When Your New Hire For The Marketing Department Doesn’t Fit: What To Do

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One of the most challenging tasks for marketing managers is hiring new staff to fit the needs of a growing or changing marketing department and strategy.

Despite all efforts, sometimes the person you hired simply isn’t a good fit. Then what?

Vinod Khosla, author of The Art, Science and Labor of Recruiting, recommends taking action as soon as you realize it just isn’t working. That’s what probationary periods allow — a trial, for both you and the new hire, to determine if this is a mutually beneficial arrangement.

During those first few weeks, you should:

Create an environment where talented people can grow and succeed
Clarify desired results and outcomes
Communicate your core values
Check in frequently and provide feedback
Coach new hires through challenges
Remove obstacles they can’t overcome without your help
Give them the resources, autonomy and freedom to execute your inbound marketing strategy.

But sometimes, even that fails.

Our advice: If the new hire is not meeting expectations and fitting your company’s culture and strategy, despite support and coaching, let them go. Keeping them can derail your efforts and bring down the entire team.

Hiring new talent isn’t the only way to fill your inbound marketing needs. Our Guide to Resourcing Your Inbound Marketing Strategy will walk you through the pros and cons of hiring new talent, retraining and restructuring your existing staff, or choosing an outside agency to get the job down.