So how does the team at Hennessey Digital stay ahead of all the changes that Google throws at us? As the Senior Manager of Learning & Development, I will share a couple of tips on how to incorporate new trends and train your team to stay ahead of the curve.

Understand the Market & Identify Trends to Train On

Before you dive into incorporating the latest digital marketing trends in your learning and development program, you need to identify what trends are going on in the first place. This can be dealt with in a couple of different ways.

You’ll want to identify some sources that help you keep track of the latest trends. Those sources are almost always Google, Microsoft (Bing), or other tools you use for your digital marketing strategy such as Ahrefs, Screaming Frog, STAT, etc. Many, if not all, of these tools have marketing newsletters and email alerts that you can subscribe to.

Additionally, you can utilize an alert system like Google Alerts, where you tell Google what you want to be kept in the loop about, and Google will send alerts to your email. Another great source directly from Google, albeit a bit daunting to approach, is the Google Search Central Blog.

Each of these resources are great starting points to stay informed about updates and trends related to digital marketing. But it still produces a large amount of content to weed through to find out what applies to your company. This is where our next step is crucial!

Identify Your Subject Matter Experts

It’s going to take an army to start. Google is a massive brand that is always updating its products and services, from its algorithm which impacts SEO, to Paid Search, Analytics, and even its consumer products like Chrome or VPN. Admittedly, I am not an expert on anything SEO-related, although I’ve learned a lot through my peers. At Hennessey Digital we specifically hire individuals for our digital marketing teams who are true subject matter experts (SMEs) – those who eat, sleep, and bleed their specialties. Having multiple experts, perspectives, and opinions will help you form a solid training that accounts for everything.

Ideally, within your organization, you may hear about the latest trends and updates from your subject matter experts. They may be your department team leads, managers, or directors. They could even be some of your individual contributors in non-people managing roles. Connect with these individuals when something is coming down the pipeline that you are aware of. Or better yet, set up recurring meetings with these individuals throughout the year to make sure you are on top of industry trends and changes. And when changes do occur, be sure to utilize these people to help update any existing resources or training materials you already have.

Empowering SMEs to Create Impactful Trainings

Once you’ve identified key market trends and identified the SMEs who can help decipher these trends and changes, it’s time to start creating training programs and resource materials.

Here, l, we utilize an internal Learning Management System (LMS). It is always my pleasure to have a subject matter expert raise their hand to create the pieces of training specific to their specialty within our LMS. While this task can be intimidating at first, it’s my job to show that subject matter expert how easy (and important) it is to take an idea and bring it to life in our LMS.

This is where I like to lead by example and conduct a live training “creation meeting” with our subject matter experts. During these meetings, I show them the process of creating a resource or training that provides all the details necessary for effectively educating others and adapting to a new trend or change in the digital marketing landscape.

We take it a step further by providing templates within our LMS that SMEs can select from when creating content. These templates equip creators with everything they need to make a stellar, Hennessey Digital-approved resource or training. Then, all the SME needs to do is fill in the blanks and get that information approved before we launch it live to the eyes and ears of our fellow team members.

Announce & Reiterate

Now that you’ve created an exceptional resource or training, you’re eager to make it accessible to everyone. But is there a right way to do this?

In short, yes, there’s a right way – and a wrong way. When it comes to announcing new training or processes, we strive to ensure that the message resonates, and there are various approaches you can take to achieve this. Here’s our approach:

1. Multichannel announcements: After the training is approved, we make it a point to announce it through multiple channels. We begin by sharing the news during company or departmental meetings. The choice between department-specific or company-wide announcements depends on the nature of the training. Some are tailored for specific roles or departments, while others benefit the entire company. These initial announcements, whether in department or company meetings, always come with the promise of future live training sessions. We reserve time on our calendars to host separate meetings about significant changes in our processes or in the digital industry that affect our clients or services. This separation is crucial to ensure that the training’s importance is not diluted when combined with broader department or company meetings.
2. Global announcements: Following the separate training sessions, we make a global announcement of the resource through our LMS. This means that the team has received a general announcement about the update, attended live training, and now has a resource at their disposal that relates to the update.
3. Monthly Updates: To reinforce the message and provide one last reminder about the new trend or update, I send out a monthly message via our internal messaging tool. Within our agency, it goes out on our main Slack channel. This message highlights all the new content we’ve created and added to our LMS in the previous month.

