Finding and Keeping the Best
Success in marketing isn't about bigger budgets or newer technology—it's about people. As marketing spans more channels and tools than ever, the difference between companies that excel and those that struggle comes down to talent. The best marketers blend creativity with data skills, strategic thinking with hands-on execution, and fresh ideas with practical results.
Finding these people is more complicated than ever. Marketing skills evolve faster than most training programs can teach them. Companies often offer unsustainable salaries or poach competitors' staff, creating a costly cycle that ultimately helps no one.
There's a smarter approach. Instead of just hunting for talent, what if you built a workplace where the best marketers actually want to join and stay?
Remember when a clever slogan and an eye-catching design were enough? Those days are gone. Modern marketing teams need people who can:
• Turn data into valuable insights that drive decisions
• Create content people want to engage with
• Work effectively across multiple platforms while keeping brand messaging consistent
• Balance short-term results with long-term brand growth
• Quickly learn and apply new tools before competitors do
The marketing profession has transformed completely. Today's roles often require a blend of technical understanding, psychological insight, data analysis abilities, and storytelling skills—sometimes in the same position.
This shift changes what "top talent" really means. The best marketers in 2025 aren't just idea people—they bring skills that traditionally belonged to multiple separate departments.
Standard hiring methods don't work well anymore. Posting typical job ads on popular sites often brings hundreds of average applicants instead of the exceptional few you need. Here's a better approach:
1. Look Where Others Don't
While everyone else fights for attention on LinkedIn, visionary marketing leaders look in unexpected places:
• Creative communities: Sites like Behance and Dribbble show who can combine visual skills with technical knowledge
• Professional chat groups: Private Slack channels where marketers discuss what works
• Marketing competitions: Events where talented people solve real problems under pressure
• Content creators: People who've built their audiences already know how to market effectively
Some savvy companies have discovered top-performing marketers through social platforms like TikTok and Instagram, where talented individuals create educational content that demonstrates their skills in action—often without looking for employment opportunities.
2. Test Real Skills, Not Just Resumes
Resumes only tell you what people claim they've done. Instead of trusting these self-reports, see their skills in action:
• Show them an underperforming campaign and ask how they'd fix it
• Give them actual marketing data to analyse (with sensitive information removed)
• Assign small projects that mirror actual work they'd do
• Work together on a task instead of just asking interview questions
Research shows that companies that replace standard interviews with hands-on projects often see significantly higher success rates in their hiring. People who frequently perform well in artificial interview settings don't deliver the same results when facing marketing challenges.
3. Value Adaptability Over Specific Tools
Today's popular marketing tools might be outdated next year. Rather than looking for experts in specific platforms, find people who can learn quickly:
• How well have they handled changes in previous roles?
• Do they regularly learn new skills on their own?
• Can they apply what they know across different situations?
• Are they curious about new trends?
Industry experts consistently recommend hiring for adaptability over specialised expertise. Someone who has successfully navigated multiple marketing disciplines in a few years typically makes a better long-term hire than someone who has focused narrowly on a single specialty for a decade—especially as automation and AI continue to reshape the marketing landscape.
Great marketers want more than good pay—they want places where they can do excellent work. Companies that attract top talent create workplaces where skilled people naturally want to be.
1. Give Freedom Within Clear Boundaries
The best marketing happens when creativity meets strategy. Top performers hate micromanagement but thrive when given:
• Clear goals with measurable results
• Freedom to try different approaches
• Quick feedback to help them improve
• The resources they need to succeed
Organizations that set quarterly goals and then give their teams autonomy in reaching them report significant improvements in both creativity and results. This approach stands in contrast to approval-heavy corporate structures—and that's exactly why it works. The best marketers seek environments where ideas can flourish without unnecessary red tape.
2. Make Learning Part of the Job
The best marketers know they must keep learning or fall behind. They're drawn to companies that make learning part of daily work:
• Set aside work time for trying new ideas
• Create ways for team members to share knowledge
• Pay for courses and certifications
• Recognise learning efforts even when projects don't succeed
Companies that transform routine meetings into learning sessions report significant improvements in team culture and retention. When team members regularly share new marketing techniques or tools they've explored, knowledge spreads organically, and the team becomes more adaptable.
3. Show How Work Makes a Difference
Top marketers want more than metrics and bonuses—they want meaningful work. Companies that connect marketing efforts to real impact build stronger loyalty:
• Share stories from customers about how marketing helped them
• Show clearly how marketing work supports the company's mission
• Let teams help choose causes the company supports
• Recognise more than just the numbers in performance reviews
Studies show that marketing team engagement measurably improves when companies invite customers to share how products or services have helped their businesses. Seeing the real human impact of their work creates a deeper connection to the company and its mission than metrics alone can provide.
Finding excellent marketers means little if they leave quickly. With most marketing professionals staying less than two years in a role, companies constantly lose valuable knowledge and relationships. The organisations that succeed focus on keeping their best people.
1. Create Personal Growth Paths
Top performers leave when they stop growing. Innovative companies create customised development opportunities:
• Show possible moves across the organisation, not just promotions
• Assign challenging projects that build new skills
• Make it easy to move between different teams and roles
• Connect promising employees with senior mentors
Forward-thinking marketing departments are abandoning traditional career ladders in favour of more flexible "career maps" with multiple paths based on individual interests and strengths. Companies implementing this approach often see significant increases in employee retention, with some reporting average tenure increases from under 2.5 years to over 4.5 years.
2. Recognize Good Work, Not Just Pay for It
While fair pay is essential, recognition often drives more profound commitment. Effective recognition:
• Highlights specific achievements instead of generic praise
• Comes from teammates as well as managers
• Happens when the work is done, not just at review time
• Includes both public recognition and private appreciation
Programs that allow team members to nominate colleagues who made meaningful contributions have proven especially effective. When these accomplishments are shared widely within the organisation, it creates visibility and motivation that financial incentives alone cannot match.
3. Foster Real Connections
In today's remote work world, the casual relationships that once formed naturally now need deliberate attention. Companies keeping their best marketers make relationship-building a priority:
• Set aside time specifically for team members to connect personally
• Create projects that bring different departments together
• Connect newer employees with experienced mentors
• Bring remote teams together in person occasionally
Research consistently shows that companies investing in quarterly in-person gatherings focused on connection rather than work tasks see substantial returns on this investment. The creative collaborations that emerge from these relationship-building opportunities frequently drive the most innovative projects and contribute significantly to employee satisfaction and retention.
Marketing has changed completely, forcing companies to rethink how they find, develop, and keep great talent. Those sticking with old hiring methods face constant turnover and mediocre results.
The companies building tomorrow's marketing success stories take a different approach. They look for talent in unexpected places, test for what matters, and create workplaces where excellence happens naturally. They understand that while tools and tactics change constantly, having the right people is their lasting advantage.
The real question isn't whether you can afford to change your approach to marketing talent—it's whether you can afford not to.
