CMO recruitment is on the rise as the role continues to evolve beyond traditional communications and marketing. Successful CMOs can hit the ground running with soft skills and industry knowledge that offer their companies a competitive advantage within their niche. CMOs interact with more internal and external stakeholders than virtually any other C-suite leader.

A Chief Marketing Officer is one of the first appointments start-ups and SMEs strive to make. CMO recruitment is increasingly pointing to more flexibility, with part-time and interim CMO roles on the rise. We specialise in recruiting Chief Marketing Officers and recognise the changing role of CMO and how that’s impacting recruitment trends.

Exec Capital is amongst the UK’s leading specialist executive search agencies. We offer 360-degree recruitment with headhunting and traditional recruitment for C-suite positions, including Chief Marketing Officers. Start recruiting for a full-time, part-time, or interim CMO by contacting our team today at 020 3287 2365 for a no-obligation consultation.

The CMO Recruitment Trends You Need to Know

A company’s Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) has the corporate executive responsibility for overseeing its marketing strategy and implementation. Their focus is on increasing sales to generate revenue to boost the company’s profit and enable growth and expansion. CMOs will oversee product marketing, brand management, customer engagement, market research, and communications throughout the company.

There are several CMO recruitment trends that we’re seeing right now that reflect the evolution of the role. CMOs are becoming increasingly involved throughout organisations and leading on the switch to digital-led marketing and e-commerce.

The CMO impacts the company culture more than almost any other C-suite executive. They’ll play a vital role in the development of the company’s internal and external culture, including how it’s perceived by its clients and customers. A CMO needs to have a clear understanding of the company’s culture to work efficiently and produce a strategy that ties the company’s DNA into its wider marketing strategy.

Understanding the company culture is essential to producing marketing campaigns that resonate with the brand’s target demographic and developing its brand identity. The CMO should also understand the industry’s wider culture, including having their finger on the industry pulse by monitoring trends and emerging technology that could impact the marketing strategy.

It’s why we’re seeing an increasing demand for industry-specific CMOs with experience throughout their niche. It’s rarer to see CMOs changing industries than other C-suite executives.

The Changing Role of CMO

CMOs are another C-suite leader experiencing an evolution of their role. Tomorrow’s CMOs will act more like a co-founder than a marketing manager. These executives have to be experimental with a strategic mindset and collaborative across their organisations. There are three key changes we’re seeing in the role of CMO that companies should consider while recruiting for the role.

1. Increasing compliance requirements and security threats

CMOs are at the forefront of developing a company’s digital presence and infrastructure. Expanding onto new marketing platforms brings with it serious threats and challenges that a CMO needs to put a risk management strategy in place. Regulatory compliances are continuing to grow with GDPR being one area that continues to develop. Companies that fail to meet their compliance requirements can lose customers, receive a fine, or damage their reputation.

Companies expect candidates to have a proven track record of risk management and ensuring compliance. CMOs will need to understand the local, national, and international regulatory compliance across marketing channels and sales.

2. Adapting to the digital retail sphere

Customers are increasingly choosing to shop online, rather than in-store. Retail e-commerce sales are expected to grow by 56% in the coming years to reach 8.1 trillion dollars by 2026. The UK ranks second globally, behind China, in the highest percentage of retail sales taking place online. E-commerce sales are changing how consumers are discovering products and making purchasing decisions. CMOs are at the forefront of building a company’s digital retail footprint and developing its market intelligence.

Talented CMOs will want to put forward a portfolio that shows their ability to develop brand preference with a marketing strategy that promotes lead generation and customer acquisition through social media. The data insights a CMO invests in will determine the advertising campaigns that they develop.

3. Customer experience

Increasing competition across industries means that CMOs have to consider the experience they’re cultivating for customers throughout every interaction they have with the company. CMOs must collaborate across their organisation and connect the dots to create a strong brand story.

Why You Should Recruit a Part-Time CMO

Spencer Stuart’s recent research has shown that the median tenure for a Chief Marketing Officer in 2019 was just over three years at 41 months, a drop from the 3.6-year median average in 2017. CMOs have the lowest tenure of any C-suite role.

More companies are choosing to recruit a part-time CMO to suit their development plans and their company’s current position. Part-time CMOs bring objectivity to the business as an outsider who can offer a new approach to its marketing strategies and customer relations.

Companies can choose to recruit a fractional CMO on either a retainer or project-by-project basis, giving the role scalability and flexibility without a long-term commitment.

Start-ups operating on a tighter budget might not have the resources and facilities to recruit a full-time CMO, making a part-time role the best of both worlds. Having a CMO on board is crucial to developing the company’s brand identity and marketing strategy. It’s a cost-effective way to invest in your company’s development and growth.

Many start-ups and SMEs choose to recruit a part-time CMO before a product launch to develop a marketing strategy that aligns with the product’s purpose and the company’s target audience. A part-time CMO is used to working on a tight turnaround time and specialises in optimising marketing strategies.

Start Your CMO Recruitment Today 

Exec Capital recruits for the full suite of senior management roles, including full-time, part-time, and interim CMOs. Our team is made up of entrepreneurs, business leaders, and senior executives who understand both sides of the recruitment process. Start your CMO recruitment today by calling our team at 020 3287 2365.