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Hiring can be a stressful, resource-sucking distraction from your real work – or it can be an opportunity to revitalize your team and exceed your wildest expectations.  The difference?  Viewing your hiring processes with a critical eye – and being willing to ask tough questions.

Here are six questions every marketing manager should ask to help you manage more effectively, increase your retention rates and position you for the best hiring outcomes.

  1. Why do people leave our department? The only way to stem the inevitably high costs of employee turnover is to find out why people leave – and make an effort to address it. In exit interviews, ask departing employees what made them start looking for a new job. Use LinkedIn to find out where previous employees went and what they’re doing now.
  2. How long does it take us to hire someone new? The longer your time to hire, the more likely you’re losing the interest of the best candidates. By working with a staffing partner, you can shorten time to hire, reducing both costs and stress related to having an open position that must be “covered” by existing staff.
  3. What are we really asking for? Does your job posting accurately describe the day-to-day demands of the job? What about the culture and values your department and company support? Your job description attracts the kind of people it describes – so make sure you get it right.
  4. What are our business and marketing goals for the coming year? You, your superiors and your team to should be able to articulate these clearly. If not, chances are good your collective efforts are being squandered. Make sure everyone knows what the goals are and how to work toward them most effectively.
  5. What is our traffic goal for the next year? This question rarely gets asked in marketing, but it’s hugely important. Your traffic goal is the number of new impressions or “hits” on your website every month. Every one is a chance to create a lead, so setting a traffic goal gives you direct control over leads – and failing to set one is squandering potential contacts.
  6. What is working really well for our team right now (and what isn’t)? When you know what works and what doesn’t, you can direct employees’ efforts in more efficient directions, allowing everyone to achieve more with less effort. This, in turn, boosts morale, which has a positive “feedback” effect on productivity.

At SMR Group Ltd, our recruiters specialize in connecting the sales and marketing departments of major biotech, pharmaceutical and medical device companies with the best talent available nationwide. Contact us today to learn more.


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