By Catherine Lund, Toronto Marketing Recruiter
You have a spot to fill on your marketing team. Do you hire someone internally or look outside the organization for an external candidate?
Many companies default to someone internally. They already know the candidate, and the person is familiar with the company culture and ways of operating. However, there are also potential drawbacks of hiring internally. External candidates offer a number of unique advantages internal candidates don’t offer.
Here, we will look at some of the pros and cons of hiring someone internally and externally for your marketing team.
The Advantages of Hiring Internally
Morag Cuddeford-Jones, on Marketing Week, summaries some key statistics about the advantages of hiring internally:
“There are some clear advantages to fishing in the internal pool. Three quarters (75%) of internal recruits are successful in their new roles and 47% stay for three years or more, according to research from Reed Global. Because internal recruits already know the culture, they ‘get’ the operation. A natural affinity and understanding of the brand is a money-can’t-buy attribute in a prospective marketing candidate.”
Some of the Potential Drawbacks of Hiring Internally
- You have to hire the person with the most seniority, not the best candidate
- It is easier, and as a result, becomes the defacto decision
- You may not be hiring the best candidate for the role – you could be missing out on better candidates external to the company
- You get more of the same thing – lack of a fresh perspective
The Advantage of Hiring External Candidates
The marketing industry moves quickly. New technology, tactics, and best practices come to light all the time. Often companies don’t have the time or resources to continue to train internally. Hiring a qualified external candidate can help you make up for skill and experience gaps quickly and effectively.
Here are some additional benefits of hiring an external candidate:
- You increase the talent pool
- Immediately fill skill gaps
- A fresh perspective
- Innovation
- You can find the best candidate for the job
So, Should You Hire Internally or Externally?
Like most other things, you need to have a balanced approach to hiring. Consider both options to give yourself a broad talent pool. This will help you make the best hiring decision.
More Marketing Hiring Tips
How to Get Your Marketing Team to Love Your Company AND Stay
Signs a Marketing Candidate Is a Job Hopper
How to Build a Strong Marketing Team – 5 Tips for Successful Recruiting
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