The key to any successful business is its people, so how do you grow when sourcing the right...
The key to any successful business is its people, so how do you grow when sourcing the right talent is such a challenge? In this article, expert marketing recruiter, Victoria Stokes, breaks down five steps to attract candidates and facilitate company growth.
The recruitment market is often full of scaling businesses looking to rapidly expand their marketing teams. In today's market, both job seekers and hiring managers report the hiring process being harder than ever before. Having a clear team growth plan is essential to scaling effectively.
Despite being a calmer year than recent history, in 2025, the recruitment market has continued to change. You need an effective recruitment strategy to attract talent to your job ads, and keep them engaged throughout the process.
Virtually every business in every sector is looking to grow their digital marketing teams. In recent years, the marketing industry has completely redefined itself, and teams must adapt to reach their target audience. In-demand jobs are changing rapidly as companies contend with restricted data access, emerging technologies and the growth of new social media platforms. Businesses need new hires to guarantee long-term success.
We're also seeing a number of businesses with growth at the top of their list of priorities. Companies I'm working with are keen to take on top talent, but it's hard to find qualified candidates in today's market. More job seekers are on the market than we've seen in recent history, making it increasingly difficult for hiring managers to find ideal candidates.
According to LinkedIn, while 58% of people are looking for a new job in 2025, nearly two-thirds of HR professionals say it’s become harder to find qualified talent in the last year.
Now that we've identified some of the changes in the recruitment market, here are my top 5 tips for securing great candidates...
It’s a tough climate to find great candidates. Many businesses feel pressured to lengthen interview processes to ensure they're making the right decision. However, this isn't always the right decision. With many job seekers frustrated by drawn-out application processes, companies taking this approach risk losing their ideal candidates.
Finding a trustworthy recruitment agency can help you make informed decisions about the process and the talent you're interviewing. For example, in my partnership with the original collaborator brand, Smiley, I participated in their board meetings to communicate across the company. They trusted me to define the job description and agree the budget required to hire. Our work together resulted in an excellent Digital Marketing Director hire.
Top tip: If you aren’t 100% confident your recruiter has asked the right questions to sell your company and role, then you could be hindering your chances of finding top talent. Consider the benefits of recruiters and partner with a recruiter who understands your needs.
Your intended salary budget may not buy you the level of experience it would have done 12 months ago. Right or wrong, this is the current climate and you need to prepare to compromise. Creative hiring is essential in such circumstances, so exploring unconventional recruitment methods can give you an edge. Rather than hiring someone more junior, you could:
Top tip: There are a number of benefits to contract and temporary recruitment that you might not know of. We recommend considering the differences between contract and perm before scaling your team.
Try to keep your interview process no more than three stages and create an appropriate interview task. Unless there is a super strong reason for needing more, you risk:
Top tip: If you like them then it’s highly likely a lot of other companies do, too. Moving as quickly as you can will ensure you beat your competition at the job offer stage.
The most important tip is to move quickly through your recruitment processes. With the recruitment market being company-led at the moment, candidates are applying to multiple job postings at once. The most-desired talent are likely engaged in a number of recruitment processes at the same time. If you're not the first to make an offer, you'll be back to square one.
Top tip: When you've found the candidate you love, see how you can expedite their interviews. Making this effort will tell your preferred hire that your committed to them.
A flexible work environment is high on the list of candidates' requirements. Our salary survey data revealed that hybrid working is the second most important factor in a job search. Plus, anecdotally, you'll find it difficult to find candidates who want to be in the office more than 3-days a week. If you aren’t offering hybrid working then it could be a deal breaker to securing the best candidates.
It also gives an impression that your business lacks trust or modern thinking. Company culture is also incredibly important in 2025. Candidates are actively seeking a work environment that they feel comfortable in. Reduced flexibility can prevent you from attracting potential candidates and limit your talent pool.
Top tip: For some, remote working isn't a nice to have. During the pandemic, many moved away from the main working hubs of London and Manchester. To continue working with this talent, you must expand your search parameters.
For further support with your marketing recruitment strategy, get in touch with our team of consultants. With dedicated experts in each industry, we are best-positioned to create a tailored hiring strategy for your business.