Setup An Audit Program

Now let’s admit, tackling all things digital marketing related can still be a daunting process even with subject matter experts helping you out. Sometimes, critical updates or changes slip through the cracks, including minor alterations such as user interface (UI) updates for a Google tool or the rebranding of a tool or system.

To safeguard yourself from dropping the ball and missing updates, we suggest implementing an L&D audit program. By having a recurring audit program you get buy-in from department leads and SMEs. Audits don’t take place overnight and might require significant time depending on how much content you have to review in your LMS.

I suggest giving yourself 4 weeks for the audit to give everyone ample time amidst their daily responsibilities. Here at Hennessey Digital, we attack this process over the course of a month and have our department leads go through everything related to their specific department. They are required to read through and ensure the content contained within is still relevant. This allows department leads to identify old, outdated content that either needs to be updated or potentially removed entirely. During this process, department leads and SMEs can update anything that needs immediate change. Generally, there shouldn’t be too much to update as long as you are keeping in touch with your department leads and subject matter experts throughout the year.

The L&D Audit process can also unearth gaps in your training where you might be lacking content. From there it’s back to the drawing board with identifying the subject matter experts to help you fill in that gap of content.

Rinse, repeat, and reward!

The post Incorporating the Latest Digital Marketing Trends & How to Train Your Team to Stay Ahead appeared first on Hennessey Digital.

In thinking about what makes Hennessy Digital so successful at building and maintaining a positive, strong, award-winning culture, it’s just one thing. Nope, no “Top Ten” list here, or laundry list of action items. It’s just one thing.

It’s not rocket science, it’s not expensive, and it has nothing to do with useless buzzwords like “synergy,” “world-class,” or “quiet quitting.” If you are tired of never-ending vacancies and toxic personalities, let’s dive in.

Navigating the Challenges of Human Resources

It feels like every day that passes, being a Human Resources professional is more and more challenging. And if you are a business leader that has the luck, er… responsibilities of the HR function, it’s even more difficult because you are trying to do an increasingly complex job, on top of all of your other responsibilities. Keeping up with the times, the laws and the regulations, it’s time-consuming and challenging.

Here at Hennessey Digital, we call our HR team “People Success.” In my experience, many businesses and traditional HR departments forget, or perhaps don’t realize, that the goal of HR is to help the company and its people find success. Too many times, HR staffers turn into policymakers and enforcers, and focus so much on compliance they can’t see the forest through the trees. It’s easy to do and seemingly impossible to keep up. However, compliance is important, since it reinforces essential fairness and equality when handling everything from hiring and training, to benefits and compensation.

But, People Success is different. 

When People Success stays focused on career growth, robust total rewards, ongoing leadership training, and continual improvement of the team, a magical thing happens. We see our team members stepping up, going above and beyond, and staying focused on clients’ success.

I love helping people find their way professionally. I love hiring and promotions, bringing out the best in people, growing the business, and focusing on the good. And while it’s not always so rosy, I appreciate when team members become vulnerable so we can figure out what the real issues are and solve them together.

It wasn’t always easy.

And I see now this was my path to pushing for bigger and better things. I struggled in past jobs when leadership did not support the team members and related initiatives. I struggled when they were more focused on the pennies than the people, and they acted surprised at impossible turnover and open positions that couldn’t get filled.

It is simply a recipe for failure. Don’t be that leader.

The Power of a People-Centric Approach

Put in the work upfront.

For starters, we built a strong foundation first. We got the right people on the team, set the structure, and determined business goals and our Vivid Vision. We then set clear, smart goals, stayed focused on those goals, and made decisions that work toward achieving those goals.

Getting the right people in place is key. It’s true what they say, hire good people and give them space to run. Don’t hold back when you know something is not working. Give those individuals a chance to improve, but don’t settle. Lead them, but don’t micromanage, and sometimes allow them to fail.

I should note in the People Success space, competitive pay and benefits should go without saying. They are necessary and should not be considered optional. If you do not have a competitive package, even the best environment won’t keep your key players and can’t maintain a positive culture. Basic needs must be met. This can be a large investment, but it’s an investment in your people, and people are worth it.

