ditch the digital

In name at least. At face value, it seems every new marketing role now has digital in the title. If the digital moniker is used to explain the plethora of skills and technologies that technology has created, it has also created a world of confusion for marketers. If CMOs are looking for marketers with broad and more commercial skills, advertising for, eg. a Digital Marketer/SEO Specialist, may not deliver these broader capabilities.

Digital is not an island. It is important, absolutely, but digital is a channel within the expanded modern marketing mix. Digital skills and competencies are interdependent on existing and traditional paradigms like the 4Ps. The best marketers still require traditional marketing skills and competencies.

Hence we see the emergence of the T or M shaped marketers (sometimes also called full stack or growth marketers). Where a strong understanding of all aspects of marketing strategy is supported with deep knowledge in one (or more) specific disciplines. This is marketing driven by the customer and provides the ability to deliver the desired experience regardless of where or how the customer interacts with your organisation.

Be clear – skills and competencies should be your #1 priority

The key to finding the right talent for your team is to focus on the core skills and competencies required for the role. What are the objectives they must meet and the results they must deliver? Ensure you are clear on all the competencies they must have to achieve these outcomes. And, therefore, what skills and behaviours must candidates demonstrate?

Start their learning & development at the hiring process

Carrying out simple psychometric testing during the interview process provides an assessment of a candidate's verbal, numerical and abstract reasoning. Abstract reasoning offers a good indication of their learning ability, or their ability to learn and adapt to new situations.

Learning agility is an essential competence for any role, says Jacqui Barratt, regardless of level. It can be a better indicator of success than straight experience and is a crucial identifier of top talent. One example of a simple tool you can use is Psytech’s GRT2 cognitive assessment tool.

With an understanding of their potential at the interview stage, you can help identify your preferred candidate and start working on their development from the start. Candidates will see you as a top employment prospect, and you'll have a more definite plan to fill in the skills gaps in a manageable timeframe.

It’s time to take back your employment brand

Are you managing your employment brand like you do your company brand? Candidates (especially those with a millennial mindset) will find out the real story about your company. They want authenticity, not spin. You need to ensure the reality is consistent with the (recruitment) story you or your HR team are pitching. Your employment brand is a critical customer-facing marketing activity. If you haven’t already, it’s time to step up in your organisation and be part of this culture conversation.

As a marketing leader, every day should be an opportunity to prospect for potential new talent. Building your talent pipeline takes time and authenticity, just like your lead generation programme. Add it into your calendar – get out and talk to people.

Look for new opportunities for learning & development

Employees change roles when they feel disengaged and unappreciated. The reasons for making the jump are varied, but according to this 2018 survey by Marketing Week, better remuneration, new challenges, better culture, and career advancement opportunities are just some of the drivers for change.

Salaries, promotions and company culture are not always easy to fix, but as marketing leaders, we can always be looking for ways to develop and grow staff. Offering formal learning opportunities like courses and online training or look at providing new project work to expand skills and test their limits can help increase tenure. We’ll cover this more in our next blog post.

In 2019 you can reasonably expect that staff will look to move companies, or roles, every two to three years. The more flexible you can be in your employment and commitment to their development, the longer this tenure will be. It is just the way of the world - plan for it, expect it, deal with it. Effective planning for, and flexibility in, your recruitment is critical to finding the best marketing talent and keeping them for longer is to be. Whom you recruit; what you can offer them; how they work for you; how long you expect them to stay.

Next time:

How can you identify the required marketing skill and capability for your team? What are the competencies and behaviours you should be seeking? And what are some practical solutions for development that can set you apart from the rest?