From the archive:
Where do executive talent recruiters hang out in their time off? I envision a club where they get together and commiserate about searches commissioned by uninformed executives. Stories of searches that lead to a trip down a deserted road lined only with the remains of great candidates who were “missing just one thing”. And in this club, the topic that produces the greatest anger, unity and humor is recruitment of a startup’s VP of Marketing.
The stories likely start with the candidate specification meeting where the job description of the perfect candidate is narrowly defined as:
- A strong product marketer
- Mathematical approach to marketing and obsession with metrics
- Ability to manage the entire funnel
- Has been an individual contributor in email marketing. And SEO. And graphic design.
- Category or market relevant experience. Should have worked at a financial institution, retailer or packaged goods company.
…you get the picture. You’re looking for Steve Jobs to join your lightly funded startup. To paraphrase the movie Chasing Amy:
If you put this candidate, Santa Clause, the Easter Bunny and my grandmother at the starting line of a foot race… who wins?
The Daily Digest of Marc Grabowski 