Sherpa: What are the key concerns marketers have when considering a job offer? Is it stability? Money?
Harry: Those things matter, but nothing matters more than the opportunity itself. The most business-oriented marketers want to be able to contribute something lasting and meaningful to their company and its customers. And it's really important for recruiters to know how this can be accomplished.
I spend just as much time cultivating relationships with talented marketers as I do courting great clients. I'm not sure every recruiter appreciates this, but their candidates are an extension of their value proposition. Bad marriages create more ill-will for recruiters than just about anything. And good marriages can generate a lifetime of referral-rich business.
The only way recruiters are going to survive in a Google world is to work with candidates who are so unbelievably great that our fees are lost in the rounding of the tangible value that these candidates create for our clients.
Having said that, these "rock star" marketers understand that truly effective CEOs manage an organization as nature would: With neither malice nor pity. In these performance-based cultures, the only job stability comes from happy customers.
So the $64 question when considering an offer is this: "Will this position allow me to touch customers in a way that is relevant, measurable, and controllable (by me)?"
If the answer is YES -- then the candidate should ask herself "Would I want my child to work for this hiring manager?" That question will help the candidate objectively assess the leadership style of the hiring manager and envision what life will be like in the new job.
Beyond that, marketers may ask: Is the company's culture growth oriented? Does the job allow me to leverage my strengths? Will the job challenge me to grow over time? Find out what the average marketer's career-span is for the company and project ahead. I had a top candidate tell me one time that he wanted to leave his company of six years because he wasn't sure if he had gotten six years experience once – or three year’s experience twice. He likened his job to the Bill Murray movie "Groundhog Day." Can you imagine?
More Q&A later. For previously posted portions of my interview with MarketingSherpa, please click here.
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Q: Need the number of a recruiter who "gets it?"
A: Download Harry's contact info for future reference.