Ever since COVID-19, the modern workforce has entered a new era. Hybrid work, remote work, work-from-home — these are just some of the common phrases we’re all accustomed to post-pandemic, and for some, it’s even a requirement during one’s job hunt nowadays. Gone are the traditional ways of working, as marketing campaigns can now be executed on the go, brainstorm sessions conducted on virtual whiteboards, and marketing teams can even hold meetings from their cozy nooks at home or in cafes.
Remote work is here to stay
In Singapore, the shift towards remote work has been significant, especially with the latest launch of new guidelines on flexible work arrangements. Coming into effect this December, all employers have to establish processes for workers to make formal requests for flexible work arrangements and communicate their decision within two months of a request. (Source: CNA)
Businesses are now navigating a new landscape where flexibility is prioritized. So what does this mean for you as a marketer or your marketing team? It is key for both marketing professionals and agencies alike to adapt while still maintaining overall employee productivity and robust, quality output. To balance this out with remote work is one of the more unique challenges you may face in managing your team. Whether you’re experimenting with a hybrid working arrangement, or transitioning to a fully remote setup, understanding their impacts is crucial.
3 key implications for marketing recruitment and team management
1. Geographically expand your talent pool
One of the biggest advantages of remote work is the ability to tap into a global talent pool. No longer constrained by geographic boundaries, companies can now broaden their talent pool to hire the best marketing professionals from around the world.
There is far greater potential besides being able to geographically broaden your talent pool. This expansion allows you to employ marketers with culturally diverse backgrounds which in turn, increases the diversity of ideas and perspectives within teams. Just take a look at Swedish-based milk company Oatly’s web series “THE NEW NORM&AL SHOW”. As one of Oatly’s biggest productions to date, the campaign was launched across Europe and Australia. To encourage the adoption of plant-based lifestyles, they created episodes in both German and English to target both the local and international markets, thus boosting their digital marketing efforts. The campaign went on to launch pop-ups and other forms of media marketing across print, display, and audio.
By adapting their original content to a specific locale, this ensures cultural relevance for global consumers. With a culturally diverse team, there is always a greater likelihood that your localized marketing strategy will be exceedingly effective and culturally appropriate. Additionally, businesses may also find it easier to source and hire for niche skills that may not be available locally. For instance, a company looking for an SEO expert for the North Asia market can now easily hire a professional based in that region.
More often than not, a multicultural approach for marketing campaigns can greatly help to drive favourable business outcomes. This ushers in new perspectives and helps to enrich team dynamics and creativity within your marketing team.
2. Reevaluate your recruitment strategies
If you are considering implementing a hybrid work model, it will require you to rethink your current recruitment strategies. A 2023 survey shows that 73% of the younger workforce in Singapore — Gen Zers and millennials — prefer remote over in-person work. And that is indeed a large number. As the hybrid work model becomes more popular, this model requires a different approach to recruitment.
While technical skills and past experiences remain key factors, there’s no better time than now to place emphasis on a good cultural fit for your team when you’re interviewing potential candidates. Assessing them based on their soft skills should also influence your hiring decisions, in order to determine their adaptability and self-awareness of different social and cultural cues. It is necessary for marketing professionals to be comfortable with both virtual and in-person collaboration, whether it be with the team or facing a client, and hence they must be able to perform in a flexible work structure.
For instance, many marketing agency collaborations or client presentations these days can take place fully online and that requires strong communication skills — both written and verbal — to be able to articulate their ideas clearly and concisely. This is especially so if they have to work closely with team members based in different locations. On this note, remote marketers need to be excellent team players to ensure effective collaboration among colleagues and other crucial stakeholders, in order to reduce any chances of misunderstandings.
Tech-savviness is yet another essential skill to look out for when hiring marketing talent as digital marketing is among the fastest growing in-demand skills and the industry is expected to be worth $1.5 trillion by 2030. Your next marketing hire needs to have a strong grasp of digital tools and platforms, and be proficient in utilizing project management software or other marketing technologies that facilitate marketing efforts and remote collaboration. Furthermore, they need to leverage the power of digital tools, understand everchanging online consumer behaviour and be proficient in online tasks that can vary from content creation, to social media engagement and data analysis.
To assess a candidate’s suitability for a hybrid role, consider various interview components. You may want to start off with a virtual interview to gauge their remote communication skills and familiarity with digital marketing tools. Next, follow-up with an in-person interview to evaluate how they interact and engage in a face-to-face setting. Overall, this provides a comprehensive view of how the candidate will likely navigate and adapt in different work environments.
