Irish Marketing Journal
January 2014
As his company approaches a quarter century of successfully placing marketing professionals, The People Group managing director Colm Buckley acknowledges that recruiters as well as candidates need to continually update their skills, writes Paul Golden.
'Trust, integrity and a specialist focus on marketing and sales are all vital to maintaining our brand and reputation. We have a genuine interest in people finding the right roles and companies in which to develop their careers. Our relationships with blue chip multinational organisations, as well as indigenous companies, are based on successfully filling roles with high calibre talent," says Colm Buckley, managing director of The People Group.
According to Buckley, all the consultants who work at The People Group have a marketing qualification and have worked successfully within industry at various levels of management prior to joining the company. But while he believes it is important for them to understand marketing as a discipline, Buckley also recognises that the industry is continually changing.
"A good recruiter has the ability to work closely with their client, listen to their needs and help them identify what it is they require. In many instances a client may not have fully worked through the balance between what they want and what they actually need. Our people can give them advice on their competitors, how departments are structured and what has worked in the past as well as - critically - what hasn't.
"We have been asked by clients to provide impartial feedback on talent gaps in conjunction with reviewing the strategic marketing plan for the company or business area. While technology has helped enormously in the recruitment efforts of client companies, the craft of good recruitment remains.
"Identifying top talent that clients cannot find themselves and bringing them to the table is a service that all of our people provide on a consistent basis. Our brand and reputation allows us to access unique candidates who, in many instances, are not actively looking for a move. In many instances we receive referrals from candidates we have not placed before".
The People Group has a reputation for providing solid career advice and understanding the types of organisations and cultures within which candidates can develop their careers, which is a crucial factor in generating repeat business.
A good recruiter will not merely source a panel of candidates - they will also make the client aware of a candidate's motivations and ambitions for a career move, Buckley explains. "They will manage the hiring process effectively and anticipate any issues. With the growth of social media and various online recruitment tools the process has become more commoditised, but finding he best possible talent for a company is not the same as purchasing a product online."
"The product we deal with is unique in that it can say 'no' at the last minute.Talent has an opinion and options as well as time contraints. It can be unpredictable, high maintenance, irrational and sometimes uncommunicative. It has thoughts and feelings, it will consult with friends and family members and if it doesn't like your culture, company values or management style it will not work for you. So the recruitment consultant is vital in managing the process successfully."
He admits that the recruitment landscape remains challenging, albeit on the up since late 2012."We have begun to see more opportunities at middle to senior level and have completed a number of projects at marketing director level. Companies seem to be more intent to rebuild their marketing teams."
Aside from good marketing experience and career progression, Buckley says more emphasis is being placed on digital marketing skills."That said, 'attitude & fit' are back with a bang. Most companies have suffered from morale issues over the last few years so a positive, can-do atitude is essential. Energy, initiative and drive are key attributes that are being sought after and it is critical that candidates fill clients with this confidence during an interview process."
He credits candidates for researching the industry before pursuing a career in marketing and maintaining realistic expectations in terms of likely salary and career progression."They are doing their research and they have an idea of where they want to be.Finding the right company, culture and management team/style where they can progress their career is important to candidates," he concludes.
Marketing Vacancies
January 2014
As his company approaches a quarter century of successfully placing marketing professionals, The People Group managing director Colm Buckley acknowledges that recruiters as well as candidates need to continually update their skills, writes Paul Golden.
'Trust, integrity and a specialist focus on marketing and sales are all vital to maintaining our brand and reputation. We have a genuine interest in people finding the right roles and companies in which to develop their careers. Our relationships with blue chip multinational organisations, as well as indigenous companies, are based on successfully filling roles with high calibre talent," says Colm Buckley, managing director of The People Group.
According to Buckley, all the consultants who work at The People Group have a marketing qualification and have worked successfully within industry at various levels of management prior to joining the company. But while he believes it is important for them to understand marketing as a discipline, Buckley also recognises that the industry is continually changing.
"A good recruiter has the ability to work closely with their client, listen to their needs and help them identify what it is they require. In many instances a client may not have fully worked through the balance between what they want and what they actually need. Our people can give them advice on their competitors, how departments are structured and what has worked in the past as well as - critically - what hasn't.
"We have been asked by clients to provide impartial feedback on talent gaps in conjunction with reviewing the strategic marketing plan for the company or business area. While technology has helped enormously in the recruitment efforts of client companies, the craft of good recruitment remains.
"Identifying top talent that clients cannot find themselves and bringing them to the table is a service that all of our people provide on a consistent basis. Our brand and reputation allows us to access unique candidates who, in many instances, are not actively looking for a move. In many instances we receive referrals from candidates we have not placed before".
The People Group has a reputation for providing solid career advice and understanding the types of organisations and cultures within which candidates can develop their careers, which is a crucial factor in generating repeat business.
A good recruiter will not merely source a panel of candidates - they will also make the client aware of a candidate's motivations and ambitions for a career move, Buckley explains. "They will manage the hiring process effectively and anticipate any issues. With the growth of social media and various online recruitment tools the process has become more commoditised, but finding he best possible talent for a company is not the same as purchasing a product online."
"The product we deal with is unique in that it can say 'no' at the last minute.Talent has an opinion and options as well as time contraints. It can be unpredictable, high maintenance, irrational and sometimes uncommunicative. It has thoughts and feelings, it will consult with friends and family members and if it doesn't like your culture, company values or management style it will not work for you. So the recruitment consultant is vital in managing the process successfully."
He admits that the recruitment landscape remains challenging, albeit on the up since late 2012."We have begun to see more opportunities at middle to senior level and have completed a number of projects at marketing director level. Companies seem to be more intent to rebuild their marketing teams."
Aside from good marketing experience and career progression, Buckley says more emphasis is being placed on digital marketing skills."That said, 'attitude & fit' are back with a bang. Most companies have suffered from morale issues over the last few years so a positive, can-do atitude is essential. Energy, initiative and drive are key attributes that are being sought after and it is critical that candidates fill clients with this confidence during an interview process."
He credits candidates for researching the industry before pursuing a career in marketing and maintaining realistic expectations in terms of likely salary and career progression."They are doing their research and they have an idea of where they want to be.Finding the right company, culture and management team/style where they can progress their career is important to candidates," he concludes.
Marketing Vacancies
