Is Top Executive Talent Losing Interest Because of Your Interview Process?

Companies are at risk of losing top executive level candidates within the first two weeks of the interview process. Best in class employers, like Google, Facebook, and Apple have seen and adapted to the new realities of talent acquisition. If your company is looking to hire top talent at the executive level you will have to adapt or be willing to settle for B players. The demand for executive-level marketing talent currently far outstrips supply.

As the top marketing executive search firm, we are seeing this play out on a daily basis at MarketPro. Once we have vetted top talent to make sure they have the competency to exceed expectations in addition to being a great culture and leadership fit, we present them to you as an A player. If we believe they are top talent, it is unlikely we are the only ones. By introducing them to possibilities and strongly encouraging them to update their resume, we have put them in the job market.

In many cases, after the candidate is aware that their skill set is a need in the market, they will become curious as to who in addition to us or you might be interested in their skills and background. This is when companies who move slowly through the interview process or are hesitant to make decisions are losing top candidates to their competitors. If their competitors understand the shift in how quickly the hiring process is moving currently at the executive level, they will be able to hire a senior-level person in as little as two weeks. This process includes multiple rounds of interviews, testing, reference checking, offer, negotiation, and acceptance.

Therefore, setting up the interview process is the most important step. You need to determine if your company is long overdue for a change. Companies with the best talent will always win. Fortunately, MarketPro has defined solutions to the most common mistakes companies make during the process:

Consider Who Needs to Be Involved in the Interview Process

Whether the position is for a Chief Marketing Officer or a Director level role, you and your company will need to have the process laid out in detail ahead of the recruiting process. Typically, top companies have between 4 – 6 interviewers depending on the level of the position. It is very important to note that interviewees should never be interviewed by employees that will work under them. Fundamentally, their thought process, motivations, and goals are going to be different than a CMO or CEO. Adding this voice into the interview process can be detrimental to the success of your next marketing executive search.

Don’t Make This Mistake When Interviewing

How to Set up Interview Process for Marketing Executives

The process for a management position should differ from the process for a CMO. Regardless, the quicker you interview and select a candidate the more advantages you have over competitors. You need to keep in mind the time and effort each candidate will put into the process. Truthfully, a candidate will most likely not pursue the job position if the process is too long and they are comfortable with the current position they hold. Candidates are not looking to invest time to interview for months just to get to the end and find a company that is afraid to make a decision.

For that reason, it has become the best practice to complete hiring of executive level candidates with two on-site visits. The time frame between these visits should be no more than a week apart. In particular, starting the interview process within a week after you reviewed the marketing executive’s CV is crucial. The entire process from application to signed offer letter needs to be less than thirty days to be competitive in today’s market. Having the process laid out at the beginning will help set a direct path and eliminate wasted time once the candidate becomes engaged with your team.

Top companies ensure that all the information that exists in the marketing executive interview process provides them with the insights they need to hire the right person and give the candidate the best impression possible. Details, such as making the interview process a priority and ensuring interview dates are blocked on interviewer calendars, have helped many firms hire top talent in a shorter period of time.

President of MarketPro, Bob Van Rossum, shares his intake from 2019 and the changes that need to be made for executive search in 2020:

Top Tips to Hiring the Right Marketing Executive in 2020