So what is it? What is the 1 thing?

Start with a blank piece of paper, and ask yourself this one question: What does my team want? Better yet, ask your team what they want.

Do not ask, ‘What works best for the company?’ Or, ‘How do I get to the highest level of productivity?’  And do not “lead your witness” by asking things like, “Do you think more PTO is a good idea?” Always ask these questions anonymously if you can.

We host quarterly town halls because our leadership team wants to know how we are doing. Because we’re so honest and transparent with our team, we find our team shares information with us.

I promise you will be shocked by how (mostly) very reasonable and doable their suggestions are.

Empowering Employees for Sustainable Growth

If it is that simple, why don’t more companies do this?

I’ve heard much opposition.

• What if we can’t do what is asked for by employees? Asking and not responding is worse than not asking at all. I will caution, if you ask your team, be prepared to react in some way. Think about how you can get close if what is being asked is not doable for your company. How can you find common ground, or “give a little.” Exhaust all options to make it happen. Think outside the box, and maybe even offer a trial to see how it goes. In the end, if it truly can’t be done, communicate why.
• Is this going to be expensive? It doesn’t have to be. Most employees want things in their careers that are free or very low cost, such as career pathing or flexibility to attend a concert, ballet, or soccer practice. And many want things that are simply indirect costs that can more easily be absorbed, such as mental health days or additional PTO.

Some people would make the argument that those things are not free, that they negatively affect the workforce, scheduling, etc. The opposite is true with the exception of a few industries. You’d be shocked how team members pitch in to help others out with no interruption to the business. Our leadership and People Success teams know that giving people what they need will repay itself tenfold.

• I am not sure I want to know. That’s probably the most common concern I have heard because leaders are worried about what people might say. Sometimes it’s “easier” not to know. Well, guess what? Not knowing only perpetuates the issues. Facing issues head-on is the only way to resolve them. And once the issues are resolved, we can all move on and have a better environment.
• I will only hear from the complainers. Yes, you will probably get some anonymous hateful elves. Every company has them. The best way to manage this is to take their feedback seriously and see if you can get to the root of the issue. If it is anonymous, that can be tough, but it’s worth your time to show them you care. On the flip side, companies like to listen to the “yes” women/men or the “kiss-ups.” While these opinions are also valid, these voices don’t typically represent the diversity of the company.

And then repeat.

This is not a one-time initiative. At Hennessey Digital, we don’t “set it and forget it.”

I am continually, perhaps obsessively, monitoring how people are doing. We take the temperature of our company and collect feedback in many ways, both formal and informal. The most essential is our bi-annual Employee Survey, the classic Net Promoter Score (eNPS). It’s simple with just one question and room for comments. We ask during our quarterly town halls and during our exit interviews. We even ask about engagement and their feeling of value on performance reviews. I make it known that I’m always available to receive feedback and answer any questions that the team has.

If you haven’t asked your team in the past 6 months, then it’s time. The workforce changes more rapidly than we think, especially if your company has experienced high turnover.

Our Senior Manager of Learning and Development, Greg Herrman, and I were chatting recently about the tremendous success we’ve had with engagement for online learning. Team members have not only been taking numerous courses, but also seeking out information about our training system.

The key here was simple, we decided early on that our training system is the single source of information. And then we repeated it over and over. We didn’t overcomplicate it, we repeated what worked.

Repeat what works. Change what doesn’t.

Creating a Thriving Work Environment: The One Thing That Matters

The one thing that matters is, in fact, one thing that can change and transform your company culture. It takes the desire for change and the intentionality of the leadership team to prioritize the needs, growth, and well-being of your employees.

In a world where talent acquisition and retention are crucial for organizational success, investing in a people-centric approach is more important than ever. By valuing your employees, you not only create a fulfilling work environment but also position your company for long-term growth and achievement.

So, take the first step. Embrace the power of a people-centric approach and unlock the transformative potential it holds for your company culture. Your employees and your organization will thank you for it.

The post The “One Thing” that Transforms Company Culture appeared first on Hennessey Digital.

Here are five of the big ones I get most frequently. If you’re in Human Resources/People Success, what would you add to this list?

Do you really incorporate Team Member feedback into decisions?

