Our Product Practice started in 2016 and has expanded to include an entire team of Recruiters, Researchers, and Ops/Support to make the magic happen on the tough-to-find hires our firm is engaged to recruit for.
We asked our Product Marketing Recruiters for their top three tips tech leaders need to know when it comes to recruiting and interviewing Product Marketing talent, and here’s what they had to say:
Org Structure & Resources
Be ready to discuss the resources and cross-collaboration available to the Product Marketer to help them deliver impactful GTM and launch strategies.
Your candidates may want to understand:
- How early or mature is your marketing team?
- Is there a budget they will be responsible for?
- Will the Product Marketing Manager be required to create their own content? How is other content generated?
- How does the product get to customers? Are the sales channels direct or through partnerships?
- Does the sales side of the business buy into the product marketing function? Are they open to partnering on sales enablement, and how are co-marketing/sales dollars spent?
Professional Growth
There is a widely held opinion by Product Marketing Managers that “once a Product Marketing Manager, always a Product Marketing Manager.”
Many feel overlooked for advancement opportunities because so few companies have defined product marketing leadership roles, choosing instead to have a marketing leader with a generalist or growth-focused marketing background. So be ready to address the “advancement opportunities” question.
Even if it’s too early to tell whether the candidate you’re interviewing would qualify for progression, having a narrative ready about other employees who have been promoted or the environment you foster to promote learning and professional development may be the difference between a job offer being accepted or declined.
Onboarding
A strong and well-thought-out onboarding of a new Product Marketing Manager is critical for ensuring they can contribute to the organization as soon as possible. The very basics of effective onboarding include:
- Providing a thorough product overview
- Introducing them to the team and stakeholders
- Sharing all of the assets, collateral, and documents to help the new hire understand the products’ current positioning and messaging
Providing the final shortlisted candidate with a blueprint of their onboarding plan will help them see the value you and your organization have toward their success and will separate your company from the other brands you are competing against.
As product marketing-focused Recruiters, we’ve seen behind the curtain the reasons why some companies have an almost 100% acceptance rate while others struggle to land a hire. Implementing the three tips above will help you attract and close the top talent you are after.