3. Switch up your management style and organization
In the near future, marketing roles could become global digital jobs that can be performed remotely from anywhere and this number is expected to continue to rise. (Source: World Economic Forum)
To prepare for this, traditional management styles need to evolve by taking into account the changes that come with remote work. You will have to manage your team or employees differently when you no longer have face-to-face interactions with them on a daily basis. Leaders must learn to foster a culture of trust and accountability such that the end goal is focused on outcomes, rather than trying (and struggling) to micromanage.
Tap on innovative tech tools that help you project manage virtually, such as Trello and Asana, which in turn can streamline workflow and processes. Most of these tools even come with templates to help you monitor team goals, track all your digital marketing campaigns and plan out your social media calendar in advance.
In a remote work environment, the way a marketing team is structured can also significantly impact its efficiency and success. The most suitable structure depends on your specific goals. However, you should aim to specify and define the core roles and responsibilities that align with your company’s marketing objectives before organizing them into functional units that reflect your company’s marketing strategy. These units could potentially include:
1. Content and SEO
2. Social Media and Community Management
3. Brand & Creatives
4. Paid Media and Analytics
Ultimately however, besides overseeing tasks, your job is crucial in building a collaborative environment where each member will feel empowered and self-motivated.
Hiring marketers: top tips for strategic talent acquisition
Set Clear Job Descriptions and Expectations: Define roles, responsibilities and performance metrics to ensure that everyone is aligned and accountable. Be sure to clearly articulate the expectations of the job, including any specific competencies such as digital marketing, content creation or data analytics. By being transparent about your expectations upfront, you take the guesswork out of working remotely, and both parties can form mutual understanding.
Utilize Assessment Tools and Tests: To evaluate candidates’ skills and potential, you may want to implement specific, targeted tests as part of the interview process. For instance, these can include writing tests for content roles, technical assessments for SEO specialists, or creative assignments for graphic designers. They will provide you valuable insights into a candidate’s abilities, and whether their marketing expertise suits the role you’re hiring for.
Prioritize Soft Skills and Cultural Fit: While technical skills are important, they can still be learned through on-the-job training. Keep a lookout for candidates who are also able to display proficiency in soft skills such as communication, creativity, adaptability and teamwork. They can make or break remote work success. Assessing cultural fit also helps ensure that new marketing hires align with your company’s value and can thrive within your team. Consider incorporating interview techniques that combine both virtual and in-person elements to evaluate these qualities. Ultimately, you want to look out for candidates that are not only skilled in the art of marketing, but also equipped to handle the unique challenges of working remotely.
Foster a Strong, Supportive Culture: Your company culture is not tied to a physical space like the office, it’s about the people who make the team. Even remotely, there should still be resources allocated to build a strong culture that will resonate with your employees. The decision to make flexible work arrangements requests mandatory is pivotal to the progression of remote work. Therefore, you may want to highlight the unique aspects of your company culture and any specific requirements related to remote or hybrid work.
How can cmoCre8 help you find the perfect fit?
As the demand for remote work grows, so does the need for specialized recruitment services that can navigate this new landscape. At cmoCre8, we understand the intricacies of remote work and pride ourselves on our niche expertise in recruiting top marketing professionals. The end result? You will have access to the best talent in this evolving market, and be able to effectively recruit and manage a high-performing marketing team that can help to drive your business forward.
✓ Expertise in Recruiting Top Marketing Talents: We specialize in sourcing top marketing talents for you, be it remote or hybrid, ensuring you have access to the best candidates in our vast network of marketing professionals. Our experience as former Chief Marketing Officers and marketing experts allow us to provide you industry-backed insights in order to constructively screen candidates and conduct interviews with a deep understanding of the marketing industry.
✓ Customized, Consultative Approach: Our unique approach is tailored to meet your specific needs, we’re confident in identifying the relevant skills sets and talent gaps you need to hire for within your marketing team. We will review work processes and your marketing organizational structure to provide suitable recommendations that will boost your team’s efficiency.
✓ Strategic, Streamlined Process: Besides strategic guidance, we offer end-to-end support services such as conducting and coordinating interviews, to providing consultative feedback and finally, onboarding assistance and placement of the candidate. This is to ensure a smooth and seamless transition for all parties.
Need help with recruiting top marketing talent?
Look no further, we are committed to helping you find and manage top marketing talent in this new, dynamic era of remote work. Remote work has not only reshaped the workforce, but it’s also significantly reshaped perceptions toward the future of work. With our recruitment consultancy services, you can look forward to building resilient and top-notch marketing teams. Schedule a consultation with us today and discover how we can help your business thrive.
Yorumlar