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Interview Questions For A Marketing Director
Posted By: ekatzjkatz on 7/19/2005 10:02 AM (CST) 250 Points
I am hiring a product/brand manager/marketing manager to support a pet distribution business. Can anyone suggest an interview scenario to determine the candidate's strengths for this type of position.

Posted by: Paul Copcutt Accepted Answer
7/19/2005 10:50 AM (CST)
For general selection interviews look to identify what are the key performance indicators for the job - if your selection is successful in the first 6 and 12 months what was it that they did to be deemed successful. Make sure these KPI's are SMART - specific, measurable, action oriented, results driven and time lined. Then look to select against those KPI's by asking candidates for examples of how they have done that in the past, or if they have not done it how they think they would handle it.

Then why not give them a real life scenario of the job. Look to identify a fairly typical but slightly difficult challenge that this job faces and build a performance based interview around that scenario - almost like an in tray. Provide the candidate with all the necessary information - market data, budget etc (you can always make the numbers up if you do not want to disclose real figures) - set a time limit that you think is reasonable and get them to come up with a solution.

Then when they present their solution give them another 10 mnutes to prepare a stand up flip chart presentation on how they got to the answer - sometimes if the answer is wrong, how they went about it - the process- might have been very good and the candidate could be better than the smart one who got the right answer.

I would suggest you only look to do the real life scenario with a shortlist of 3 or 4 candidates - dedicate the right amount of people, resources and time to this - its important.

Use the KPI approach to handle the bigger group of potentials.

Just my toonies worth - good luck!
 
Posted by: ccoldren Accepted Answer
7/19/2005 10:57 AM (CST)
My colleague gives some fine input. In truth, the job description for a marketing director is dependent on the company -- the position can be strategically or tactically oriented.

BUT, I'm going to give you some very practical input for two things -- a job description for a director, and the questions for a telephone interview. Get ready....

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
This is what I would use for for a Marketing Communications Manager -- you may need to adjust depending on your focus:

  • Manage Marcom planning and support in five key areas: Advertising, Trade Shows, Events and Conferences, Web Site Development and Implementation, Collateral Materials and Fulfillment

  • Develop and implement strategic communications plan and process

  • Ensure integrated marketing communications corporate wide

  • Consult with marketing management to ensure the implementation of the appropriate Marcom strategies in all external communications

  • Communicate Marcom goals and strategies to all departments worldwide

  • Develop content for Marcom projects and oversee corporate message management

  • Manage all Marcom budget and financial issues

  • Direct corporate brand management and development

  • Develop Web marketing strategies, objectives and implementation

  • Influence the use of consistent communication and design guidelines

  • Ensure the development of all creative communication projects in line with corporate goals and allocated budget

As for interviewing, I suggest telephone interviews to whittle down a big pile of “maybes” to 3-5 good candidates you want to see face to face. Here’s how to handle a telephone interview – I’ve use this approach successfully for many years, and with candidates for many positions.

PHONE INTERVIEW

Resume
* Any questions about gaps in jobs
* Direct questions about jobs and responsibilities
* What kind of experience do you have? (Seeks depth rather than amount)
* What aspects of your work do you consider most crucial? (Shows grasp of functional responsibilities; may highlight how he prefers to spend time at work. Be alert here for a potential mismatch. Match his answers to your job description.)
* Of all the work you have done, where have you been most successful? (Will demonstrate his ability to contribute in those most crucial areas or will display an imbalance of efforts in less important areas)


Knock-out questions — firm grasp of what it takes to do the job. The “big picture.”
* What would you say are the broad responsibilities of a marketing director?
* What would you say are the major personal traits/qualities this job demands? (Have already noted the traits necessary to be successful in this position, so an answer that’s way off base should raise a red flag).
* Describe to me how this job would relates to the overall goals of the company. (Should be alert to how his individual efforts fit into the big corporate picture and concerned for its well-being).


Likes and dislikes — a sharp focus that is effective in unmasking mismatches that they can be used during the telephone interview for their knock-out qualities.
* What aspects of your job do you like best? (Task/goal-oriented; busy work; or getting job done)
* What kind of things bother you most about your job? (Compare answer honestly with the job’s realities)
* What would you change about your current job? (Should mesh with your “must-haves”; if not, reject now to avoid job distraction later)


Money. Important to address this on the phone!
* In your professional opinion, how much do you think a job like this should pay?
* How much money are you making? (Looking for salary without fringes.)
* How much money do you want?

Ending
What else should I know about your qualifications?

THE VERDICT
Not able to do the job.
“Competition is fierce. I have others to talk to, and I feel you may not make the short list for this particular position. However, you have some unique skills, and I would like to keep you in mind for the future. Thank you.”

You’re still not sure.
“Competition is keen, and I have other candidates to talk to. I’m not sure at this point whether you will make the short list. I have to give it further consideration. Would you be willing to write me a letter detailing your strengths? It could help.”

Able and possibly willing.
Schedule a face-to-face meeting.
- I expect all appointments to be kept punctually.
- I expect to be informed if for any reason you cannot make a meeting.
- I’ll treat any and all information shared as confidential.
- I expect applications forms to be filled out accurately and completely.
- I intent to check all references.


NOW – if you want to see the long list of face-to-face interview questions I use, please email me.

Best of luck.
 
Posted by: stevea Accepted Answer
7/19/2005 8:04 PM (CST)

There are some superb points made by my colleagues above and I’d like to add only one question which I have found to be most revealing. Having gone through the weeding out processes which are well covered already, I like to put a question which is similar to the scenario setting proposed by square peg.

By now, the candidate is thoroughly briefed on the company and your job spec and has passed these first bases. For the final interview, I ask the candidate to outline what they would do, if offered the job, in the first day, the first week, the first month and the first 3 months, assuming that they were starting next week.