The short answer is YES, and frankly, any employer would be crazy not to. We are proactive and monitor our environment carefully. We always love ideas for improvement, but perhaps more importantly, we seek out issues early and nip them in the bud. We use employee feedback to get to the root of any concerns, and solve those problems head-on.

We gather feedback in a variety of ways. Our main method is our anonymous employee satisfaction survey, completed twice per year. We ask for details and specific ideas on what we are doing well, but also where we still need to improve. We analyze the quantitative and qualitative results and then I make SMART action plans for improvements.

One good example of this is our communication. When we started this survey at Hennessey Digital, communication was the most frequently-mentioned concern from team members.

To solve our communication problem, we blitzed it from all angles, including adding quarterly town halls to our biweekly all-team HenneHuddles, added a Director of Communications, implemented bi-weekly leadership team meetings, launched a new Team Member Playbook (also known as an employee handbook at less cool companies), and more. Now, we rarely see communication-related feedback in our anonymous employee surveys.

Another way we’ve incorporated feedback is in our benefits package. While our work flexibility and time-off policies are cutting edge, we received feedback early on that our health/medical benefits were lacking. As a result of this feedback, we made many enhancements to our benefits package, such as doubling down on our benefits package in 2022, with more planned for the future as we grow into our Vivid Vision. We continually monitor our compensation and benefits against industry benchmarks to make sure we’re competitive in the market.

In addition to semi-annual anonymous employee feedback surveys, we also solicit feedback during exit interviews. The goal of the exit interview must be to identify areas for improvement and how the organization can get better. It’s not the time to throw people under the bus on the way out the door, which I have sadly seen happen all too often in my career. Generally in exit interviews, you’ll get uncensored, honest insight into things we may not get from a current team member.

One caveat here is that a company needs a skilled interviewer to complete exit interviews appropriately that focus on improvements. For example, we ask “Why did you start looking for another job?” instead of “Why are you leaving?” This gives us a clearer idea of the real issues we need to address.

Finally, we monitor certain metrics to track our trends in recruiting and employment. For example, we look at turnover, job acceptance rates, and time to fill rates. We also track how many times we were in a competitive offer situation with a candidate and whether we recruited them. We also monitor feedback on social networking sites. These indirect pieces of information can work to tell a more complete story on company perception and performance.

How are you handling staffing amid the Great Resignation?

While pandemic brought many challenges for employers, the labor market was already tight before COVID-19. And right now, I don’t know of a single organization that isn’t having a hard time finding quality candidates to fill open roles quickly, except us. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are now 1.7 jobs open for every person out there looking. No wonder there is trouble.

The solution is two parts: Talent Acquisition and Retention.

Talent Acquisition

We are having amazing success hiring. How? We determine needs up front then search for talent. Our team is quick and decisive. We know what works, and we know what doesn’t. Hiring managers have the authority to move when we find someone they want, and wow do they move! We’ve kept our time to fill for leadership roles to 41 days, and non-leadership positions to 36 days, and we have grown our team by over 30% so far this year. While this isn’t any easy task, it is simply incredible results.

More and more, we are now competing with other offers, and we are winning! This is not luck. We win because we strategically designed an environment where people want to work. Having a world-class company culture and putting it out there for candidates to see is a great recruiting tool. In fact, one of our new SEO leaders even referenced our 127 Code of Honor as a big reason for joining our team.

This is the time to be laser focused on compensation and benefits too. It’s not a time to “see what people can work for” or to low ball anyone. We base salaries on national benchmarks, internal and external equity, and we go in with confidence they will accept.

Retention

More importantly than hiring is to keep your people! Of course our award-winning remote culture is a huge piece of this. But we find that individual growth is even more important. That’s why we designed the Career Pathing program and our robust Learning and Development program. More on the L&D piece to come soon.

Our Career Pathing program is transparent and team members know what they need to do to succeed, grow, and get promoted through the ranks.  And every 6 months they are considered, so even if they didn’t make it this time, they have a window of time to refocus, and then be reconsidered again.

Our turnover is in a very healthy place. Of course all companies experience turnover, and that’s sometimes a good thing, but we are proud of where we are.

What will make me stand out as an applicant at your company?

