Why does hiring marketers fail so often? Mistakes that cost time and budget
Hiring marketers rarely fails because there are no competent candidates on the market. Much more often, the problem lies with companies that can't clearly define who they are looking for and for what tasks. As a result, they hire people who don't match their real needs, and they feel the consequences of those decisions for months.
In our conversation with Weronika Szatan on the SUURowo o marketingu podcast, we look at why recruitment in marketing so often doesn't work and what companies can do to stop repeating the same costly mistakes.
Watch the conversation (in Polish).
Full episode of the SUURowo o marketingu podcast.
Recruitment starts earlier than most companies assume
One of the basic mistakes is starting recruitment without first analysing the job. Companies know they need a marketer, but they can't answer precisely what tasks that person will do day to day.
Weronika points out that before a job ad is written, the scope of duties should be described in detail: both recurring tasks and non-standard situations, responsibilities and the goals the new person will be accountable for. Only on that basis can the required competences be defined sensibly.
Without this stage, it's very easy to write an ad that looks good on paper but has little to do with the reality of working in a marketing team.
Hiring marketers without subject-matter knowledge is a big risk
Marketing is one of those fields where it's very easy to mistake good self-presentation for real skills. Professional jargon, buzzwords and confidence in speaking can make an impression, especially when the company has no one who can ask the right questions and assess whether the proposed activities make sense. In that situation, hiring decisions are based more on impressions than on facts, and the risk of a bad hire grows.
Weronika stresses that in such situations it's worth getting external support or involving someone who really knows the field. Without this verification, companies often end up hiring someone who talks well about marketing but struggles to deliver real results.
The marketing ninja doesn't exist
Marketing job ads are often full of terms like ninja, rockstar or jack of all trades. The problem is that such roles don't exist in practice.
A generalist can work well at a very early stage of a company's growth, when the team is small and the needs are broad. As the organisation grows, however, the lack of specialisation starts to limit the effectiveness of marketing.
Weronika recommends clearly separating key competences, additional competences and skills that can be learned on the job in recruitment ads. This division clarifies expectations and makes it easier for candidates to judge whether the role is really for them.
A job ad is for the candidate, not the company
One of the most underrated elements of recruitment is the language of the job ads themselves. It's worth realising as soon as possible that candidates don't apply to companies, but to offers that clearly respond to their needs, questions and concerns.
Yet many ads start with a long history of the organisation, which is of little value to a candidate at the start. What really decides whether someone clicks "apply" are specifics: the scope of tasks, expectations, the working model, the salary range and a clear description of the recruitment process. Only when these are clear does natural curiosity about the company itself appear.
A good ad doesn't have to be short, but it should be logical, specific and clear. Candidates should know what to expect before they decide to apply.
Pre-screening and selection are two different stages
The conversation clearly highlights the difference between pre-screening and selection. Pre-screening aims to filter out candidates who don't meet the basic criteria and can be supported by forms or closed questions.
Selection is a stage that requires conversations, analysis and real engagement on both sides. Weronika stresses that AI-based tools can support pre-screening, but they shouldn't replace human decisions at later stages.
Marketing has changed. Recruitment tasks have to change too
Recruitment tasks still make sense, but in times of widespread access to AI tools they need to be designed more deliberately. Short tasks are easy to generate automatically, so they don't show real competences.
Better options are live tasks, paid tasks when more work is involved, or case studies that let you assess how someone thinks and makes decisions, not just the final result.
Experience or just a narrative? Use behavioural questions
Marketing attracts communicative, confident people, so hypothetical questions often don't give reliable answers. Behavioural questions about specific situations from the past are much more effective.
Asking about details, decisions and consequences quickly shows whether a candidate really has the experience they claim.
Onboarding is a continuation of recruitment
The recruitment process doesn't end on the day the contract is signed. The first weeks of work are a further stage of checking how well the candidate fits the team and the organisation.
Weronika stresses the importance of clearly defined expectations, a mentor's support and conversations about working and communication style. The probation period shouldn't be a formality, but a conscious part of the process.
You need data, not intuition
The best recruitment processes in marketing are consistent, transparent and measurable. The competences checked during interviews should later be verified in practice, during onboarding. When problems arise, the first step must be a constructive conversation and feedback, not jumping to conclusions.
As Weronika Szatan stresses, recruitment is not a formality or an administrative task, but one of a company's most important investments: without the right people, marketing doesn't deliver results, regardless of the strategy or budget.
Want marketing that works for your business?
We design and deliver B2B marketing - from strategy, content and social media to personal branding and marketing outsourcing.