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14| Magazine World | December 2007 fipp.com
human resources
THe recruiting challenge
TOP TIPS FOR RECRUITING
DIGITAL STAFF By Ann Jamieson
1
Be very clear about the structure of the
department you are going to build and the
digital specialists you will need to hire.
Try to hire digital specialists only where they will make a
real difference – including saving you time and
potentially costly mistakes. 6
Avoid candidates that use a lot
of jargon.
If you don’t understand what they are talking about,
imagine the poor communication you can expect
between departments.
2
Consider who actually needs to be on the
team and who is really only needed during
the launch phase.
Is it better to outsource key technology and design
issues? Do you need a usability expert on the team full
time? Perhaps a mix of full-time and part-time experts or 7
Don’t hold out for the ‘perfect candidate’.
Mix people with specialist knowledge with others who
have highly developed core skills. Most of the new digital
roles are really traditional roles adapted to new channels.
Online marketing disciplines, for example, have their
roots in direct marketing and the skills transfer well.
consultants would work well.
3
Define each role very clearly and fit each
person into an organisation chart that
every candidate gets before they join you.
Write detailed job descriptions and be clear about
the knowledge and skills required on day one. Resist
the temptation to write a very long list of candidate 8
Remember that even cutting edge skills
will be out of date in six months time so
don’t pay a premium for those skills that
can be learned quickly.
Plan to train and retrain experienced hires as well as
internal candidates. Make sure that knowledge is spread
requirements – it will only make the recruitment job to everyone in the team, including the print teams.
more diffi cult.
4
Consider whether there are people
internally who have the knowledge and
skills, and would thrive in an exciting,
challenging part of the business that is in a
constant state of change.
If so, re-train them for at least some of the roles. By mixing 9
As vocational courses are developed at
universities, make links with the best.
Consider taking in able students as interns or offer buddy/
mentor programmes to bright students.
new hires with internal staff on the same team, you can
integrate them more quickly.
5
Make sure that all managers with hiring
responsibilities really understand the
roles they are hiring for and how to
interview the candidates effectively.
The less you understand the job, the more important
the interview skills. 10
Don’t limit yourself to searching in the
home territory.
Candidates are a lot more willing to move country than
ever before and some of the most skilled candidates are
the most adventurous.
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