Marketing Specialists vs. Generalists: Which You Should Hire

Increasingly, B2B marketing teams are evolving into squads of specialists with digital DNA. Lattice Engines CMO Brian Kardon shares his tips for building a top-notch team that delivers results.

If you asked Lattice Engines CMO Brian Kardon in 2005 which qualities he looked for in marketers, his answer would have been very different than the one he’d give you today. Back then, he preferred generalists who were good at a lot of different things. Now, he looks for a completely different profile.

Specifically, Kardon favors marketers who are eclectic, passionate, unconventional, and hyper-focused on one particular discipline. Watch the video below to find out how exactly he goes about building — and cultivating — a B2B marketing team with those attributes.

Key takeaways

• Hire doers, not talkers. Kardon says one of the first things he looks for a marketing hire is digital DNA. “(I want marketers who) don’t talk about blogging — they actually blog; they don’t talk about tweeting — they have a lot of followers, retweet, and are active (on Twitter),” he explains.

• Look for people who have focus and push themselves. When Kardon interviews marketing candidates, he tries to identify people who are disciplined enough to develop expertise, but who are also willing to try unconventional things and push their limits (i.e., teaching themselves a new skill; excelling at a new hobby; going on an adventurous trip; etc.).

• Be cognizant of career pathing. While modern CMOs need to build a team of specialists, Kardon says it’s also important to recognize not everyone will want to stay in the same role forever. To retain the best employees, you need to make career development something that is openly discussed. To facilitate that, Kardon puts his team through rotations in other roles to grow their skills (i.e., a content marketer to demand gen, and vice versa).

Bonus: Free Interviewing Guide for Identifying the Best Candidates

You don’t have time to make bad hires. Download our Savvy Interviewer’s Guide for sample checklists and interview questions to make sure you have all the information you need before you make an offer.

Photo by: Zamzara