POV: An agency Founder wants to recruit an experienced SEO Account Manager but hindsight makes them want to approach things differently. They’ve already been challenged, not just once but twice before when they went to market hiring SEO jobs by themself.
Focused on scaling her successful white hat SEO consultancy, the Founder of MGX Digital, Margaux recognised the importance of attracting and retaining exceptional talent. She also knew she could benefit from an expert recruiter guiding her into better hiring decisions.
Her first step was internal. Margaux had already set clear goals for the agency, to provide best practice SEO consulting for her SME clients. She also wanted MGX Digital to provide employees with the attractive work/life balance, that she had yearned for in her early career.
Margaux also importantly spent time and focus developing strong brand guidelines that clearly define MGX Digital Being able to articulate what the company mission is, the values are and what success looks like has enhanced every aspect. They can also help a future employee gain insights and better understand the company culture and career opportunities being offered. Too often companies don’t know who they are or want to be when they set out to recruit. The result? More often than not it’s where red flag employment situations occur. Either the employer or employee are unhappy because it’s not what they expected. Usually, because nobody has taken the time to articulate what the values, ambitions, and good characteristics look like that would help someone thrive in the business.
I got the opportunity to read Margaux’s brand guidelines for MGX Digital. They’re so interesting and helpful as they reflect a lot of what I’ve come to know is “Margaux”. They are what she respects and is attracted to, and are the agency’s foundation for success. I’ve been able to consciously apply the guidelines right the way through the recruitment process. From writing the advert that attracted the successful applicant to using them as a basis of interview questions, and ultimately to the final selection process.
Margaux also knew she wanted help with the recruitment process. As a business owner, it’s hard to do everything well. But IMO the best business owners surround themselves with the right people. Margaux had done her research, looking for a recruitment partner to guide her into making the right hiring decisions. She also wanted a recruiter who knew the SEO industry. When I asked Margaux how she first knew about clockworkTalent, she said whilst she’d heard of us, she went to “Google (organic) and then Billie” (a fellow industry SEO whose opinion Margaux avalued).
For me, this project had a lot going for it. Hiring an SEO specialist for a specialist SEO agency is great but for an agency that offers a 4 day working week. It was going to be popular. A work-life balance is at the top of many job seeker’s wish list PLUS this agency’s founder is a woman. Female founders are sadly still a little scarce BUT those women who are Founders tend to be awesome. My initial call with Margaux confirmed this. She is smart, empathetic, and ambitious but also realistic. Importantly, I liked her. Yes, “selling” this SEO job opportunity, MGX Digital and Margaux would be easy.
I knew these factors would be well received in the industry, particularly within the immensely supportive community of Women In Tech SEO. I believed the idea of working for a female founder could attract many applications from the industry. Which it ultimately did. It proved to be a very popular role, rapidly attracting alot of great applications from all over the world. It even attracted our successful hire. She wasn’t looking to change their job. She was, in fact, quite happy working where she was and it was only my advert that caught her eye. She found herself resonating with a lot of the job advert. So much so, she quickly updated her CV and made her application. Like her in real life, her application was concise, to the point and compelling.
A month into her new role we caught up with Kat and asked her how we did supporting her through the process. Kat told us
Natasha put me at ease immediately and helped me fine-tune my CV in order to put my best foot forward. She kept in touch throughout the process and was absolutely wonderful. I would highly recommend her agency because they understand the SEO industry.
Note from Natasha “Thank you, Kat. We’re chuffed to bits it’s working out so well and look forward to watching your career continue to grow!.”
We also caught up with Margaux, asking for her thoughts on how we did supporting her into successfully hiring Kat. She told us
Natasha’s support in the whole of the recruitment process has been exceptional. Not only the candidates she put forward were the right cultural fit but with great skills to back it up. Natasha generously also ‘coached’ me throughout the process, including figuring out who exactly we are looking for, with what experience, what to look out for during the interviews and was a great sounding board to help me make the right decision.
When I asked Margaux what the best part of working with us was, she told me
Catching up with Natasha 😉 Feeling like Natasha is a good judge of the character of the candidates, understanding nuances that I would otherwise overlook.
I’ve loved this project from start to finish. I always enjoy representing an employer/company I’m “proud” of. Who I honestly feel is exceptional and will provide a “career move” rather than just a job for the people I introduce. It makes my job so much easier.
It pleased me to hear how Margaux found clockworkTalent. She told me she initially searched Google and I love that we got the human rubber stamp of approval by Margaux’s SEO industry peer, Billie. This is a double compliment as we do our own SEO and we had been Billie’s own SEO recruitment partner previously.
I’ve loved I was able to take to market an SEO career opportunity with the rare (but much sought after) work-life balance of a 4 day week PLUS it’s work from home that so many can only dream of. I’m particularly pleased that a member of the Women in Tech SEO community spotted my outreach about the vacancy and applied. Most of all I’ve loved helping an ambitious female Founder successfully hire the right SEO as she expands her team…. And dare I say once more, I love that she’s already asked clockworkTalent to help MGX to recruit again! You can read more about this new SEO Account Manager vacancy (and apply) here.
If, like Margaux, you know you’ve struggled to successfully hire SEO (or eCommerce, Growth Marketing or any of the online marketing specialisms) jobs, don’t hesitate to contact hiring@clockworktalent.com.
You can read about some of our other recruitment projects:
⭐ Learning with Experts – Hiring a Head of Performance Marketing
⭐ Natural World Safaris – Hiring a Head of Marketing
⭐ Evoluted agency – Hiring Paid Media talent
On the flip side, if you’re in the digital marketing industry and want an awesome career move, get yourself registered by emailing your CV to jobs@clockworkTalent.com Or you can check (and apply) to suitable jobs on our active job opportunities