Many of the tips I have in this regard are general, and I shared how to land your dream job in digital marketing last year. And as I mentioned earlier in this post, communication and respect go a long way, and word travels fast. Always show up to scheduled interviews and communicate if and when something comes up if you must reschedule.

Because culture is such a big deal to us at Hennessey Digital, we like candidates who research our company and make it clear they know what we’re all about. Our culture is important to us, so if you can speak to who we are, what we stand for, and why you’d make a good addition to the team, that’s a great way to distinguish yourself as an applicant.

When it comes to specific skills, having hands-on SEO experience is a big bonus for any position at Hennessey Digital, but it’s critical for every client-facing role. Technical SEO and web development experience are two of the “hot” skills we’re always after.

In terms of soft skills, we look for stability. We want to see candidates with a decent track record in previous roles. If you’re changing jobs every 6 months, it’s not a good indication that you’ll be a long-term team member with us.

I also believe that when someone has a negative attitude, it’s a very difficult thing to come back from. We’d rather hire someone with a great attitude and a growth mindset and teach them skills than vice versa.

If you’re someone who can pivot quickly and roll with the punches, you’ll be a good fit for us. We move quickly because it’s the nature of our industry and our clients’ expectations, so we need our team to be flexible and willing to try new approaches to succeed.

Is this you? Check out our current open positions and see if you’re a fit for what we’re looking for!

How do you invest in your team?

L&D (learning and development) is a huge deal at Hennessey Digital. Because we’re a 100%-remote company, we’re always seeking out ways to track performance, communicate, and boost accountability virtually.

Greg Herrmann is our full-time learning and development pro who leads company wide training efforts within the company. When I asked him what the hot topics and trends are in L&D, true to form, Greg came back with a wealth of information and ideas.

These are the top areas Greg sees requests and opportunities for in L&D:

Career development and mentorship

I love that so many of our team members are eager to learn new skills to better themselves and the team.  But I also love that it’s not just skills training we see requests for: team members want to learn to lead.

Our mentoring program is a great way for people to develop and refine their leadership skills—and for those who want to become people managers to learn how to lead.  During this 6 month program, senior leaders pair up with those who are hungry to share experiences, get tips and tricks, and to grow in 6 key areas: effective communication, giving and receiving feedback, coaching and development, conflict management, change management and of course inspiration leadership.

Upskilling

Team members also want to learn intradepartmental skills in other areas of the business.  Google training in particular, is our top need for the team. The frequency with which Google makes updates and tweaks to its algorithm and supporting resources presents an evolving opportunity for the most up to date training. Our L&D strategy is nimble and we update our courses and training materials regularly. We’ve found that a blended learning approach works best, with online/virtual resources, live training sessions, and in 1:1 department meetings.

Wellness

This is the top request we see outside of topics related to our core business. Our team members are asking for personal development resources in areas like physical and mental health, financial wellness, and how to maximize the benefits we offer. We offer a centralized resource for all of these topics.  We even dedicate a Slack channel to wellness, where we exchange information, share our experiences, and encourage each other to live healthier lives.

How has Hennessey Digital addressed diversity, equity, and inclusion?

Just a few years ago, we were a small company. Now, we have team members in 14 countries and in almost 25 US states. Cultures and personalities vary greatly. DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) is one element of this, and is threaded through our company in a very natural way.

Above all, our strategy is to be inclusive of everyone, on everything. Of course this sounds insurmountable for a People Success department of four team members. So, we have chosen a few ways to be more inclusive for each country. For example, we honor and celebrate all holidays for each country we have people in, we include all contractors on our Employee Survey, we spotlight all countries in company wide meetings, and we have even conducted surveys specific to the international team to see what would help them feel included.

Concerning more “official” efforts for DEI, mainly within the US, we are just scratching the surface. I advise practitioners to be very intentional and deliberate. This is not a light topic, and if not treated with respect and purpose, it won’t be successful. I’ve seen organizations try half-hearted DEI programs and fall on their faces, or worse, have disappointed team members who feel shorted. A truly effective DEI program must have a clear purpose and goals, with a structure and framework to support it.

