Many companies in the UAE are looking for digital marketers. For some, it’s a completely new area to hire in. We, folks from digital, are a bit different from more traditional roles you have been hiring before. If you want to make sure, your first digital hire won’t be just someone using fancy buzzwords, consider the following five tips.
Self-Education Beats Traditional Schools
Development in digital marketing is so fast that traditional education systems usually struggle with providing knowledge and skills we need. That’s why the university diploma won’t probably tell you if the candidate is good fit or not. For me, it is more important to see if the candidate follows the latest trends in digital on her own. Does she read blogs or listen to podcasts? Who does she follow on social media and why? Ask about names and what was the latest they learnt from it.
Digital Certificates Are Basics
Everyone can get individual certificate from Google Academy for Ads or Facebook Blueprint. Such a certificate shows that the candidate understands the basics principles and what’s more important – that she is motivated enough to invest time to finish those certifications. However, those certificates are like a driving license – it means you can drive a car, but it doesn’t say how fast or safely you can do it.
Look For Specific Numbers Or Tactics
Is your candidate claiming she achieved great results in Google Ads? Great, ask her for specific results or ways she achieved it. What CTR (click through rate) is she able to get? What keywords are performing best and what’s the way she structures campaigns? Is she able to describe details without long thinking? You will never check if presented numbers are right, but you can see if the candidate is confident in describing details or just bluffing.
Show Their Skills Are Where The Mouth Is
Are you hiring paid social manager or specialist and your candidate is claiming she has a great experience with campaign management? Let them shine during the interview – just borrow them your laptop and let them launch simple draft campaign for your product in Facebook Ads Manager. You will immediately see if the person is comfortable with the interface and how is she thinking about your product and promoting it. 10 minutes exercise can say more than one-hour talk.
When In Doubt, Partner
If you feel digital marketing is too much of a jungle for you and anyone can fool you with few buzzwords, find a partner who will help you with interviewing the candidate. I did many joint interviews with our clients and I know some agencies are doing it as well. Having someone with strong domain knowledge attending the interview will not only give you another pair of eyes evaluating candidates but also more credibility in their eyes.
