View from the Top

Every issue, we talk to an executive who gives us their personal view of recruitment and HR in relation to their particular industry sector. Here we talk to Charles Wasdell, Marketing Director of Moveme.com, one of the growing number of specialist services that have flourished by exploiting the online medium. Although Charles' main responsibility is marketing - he oversees all aspects of the business, from advertising and Pay Per Click campaigns through to site changes which increase Cost Per Sale (CPS) - he also has an active role in HR and recruitment for Moveme.com.

What is the challenge facing jobseekers in the marketing industry today?

I believe the challenge today is for the marketing professional to stay on top of the rapid changes in communications and adapt the basic marketing tenets across the vast possibilities afforded by online marketing. Some 20 years ago marketing was not a popular subject for graduates. In fact, only a handful of universities had anything to offer in terms of marketing. That's all changed, of course, and now the graduates have the marketing skills with total awareness of the online possibilities. Of course, people with natural marketing or sales skills don't have to be graduates, many aren't. In fact, on the agency side, a lot of people who become excellent account handlers have no marketing qualifications at all. What's really needed is a flair or aptitude and the ability to learn quickly. When you get to marketing positions on the client side, however, you usually find that graduates who enter marketing are more likely to have some sort of economics, business studies, marketing, or statistics qualifications. Don't forget, marketing does involve some number crunching and analytical skills too - it's not all promotions and parties.

Notwithstanding the particular skills for a particular role, what chief characteristics do you look for when recruiting key marketing employees?

I look for a clear understanding of online marketing in the various guises it can take. Also a degree of technical understanding as working in an online environment is important to understand what is possible versus what's not. I also look for people who are happy working in areas outside of their expertise as with any small business people need to be flexible in what they do.

What is your preferred method of recruitment? (headhunters, online recruitment services, 'high street' recruitment companies, etc.)

I prefer to find new employees mainly through recommendations - it's the best way to get quality candidates in my opinion.

What are the overall challenges or opportunities for recruitment within the marketing industry in the UK?

In my experience nearly all aspects of the marketplace are touched to a lesser or greater extent by online marketing. Those who wish to come into marketing at any level need to be aware of this. We ourselves have found that the availability of excellent online marketers is limited!

What trends do you see emerging in your industry which will have a bearing on the recruitment marketplace overall? (i.e. contractors, freelancers, outsourcing, etc.)

One thing we have seen overall, and do ourselves, is to start people on a freelance basis and then make them permanent once they have proved themselves. It's probably a more practical and contemporary update on the traditional probation period.

Do you use unusual or secretive methods of assessing candidates? (Handwriting analysis, 'googling' of employees, scanning social networking sites, etc.)

No, I haven't always got the time for that. They just need to be able to do the job and fit in with current employees.

What makes a good CV in your opinion - what makes you sit up and take notice?

It's a fast, instant communication world we live in. Likewise, I expect a CV to be easy to read and meaningful, with the information relevant to the job role. CVs that wander around show a lack of preparation.

Do you have any interview pet peeves? (E.g. Is there anything that annoys you about candidates who you interview?)

The one thing I can't understand are those people who have not even visited our website! That's the very least any candidate should do for any job, not just ours

What's the most interesting/funniest/oddest interview you had with a potential employee - and did you hire him or her?

Well, I did meet someone for an interview outside of a hotel, it was like a blind date! Luckily it didn't end in tears.