Marketing recruitment process timeline in 2023 (infographic)

Are you hiring marketers into your business this year? Our marketing recruitment timeline can support hiring managers in planning their processes effectively and create the best experience for all. 

Did you know that 83% of candidates say that understanding the marketing recruitment timeline would greatly improve their overall experience?  Plus, by planning accordingly, you will be able to effectively manage internal expectations around new hires. 

See below for the average marketing recruitment timeline in 2023. You'll notice that our timeline encompasses the onboarding period. We've included this section to give hiring managers a full idea on when to expect to see results from their hire.

The three stages of marketing recruitment

You can break down any digital marketing recruitment processes into three stages - planning, hiring and onboarding.

What is less simple, however, is the time to assign to each stage. Timings are dependent on a number of factors, such as the type of hire and business structure. We've included a minimum and maximum time scale to give a detailed overview of hiring marketers in 2023.

In this article, we'll explore each stage in detail.

Planning your marketing recruitment process

Planning begins as soon as you identify the vacancy. At this stage of your marketing recruitment journey, you will need to:

• Write the job description
• Secure the budget 
• Promote the job

The first and most important step of any recruitment process is writing the job description. A good job description will help you promote the marketing role internally and externally. Hiring managers should use the document to secure the budget for the salary and engage a marketing recruitment agency.

The specialist recruiter will be able to engage qualified candidates based off of the requirements set out in the job description. They'll use it to write job adverts tailored to the talent pool, promoting the role across social media and job boards.

How long does recruitment planning take?

The average planning stage can last anywhere from a few days to six weeks. This is dependent on the budget available and how difficult it is to get sign off on the job role. 

For instance, if the vacancy is replacing headcount, it's usually a much easier process to get sign off. For a brand new marketing job, however, this is usually a longer process. You have to justify the role to stakeholders, identifying the business opportunities that the new hire will help you achieve.

Hiring the right marketing talent

The "recruitment" stage of the timeline begins when you receive a shortlist of CVs from your recruitment consultant. During this stage, you will need to:

• Review shortlisted CVs
• Conduct in-person and video interviews
• Offer on your preferred candidate

You should expect to receive a shortlist within 1-2 weeks of advertising the job. However it's important to remember that this is highly dependent on the marketing job that you're recruiting for. More specialist roles, such as Creative Performance Marketing Manager jobs, can be much harder to find than a Marketing Manager.

From there, you will be able to conduct interviews. In 2023, we would recommend taking a hybrid approach to your interview processes. While video interviews are easier to schedule, meeting potential candidates face-to-face will give a clearer idea of their character. In-person interviews are also useful for candidates, as they give a clearer understanding of the team, office and company culture.

Once you've conducted enough interviews, you'll be able to offer the preferred candidate the role. We would recommend staying up to date with the average marketing salaries, so that you can make the best offer. You may experience some negotiation at this stage. Working closely with your recruiter will allow you to find the best outcome for both employer and candidate.

How long does it take to hire marketers?

As stated above, the actual recruitment stage can vary massively depending on the digital marketing job that you're hiring for. More specialist skill sets will have smaller talent pools. This can make the recruitment process longer, as it can be trickier to identify top talent. 

To speed up this process, we would recommend working with a specialist digital marketing recruitment agency. We have specifically designed 3Search with employers in mind, creating marketing recruitment teams around specific skill sets. That way, you receive the support of a deeply-networked and knowledgeable recruitment consultant.

Onboarding your new marketer

Once the new member of your marketing team has accepted the job offer, you can start to think about onboarding them. While they work their notice period, you should consider:

• Which tools, equipment and software they need to complete their job
• The resource and personnel you need to dedicate to training
• Signing them up to HR platforms and benefit schemes

While they cannot complete work for your business during their notice period, you can invite them to work socials. This will help embed your new hire into the company culture and make them feel more comfortable on their first day. 

How long is the average notice period?

The length of notice periods can vary, but the minimum is usually 4 weeks. They are getting longer, however, and now it's more common to see notice periods lasting up to 12 weeks.

What other factors can impact the marketing recruitment timeline? 

When developing your own timeline, it’s important to recognise that other factors may impact it's length. These factors include:

Internal holidays 

At the start of the recruitment process, take the time to understand who will be involved with hiring. This may include: 

• The marketing recruitment agency that you’re partnering with 
• Members of the HR department who may support across a number of processes
• Everyone who will sit on the interview panel 

Knowing their schedules and if they have any holiday booked is crucial to managing the recruitment process.

External holidays 

Similarly, you should find out if your preferred candidate has pre-planned holiday that will effect their start date or training. Although this shouldn't prevent a job offer, it is certainly useful information to know, especially as you plan for their onboarding.

Notice periods 

A notice period is the time that your new employee is contracted to take when they leave their current job and starting their new role. This gives employees the opportunity to finish any outstanding work at their previous company. 

If an employee doesn’t have any outstanding work, they are usually asked to complete garden leave. This is when the employee completes their notice period without working, but still receiving their pay and benefits as normal. During this time, the employee cannot start their new position.

Looking to speed up the marketing recruitment process

Looking to speed up your recruitment process? Get in touch with 3Search, the largest digital marketing recruitment agency in London. Upload your job description and start your talent search today.