Marketing Consultant
Marketing recruiter
Hiring top marketing talent is crucial for business growth and choosing the right marketing recruiter can make all the difference. Whether you’re scaling fast or filling a niche leadership role, a recruiter who truly understands marketing can help you attract the best candidates, faster.
That’s where specialists like Intelligent People come in. As a leading marketing recruiter with over 20 years of experience, Intelligent People has helped thousands of companies, ranging from high-growth start-ups to global brands, hire exceptional marketing professionals across digital, product, eCommerce as well as executive c-suite roles such as Chief Marketing Officer and Digital Marketing Director.
But even with an experienced recruiter, it’s essential to ask the right questions before you engage. In this blog, we explore seven smart questions to ask a marketing recruiter before you partner with them, so you can build a successful, long-term relationship.
1. What is your experience as a marketing recruiter?
Not every recruiter specialises in marketing and generalist recruiters may not understand the intricacies of marketing roles.
Marketing encompasses a wide range of roles with different functions: from traditional marketing roles such as Marketing Manager to more digitally focussed and commercial marketing roles such as VP of Growth and Product Marketing Manager as well as content-focused roles.
A specialised marketing recruiter will know what to look for in candidates, how to evaluate skill sets and where to find the best talent.
What to ask:
- Do you recruit exclusively for marketing and digital roles?
- Have you placed candidates in roles similar to the one we’re hiring for?
A marketing recruiter with industry-specific experience will give you access to more relevant candidates and significantly reduce time-to-hire.
2. What brands or companies have you worked with?
A recruiter’s past work tells you a lot about their capabilities and network.
Ask your marketing recruiter about their client base:
- Have they worked with businesses like yours (e.g. B2B SaaS, eCommerce, scale-ups)?
- What types of roles have they placed – junior, mid-level, or executive?
- Do they have case studies or testimonials?
Trusted firms like Intelligent People often have long-term partnerships with well-known brands and VC-backed start-ups, showcasing their ability to deliver across various company stages and marketing functions.
3. How do you source and screen marketing candidates?
It’s easy to pull candidates from LinkedIn. What matters is how your marketing recruiter vets them.
Look for a recruiter who:
- Uses a mix of proactive headhunting and database outreach
- Conducts thorough interviews to assess both technical and soft skills
- Considers cultural fit and long-term potential
The best marketing recruiters will feel like an extension of your team, not just a supplier. They should reduce your workload, not add to it.
4. What insights can you offer about the current marketing talent market?
A great marketing recruiter doesn’t just send CVs, they offer valuable market intelligence that can help shape your hiring strategy.
Ask your recruiter about:
- Current salary benchmarks for marketing roles
- Which skill sets are in highest demand right now
- How competitive the market is for the type of candidate you’re targeting
The best recruiters act as strategic advisors, helping you stay realistic, competitive and informed – especially in fast-moving or talent-scarce areas of marketing.
5. What does your recruitment process look like from brief to placement?
- A strong marketing recruiter should have a structured, end-to-end recruitment process that ensures quality and consistency at every stage, not just good communication.
Ask your recruiter to walk you through their process, including:
- How they take and challenge the brief
- How they identify, engage and assess candidates
- What shortlisting, interview preparation and feedback cycles look like
- How they manage offer negotiation and post-placement care
You want a recruiter who combines thorough market knowledge with a professional, methodical approach, ensuring no shortcuts are taken and only the best-fit candidates reach your shortlist.
6. How do you approach hard-to-fill, niche marketing roles?
Marketing has some complex niches, such as: retention-focused CRM, product marketing for B2B SaaS, or hybrid digital/brand roles.
Your marketing recruiter should be able to explain how they approach roles that don’t fit neatly into traditional job descriptions.
Look for:
- Customised search strategies
- Market feedback to refine expectations
- Creative thinking about transferable skills
A recruiter who thrives in ambiguity will help you fill even the most specific roles with confidence.
7. What sets you apart from other marketing recruiters?
This is your opportunity to hear their value proposition. What makes them different?
Strong answers might include:
- “We only recruit in marketing, digital and product roles.”
- “We have access to passive candidates who aren’t on job boards.”
- “We build long-term partnerships and don’t treat hiring as a numbers game.”
Firms like Intelligent People differentiate themselves by offering a consultative approach and deep specialisation in marketing recruitment, building long-lasting relationships with both clients and candidates.
Why choosing the right marketing recruiter matters
Hiring the right marketer isn’t just about filling a seat, it’s about finding someone who can drive business results. A trusted marketing recruiter can help you do exactly that, saving time, reducing hiring risk and bringing top-tier talent to your door.
Before you engage with a recruiter, make sure they:
✅ Understand your goals
✅ Specialise in marketing recruitment
✅ Offer transparency, communication and long-term support
If you’re looking for a recruiter who ticks all those boxes, Intelligent People is a great place to start. With over two decades of marketing recruitment expertise, we can help you hire smarter, whether you’re growing a start-up team or adding senior talent to an established organisation let’s know if you need to hire today.