I’d give them a day to prepare a brief presentation using the media of their choice and be prepared to present it to the board or selection panel the next day.

After they’ve given the presentation, I score them on content, delivery and ability to field questions.

Then I ask them if they have any questions of their own. These can be many and varied, but I’m looking for a sign that they are real professionals.

My favourite answer was, “Based on my presentation today and the previous discussions in my interviews do any of you have any reservations about my suitability for this post?

“If you do, I’d like to ask you if you would voice them now so that I might have the opportunity to clear up any misunderstandings which might have arisen due to the tight schedule we have followed”

He then shut up and was offered the job on the spot.

Steve Alker
Unimax Solutions
 
Posted by: thinkmor Accepted Answer
7/20/2005 6:27 AM (CST)
Hi Ekatzjkatz

Great input from colleagues. Much of the task and performance areas have been nailed.

Just to confirm you are looking to hire a product/brand/marketing manager not a marketing director, is this right?

I'd like to emphasize the softer issues that can also make or break potential candidates. Major factors like motivations, emotional security, attitude and personality will only be revealed through the softer questioning and their psychological makeup. Will you be doing an psychometric testing or similar?

Evidence of e.g. material, security, status, power, perfection, competitivenes, leadership and service can be gleemed by questioning family background, educational history, outside interests, domestic situation, work experience and desires.

Getting to know a little of the personality of the candidates is key for culture fit, as you know, for you, your team and organization as a whole. Candidates could be stonger on the performance side but I recommend to clients to also ask themselves, will this person fit within the organization and fit with our values? Do I and colleagues feel we will be able to get on with this individual? Do we think we can even like this person?

The recruiting process is a necessary evil, not to mention resource intensive, so you want someone to be able to exceed in the role but also to fit in to your team and benefit the organization.

You may want to get some of you senior people to sit on the interviews or pre-selection stage. Getting feedback, along the hiring process, from colleagues this person is likely to interact with is likely to get better acceptance and better chance of success across the whole organization than decisions made to a degree in isolation.

I would pay more attention to how candidates structure their thinking process, approach and how they communicate above the final results as an indication of potential, that maybe on the day, nerves have got the better of them.

Whoever you hire, make sure they are passionate about your company, have the right mix of skills needed for the role, sound experience and love what they do as you will get a higher chance of success all round.

Hope this helps & good luck!


Zahid Adil
 
Posted by: mgoodman Accepted Answer
7/21/2005 6:15 PM (CST)
If you really want to have an effective interview and minimize the risk of either misreading the candidate or sending the wrong message inadvertently, let me recommend this book on selection interviewing:

The Evaluation Interview, by Fear and Chiron.

It's been around for awhile, but it's still the definitive work on the subject.
 
Posted by: NoStressXpress Accepted Answer
7/28/2005 12:12 PM (CST)
Hello Ekatzjkatz,

My colleagues have given you some very potent information to use and I could add very little except for my experiences. As a marketing professional I have taken the attitude that I can always learn from another professional regardless of how experienced they are - even in a interview situation.

In the interviews I have participated in as the hiring authority I have always made it a point to make the candidate as comfortable as possible. I will want him/her to tell me a little bit about themselves and how their work, efforts, and leadership contributed to the success of their present employer. Then, I would discuss a little bit about my company and my responsibilities and give the reasons why we were advertising the job he/she was applying for. I will then casually bring up a current problem that is being worked in my department and I would simply ask the candidate how he/she would solve that particular problem. I would make them explain their thought processes to me.

Now, people have told me that my style of hiring is not structured enough. Based on my experience if one makes the interview process too structured you will diminish your ability to effectively "sell" your company to the candidate-especially in the case of a desireable, highly qualified individual.

I hope this helps.
Conrad
 
Posted by: DeBrady Accepted Answer
8/1/2005 11:16 AM (CST)
Since you are looking to hire a brand or marketing manager to support (your?) pet (supplies or the animals themselves?) distribution business, you need more than just someone with branding experience, although that's important too. You need someone who is passionate about pets...and animals in general! So, here's my probing question:

If you were looking to find a new [fill in the blank with your number one product], what's important to you, that the company behind it is reputable or has the best price for your money and why.

Follow-on: How would you position [your company name] to be your first choice when seeking this product?

Good luck, Debi Brady
 
Posted by: Head Coach Accepted Answer
8/5/2005 10:25 PM (CST)
The only thing I would add to the impressive string listed above is to differentiate the candidates skills in both the art and the science of marketing.

Over thousands of years millions of people have parcticed marketing on this planet. Only the smallest fraction have ever had real formal training in the science of marketing. The other group (99.99 percent) fell in love with the art of marketing and build their "houses" or marketing plans purely out of art and then spray a little science on the outside to try and fool the C-level executives.

To test for science ask candidates to relate how they would engage the; CEO, CIO, CTO, CFO and COO in their marketing plan. Ask them what the marketing ROI models would contain in each of these departments and how would they monitor and measure the results? What integration of these models data would be most beneficial to other depoartments?

Marketing folks are being asked to deliver the coffee to most Board meetings because they don't produce the results these marketing ROI models are capable of delivering. If you want art go for the above responses but if you want science add these queries.
 
Posted by: carrie77 Moderator Response
8/11/2005 7:54 AM (CST)
Hello all. I am closing this question since it's more than 2 weeks old. We do this to reward the contributions of participants in a timely manner + to give increased visibility to the newer questions.

Thanks for participating!
Carrie (Production Editor)
 
Posted by: anna* Member Response
1/9/2009 10:14 AM (CST)
We are recruiting a Director of Finance and Operations person, and would like to know some appropriate questions to ask a for a Directors Role?

Thanks
Anna
 


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