How to improve your recruitment process for marketing and communications talent

Many financial services employers assume hiring challenges are caused by a shortage of marketing talent. In reality, recruitment processes are often a major part of the problem. 
 
While there’s no shortage of professionals in the market, the strongest candidates typically have multiple options. Long processes, unrealistic expectations and poor candidate experiences can quickly cause businesses to lose talent to competitors. 
 
Improving your recruitment process more than reducing time-to-hire. It’s about creating a hiring experience that reflects the realities of today’s market and helps attract top talent.

Start with your employer brand

Before reviewing interview stages or assessment processes, it’s worth considering what candidates see when they look at your organisation. 
 
Marketing professionals are naturally interested in brand awareness, messaging and reputation. They will often review your website, LinkedIn presence, leadership team and employee reviews before deciding whether to engage with an opportunity. 
 
If your external brand feels outdated, inconsistent or unclear, candidates may question how marketing is viewed internally and whether the function has genuine influence within the business. 
 
Strong employer branding can help organisations stand out in a competitive market and improve engagement with both active and passive candidates. LinkedIn’s research on employer branding highlights the significant impact that employer reputation can have on attracting and retaining talent.

Review your job description

Many hiring challenges start before the recruitment process has even begun. 
 
Job descriptions often become a wish list of technical skills, sector expertise and channel experience that few candidates realistically possess. 
 
We regularly see organisations looking for professionals who can lead digital marketing strategy, manage SEO, oversee paid media, drive content creation, run email marketing campaigns, implement artificial intelligence tools and manage a team simultaneously.  

As highlighted in McKinsey’s State of AI report, organisations are continuing to expand the use of AI across business functions, increasing expectations on marketing teams and leaders. 
 
The result is often a prolonged search with very few suitable candidates. 
 
Instead, focus on the capabilities that are genuinely critical to success in the role. Consider which skills can be developed after joining and where there is flexibility around sector experience. 
 
Employers that prioritise strategic thinking, analytical thinking and problem-solving abilities often gain access to a much broader talent pool.

Look beyond the unicorn candidate

One of the most common hiring mistakes is searching for a candidate who does not realistically exist. 
 
The best marketing professionals rarely tick every box. 
 
Rather than focusing on finding a perfect match, consider whether a candidate can achieve the business goals of the role. Strong marketers often have transferable skills across channels and industries, even if they haven’t worked in an identical environment before. 
 
Balancing technical skills with soft skills, leadership capability and commercial awareness often leads to stronger hiring outcomes.

Review your interview process

Strong candidates are increasingly selective about where they invest their time. 
 
Processes that involve multiple interview stages, lengthy delays between meetings or changing requirements can create frustration and uncertainty. 
 
Ask yourself: 

• Is every interview stage necessary? 
• Are decision-makers aligned before the process begins? 
• Are we assessing the right capabilities? 
• Are we providing timely feedback? 
• Can we make decisions more quickly?

 
Interview questions should assess more than technical expertise. Employers should also explore strategic thinking, cultural fit, stakeholder management and a candidate’s ability to use performance data to influence decision-making. 
 
A streamlined recruitment process often improves both candidate experience and hiring outcomes.

Be clear about the opportunity

Candidates want to understand more than just the responsibilities of a role. 
 
They are also assessing:

• Career progression opportunities 
• Team structure 
• Leadership support 
• Company culture 
• Business performance 
• Strategic priorities 
• Work-life balance 
• Hybrid working expectations

The more clearly you can articulate these factors, the easier it becomes for candidates to evaluate the opportunity and commit to the process.

Improve communication and onboarding

Poor communication remains one of the biggest frustrations for candidates. 
 
Long periods without updates can damage engagement and create doubts about the organisation. 
 
Even when there is no significant update to share, regular communication helps maintain momentum and demonstrates professionalism. 
 
The experience should not end when an offer is accepted. Effective onboarding plays an important role in helping new hires integrate quickly, understand expectations and begin contributing to business goals. Gallup’s guidance on creating a better onboarding process shows how strong onboarding can improve engagement and long-term performance. 
 
Candidate experience has become an increasingly important part of employer branding, particularly within specialist marketing communities.

Work with the realities of the market

Hiring expectations that were achievable three or four years ago may no longer reflect current market conditions. 
 
Compensation, flexibility, reporting lines and role scope all influence candidate decision-making. 
 
The strongest marketing leaders, including Marketing Directors, are often looking for more than salary alone. They want opportunities to shape strategy, influence growth and contribute to long-term business success. 
 
Organisations that regularly benchmark against the market and remain open to adjusting requirements are often more successful than those that remain fixed on an ideal profile. 
 
Partnering with a specialist recruitment agency can also provide valuable market insight, helping businesses understand candidate expectations, talent acquisition trends and competitor activity.

Recruitment is part of your employer brand

Every interaction a candidate has with your organisation shapes their perception of the business. 
 
The most successful financial services employers view recruitment as an extension of their employer brand. They communicate clearly, move efficiently and focus on realistic hiring criteria. 
 
In a market where strong marketing talent has choices, a well-designed recruitment marketing strategy can be the difference between securing top candidates and losing them to a competitor. 
 
By focusing on candidate experience, realistic job descriptions, effective onboarding and a streamlined recruitment process, businesses can improve hiring outcomes and build stronger marketing and communications teams for the future.