Four Emerging Trends In Martech Hiring In 2022
The MarTech stack of 2022 will look a little different from last year. So too are the methods and strategies of hiring marketing pros.
As marketers pull up their socks in anticipation of a cookie-less, more digital, and more energized consumer base, marketing stacks are going to need a slight overhaul.
The marketing recruitment world will have to pivot with it, with recruitment and brand-building exercises taking place to better connect with and engage marketing professionals who are expectant of high-quality employment.
But what other trends are stated to take 2022 by storm? Are there any changes to MarTech hiring that clients and candidates need to take stock of?
Marketing tools and automation
While automation is nothing new in more famous integrated industries like manufacturing, automation is also a rapidly adopted piece of MarTech software, with “more than half of companies already using at least one marketing automation tool.”
While automation of recruitment relationships between employer and candidate should never be condoned (after all, the industry is built on relationships and trust), a lot of the powerful brand building and EVP communication can be automated, either through boosts to content marketing, automated ads, or even lead generation.
In practice, this can sometimes mean you hybridize your communications with candidates within the funnel, with Accelerate Agency stating, “72% of consumers state they only engage with personalized messages. With an automated process, personalized emails can be sent at particular stages in the buying cycle or triggered by a specific customer action”.
Automation can also keep your warm leads warm - as all recruiters know, maintaining a generous lead database of connected talent waiting for the right opportunity is vital for long-term client support. Therefore, automating connectedness between recruiter/client and candidate is essential for lean months and vital when you’re ready to pull the trigger on hiring.
The focus on agile talent
It is unrealistic of employers to think they can pull a MarTech Stack developer out of thin air. MarTech pros are hybrid tech-communicators who are savvy enough to understand integrated tech (whiffs of DevOps and data analyst about the role) and gifted communicators and trendsetters (akin to driven ad professionals or social media influencers).
Our advice is to focus on agility: you may not get every MarTech skill set embodied in your candidate, but if they have the desire and essential skill set to learn how, where, and why to bring new tools into the MarTech mix, then you’re onto a winner.
This parallels other industries suffering staff shortages - accountants can be crafted into Tax Managers; retail staff can be switched into tele-health administrators. Cross-industry skills need to be augmented, and your hiring practices need to be open-minded and focused on growth, potential and brand connection.
Streamlined Applications and Interviews
The biggest complaint about recruitment practice is that the process takes too long. It’s wise advice - in such a candidate-driven recruitment market hesitation can cost you talent.
While we advocate for specialist skills testing where appropriate, we advise brands to deliver faster processes that work for this more selective application market. Candidates are being more choosy and more definitive about the brands that both reflect their values and attract them as professionals.
The most effective way to streamline a job application is to get the basics right, react fast, and engage honestly.
Write an exciting, engaging, informative, brand-led job ad - Make sure your job advert is not only accurate in needs but talks up your brand. This will often be the first branded document a candidate will ever read regarding you - don’t you want it to shine?
React fast - if the candidate looks good, but you have questions about their suitability, pull the trigger. Ring them immediately build rapport as fast as possible because if you don’t, someone else will. Answer their questions, and get them to answer yours. It shows interest in their skills and your requirements for them.
Engage honestly - if a MarTech candidate asks why the vacancy is free, tell them. If they want to know how much autonomy they will get, be honest. There is nothing wrong with putting it all out there and letting the candidate make a judgment call on day 1. As the great resignation showed, employers who prevaricate over retention strategy, workflow, hiring or culture lose talent. Often this is caused by employers who are unconfident about sharing their needs.
Finally, Pay Properly!
Financial hubris will not win the day. In our post-COVID world, candidates want to be paid properly. They demand it. They know they can get it and will not balk at asking for it. Median salaries are not enough - you need to compete with the market.
It’s all about setting boundaries of expectations - how and why you define labor costs - and how you plan a candidate's career in the context of salary and seniority.
Research shows that the main cause of poor recruitment and retention in many tech spheres is bad salary packages or out of date pay bandings.
Consider the following:
Tech salaries spiked by as much as 14% in metro areas of the USA,
55% of the employers listed employee dissatisfaction with pay as the leading cause for attrition,
45% of people leave their job due to a lack of opportunities for advancement, and 59% accept a new job for a strong career path with more opportunities.
