👥 THE MARKETING HIRING SCORECARD
Find people who actually move the needle
FROM “CLICK HERE” BY ALEX SCHULTZ
The Five Evaluation Criteria
1
Rocket Ship or Dip?
- ★Strong Signal: Survived a company downturn and was part of the turnaround
- ○Neutral: Steady company, no major ups or downs
- ✗Red Flag: Only worked at companies during their peak growth (rode the rocket ship)
“Time and again, someone who has been at a company that went through a tough period and made it to the other side is more likely to be good at their job”
2
Was Marketing Critical?
- ★Strong Signal: Marketing was make-or-break for the company (eBay affiliates, Tripadvisor SEO, King mobile ads)
- ○Neutral: Marketing existed but wasn’t the primary growth driver
- ✗Red Flag: Marketing was a cost center with minimal scrutiny
“If online marketing is truly make or break, that team will be under high scrutiny — no way the team can coast”
3
Tenure & Stability
- ★Strong Signal: 3+ years at most companies, at least one ~10-year stint
- ○Neutral: 2–3 years average, no long stints
- ✗Red Flag: Job-hops every 1–2 years, no long tenure anywhere
Look at Sundar Pichai, Tim Cook, Satya Nadella — all long-term company veterans
4
The Growth Question
Ask: “What is most important for growth?”
- ★Strong Signal: Customer retention (the correct answer)
- ○Neutral: A reasonable answer with good reasoning
- ✗Red Flag: Only talks about acquisition, viral loops, or hacks without mentioning retention
5
Can They Prove It?
- ★Strong Signal: Describes specific projects, explains HOW they achieved results, results mattered to the company
- ○Neutral: Can describe projects but fuzzy on methodology
- ✗Red Flag: Claims great results but can’t explain the mechanics
“Proves they don’t know enough to have driven the project”
The Scorecard Template
| Criterion | Score (1–5) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Rocket Ship or Dip? | ___ | |
| Marketing Critical? | ___ | |
| Tenure & Stability | ___ | |
| Growth Question Answer | ___ | |
| Can They Prove It? | ___ | |
| TOTAL | / 25 |
20–25 Strong Hire
15–19 Promising
10–14 Caution
Below 10 Pass
Reference Check Questions
- What were the critical marketing channels at their company when they were there?
- Were they on the team responsible for those critical channels?
- Did they drive results, or ride the rocket ship?
- How did they perform when things got hard?
- Would you hire them again?
“The majority of my direct reports have worked with me for over a decade. I have worked for my manager for over a decade, and most of my agencies have been with me for as long as I have been CMO. That makes the work fun and builds a rapport where we can move fast because we know and trust each other.”