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Hiring a top marketing candidate is a big task with big consequences for your company and its success. When you have multiple “top candidates” to choose from, how do you go about determining which ones will perform best on the job – or offer the best “fit” with the top performers you already have?

Here are six high-impact questions to ask when interviewing marketing candidates:

  1. How will you identify problems and opportunities on the job? The best candidates’ answers will do more than just address the question. They’ll also offer a concrete, step-by-step explanation of the candidate’s thinking process, as well as insight into what the candidate sees as “problems” and “opportunities.” A top candidate will leave you confident that he or she possesses a keen eye for potential marketing challenges and the skills to turn them into opportunities.
  2. What trends do you foresee in marketing in our industry in the next three to five years? How is business likely to change as a result? Marketing candidates aren’t just in the business of making educated guesses about the future; they’re also in the business of creating it. A focused answer to this question demonstrates that a candidate is keenly aware of the challenges faced by companies in your field and what the range of available responses is likely to be.
  3. What steps would you take to become an expert in an area you’re unfamiliar with? A candidate who has a plan for picking up new subject areas quickly will also be likely to adapt quickly to learning the ropes in a new marketing position, including adapting to a new work environment and to your company’s business practices. Candidates who are self-directed learners also grow more quickly and fully, preparing themselves to anticipate changes and opportunities.
  4. Based on what you know about our company/department/team, what changes would you make if you were in charge? Very few candidates are one hundred percent satisfied with the status quo, especially if they work in a field that encourages its practitioners to “push the envelope.” Top performers not only have the marketing skills to move your business forward, but to spot potential problems that could be holding it back.
  5. If you were to start tomorrow, what would your plan of attack be for the first sixty days? The first sixty days are among the most crucial for success in any job. A candidate who is serious about doing well in a marketing position will have a plan for learning the ropes, connecting with the team, and identifying projects that leverage the candidate’s skills fully.
  6. What are the best approaches for managing you? A candidate’s answer to this question allows you to evaluate two things. First, it gives you an idea how well the candidate knows his or her own work style, including how to encourage his or her strengths and how to help support the candidate’s weaknesses. Second, it reveals whether the candidate will be a good “fit” by helping you determine whether you can supply the sort of support the candidate needs.

At SMR Group, our recruiters specialize in connecting pharmaceutical, biotech, and medical companies with the qualified sales and marketing professionals they need to thrive in any economy. Contact us today to learn more.


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