At this time of year, there are three words that bring a strange mix of joy and trepidation to any UK worker that hears them…Office. Christmas. Party.
For some, memories of embarrassment will linger until the following March. For others, the whole thing will be a hazy mystery by the next morning. You will invite the whole team, of course, but is there someone there who you feel doesn’t belong? Maybe that person’s your marketing director.
The sales guy doesn’t like him, he keeps trying to tell him what to do and who to sell to. The finance director is similarly unenamoured, all that budget and where are the results? And the rest of the team are baffled every time he opens his mouth - what is he trying to say with all that jargon?
- You may like: Sales and Marketing Director? Split the roles...
A good marketing director will speak human; will be the sales teams best friend; and be able to put a smile on any FD’s face with their metrics.
Maybe your marketing person is just not the right fit. In fact, 89% of recruitment failures are down to this very reason. A marketing director has the power to pull your business in all sorts of new (and possibly quite scary) directions, but they also need the wherewithal to pull the others in your business with them. If they’re not right, they’re not right.
The right culture
Any employee who is a good cultural fit will have greater job satisfaction, identify more with your company, be more committed and show superior job performance – all of this is certainly what you want from your marketing director.
How do you know when your marketing director is a good fit? There is no acid test, it may just be that gut feeling, it could be as simple as how well they fit in at the company Christmas do.
Don’t judge your marketing director on their terrible dancing at the Christmas party, judge them on how well they are interacting with their colleagues, how they are getting the best out of the others around them and how they are presenting your business to the outside world.
While The Marketing Centre will get to know your business before offering a suitable marketing director, if you feel that their selection is not quite the cultural fit you are looking for, you can ask for a change, with no cost, no aggravation and no risk, guaranteeing you someone who you'd be happy to let lead the Christmas conga.
If you want a Marketing Director who is a good fit for your organisation, whilst reducing the risks associated with recruitment, contact The Marketing Centre.
