Dozens of influencer marketing companies have doubled in size this year. It’s been exciting to see but a wild ride. While lots of new jobs have been created and hundreds of candidates have been hired I’ve also seen companies lose great candidates. In many instances these losses were entirely avoidable.
I’m going to break down the top 5 things I’ve learned this past year while recruiting influencer marketers.
1. Be prepared to move quickly. Chances are your chosen candidate is interviewing for other roles at the same time they’re meeting with you. If you think you have time to wait, you don’t. Act quickly and make your strongest offer ASAP.
2. Add in some “nice to have” benefits. Everyone offers health insurance, PTO and most offer a 401K. The goal is to stand out which you can do by offering unlimited PTO and a matching 401K. To stand out even more you could offer things like an educational stipend, a cell phone reimbursement, health and wellness benefits, or extended parental leave.
3. Don’t be stingy. Do your research to see what other people are offering to similar candidates. Make sure your comp package is competitive because this isn’t a time you’ll get away with being stingy. If you happen to get a candidate at a less-than-market-value-price they probably won’t last long. And when you extend an offer make it strong and don’t play games.
4. Have a path for growth. Many of the best candidates I speak with are only on the market because they feel stuck in their careers. These are people who would otherwise stay in their current role if they only had a path to grow. Needless to say, this is a huge opportunity for you. Be prepared to answer questions on a path for growth and make sure you follow through with that plan.
5. Utilize your best spokesperson. Interviewing is a specialized skill not only for the interviewer but also for the interviewees. Whether you like it or not, it’s a candidates market which means you’ll need to put your best foot forward. Coordinate with your team to ensure that your interviewing skills are on point and your interviewing process is efficient. You’ll want your best interviewer ask the right questions but you may need a different person to be the great spokesperson to sell your company.
As I continue to place more influencer marketers I’ll make sure to keep you in the know about what I learn. If you’re considering a new role feel free to fill out this short form. If you’re hiring influencer marketers you a couple of options:
- Join WIIM to post on our job board
- Reach out to my consultancy Tribe Monday to get more hands-on support.
I want to hear from you. Have you found it easy or challenging to hire in this market? Have you retained your team or have people left?
JESSY GROSSMAN
Founder of Women in Influencer Marketing and CEO of Tribe Monday
Jessy Grossman is a long time entrepreneur in the digital media space. She’s passionate about supporting women in business and being at the forefront of innovation. She’s been quoted in Forbes and was awarded a spot in the “Influencer Top 50” by Talking Influence. In less than two years she created one of the fastest growing talent agencies in the country. Amidst unprecedented growth, she sold the multi-six-figure agency and pivoted to focus on her long-time passion project: Women in Influencer Marketing (better known as WIIM). Founded in 2017, today WIIM is the premiere professional organization for those who work with influencers. The community offers networking and new business opportunities, career services, continuous education and more. Jessy also does consulting, advising and influencer marketing recruiting with her company Tribe Monday. You can find inspiring stories and more about Jessy on the WIIM Podcast. Check out iamwiim.com and tribemonday.com for more information.
