by Francine Carb, President

Before I begin, I must apologize to those executive search firms who use the term purple squirrel in a negative sense, and also sincerely thank those of you looking for employment who have been accused of not being the perfect purple squirrel and who have inspired this article.

First some context: According to Harvard Business Review,

…“Purple Squirrel” is a term recruiters and hiring managers use to define the rarest of candidates, almost mythical in nature. These candidates are nearly impossible to find in an ultra-competitive industry and possess the perfect mix of skills, education and experience.

With the economy mostly humming along, CEOs can and should be more selective when interviewing for key positions. What we’ve noticed; however, is the requirement to have it all. In the case of a CMO or VP Marketing—our areas of expertise—that means:

• Relevant industry background
• Leadership, mentoring, and hiring capabilities to grow the department
• Sales experience (in the industry)
• Background in most marketing disciplines (here’s where it gets a little tricky) including: website development, marketing and technical writing, PR, metrics & analytics, lead generation, trade show support, brand and creative expertise, content development, website and digital communications design
• Experience with onboard marketing automation software and gain value from it in less than six months, the ability to find and qualify a lead, help the sales organization turn it into real business, and nurture the client throughout the sales cycle
• Think and act strategically and then execute all the above items in accordance with the business plan, which the marketing lead would have helped develop

I see all your heads bobbing a unified YES! And I hate to curb your enthusiasm; however, I need to ask you a few questions: Does this sound like one person to you? And also, do you think that if one person had all of these qualities, they would drop everything and come to work for your company? If the answer is yes, and yes, please stop reading.

The reality is that while these qualities and requirements are hugely desirable, it takes a well-orchestrated team, directed by a superstar, to make this happen. Here’s where Markitects comes in to save the day.

This is who we are and what we do. If you have some or most of your requirements in house, we’ll work with that team; if not, we’ll be that team—at a fraction of the cost of an entire department. And you’ll get all the ROI, expertise, and enthusiasm you desire.

In a nutshell, let’s talk.