When a team member asked to start a thread on one particular DEI topic a few months ago, I knew it was time to implement a bigger solution. Like all things we tackle at Hennessey Digital, we value doing it right the first time. I developed an Employee Resource Group (ERG) plan document with clear goals, responsibilities, meeting cadences, and actions that the ERG would be responsible for. We needed team members to run this group with an executive sponsor who wasn’t on the People Success team, and our President & COO Scott Shrum stepped up to the plate.

I then presented this to the team member whose idea got this started, and they loved it, and it started to grow from there. They added some tweaks and came up with some fun and unique programs to help achieve the goals of the program. They did an amazing job of launching the program and are running with it. I’m thrilled we’re approaching this as an employee-driven effort, rather than a top-down directive from the C-suite.

Hennessey Digital is a very open, communicative organization, and this is one of the things our team members love about us. But we’re also cautious about boundaries at work and not distracting from our main objective: serving our clients. It’s a difficult balance to strike, as Basecamp learned last year. Like any program, this is something we need to continue to work on, and with time, we can see it improving.

The post 5 Questions with an HR Expert appeared first on Hennessey Digital.

To set the stage, here’s a scenario you may have experienced…

You’ve finally found it: the perfect job. You read the job description, you know the company. The more you research the position, the better it sounds.

You apply, wait, and hear nothing. Or worse, you go through the interview process, and then… crickets.

You know you have what it takes. It’s a slam-dunk: you’ve got the right experience and you did your homework on the company.

What went wrong?

Interviewing tips from an HR expert

First off, it’s a full-time job to land any new position, but especially your dream job. Candidates should customize their résumé for each job posting they apply to.

Taking it a step further, I always advise candidates to take the time to thoroughly prepare for their interview.

If you’re not prepping for your interview for at least an hour, you risk being declined for the position early in the process. Read and understand the job description and take time to understand the company. Major red flags come up when someone says they like working for giant corporations, and we’re a company of 120 people.

It’s great when we find the right candidate for an open position. When there’s a perfect fit, it seems like the stars align.

But there’s no such thing as the “perfect” candidate. We all have areas to improve, but the good news is that we all have room to grow. Potential and a positive attitude go far in the interview process!

Why the digital marketing job search is different

It’s no secret that remote jobs are gaining serious traction. As a 100%-virtual company, we’re not limited to one geographic area to recruit top talent. This is great for us, and also makes the competition fierce when a position does come open.

We get hundreds of resumes for any given job we post, so it’s important to cultivate a strong personal brand that stands out from the pack.

We see a lot of candidates who have creativity, passion, and knowledge. They meet the job requirements with the right skills and abilities. I want to see more from candidates we hire, and I look for an edge. Who goes above and beyond to make their résumé memorable? That’s who makes the initial cut.

Marketing has a higher turnover rate than other industries. When we recruit for new team members, we look for tenure and continuity in past or current jobs. If you’re employed at an organization for longer than 3 years, you’ll stand out as a potential candidate.

Now for the really good stuff! Here are my top interview tips for landing your dream job in digital marketing.

Tips for job interview success

At Hennessey Digital, we look for smart, driven, genuine people who will be a great addition to our culture. And the initial interview is how we can learn more about you.

Be yourself

Be genuine and show sincere interest in the position. Explain why you feel you’re a good fit. Trying to be someone you’re not will only lead to a mismatch and misunderstandings.

At Hennessey Digital, we’re proud of who we are and how we do things. The 127 Code of Honor is our “rules for the road” for how we make decisions and treat each other. It’s on our website as a reminder to us, but also for potential team members to see. If you work like we do, you’ll be a good fit for our team!

Don’t be afraid to put your best self out there in the interview. This leads to genuine conversations and helps you and the interviewer be candid about the job.

Be honest about your work experience

As a longtime HR professional, I’ve heard it all. (Interviewers can smell dishonesty a mile away, trust me.)

We all have a job that didn’t work out: maybe we were fired, laid off, or let go with no explanation. It’s unfortunately common, so don’t be embarrassed. Just because you weren’t a fit there doesn’t mean you won’t fit here.

If you’re asked about a gap in employment or the circumstances of you leaving a job, be honest. If you were in the wrong, demonstrate to potential employers how you’ve learned and are better for it now. If you can, share a brief story about how you took what you learned and applied it to a situation later on.

And when it comes to job experience, don’t lie about meeting requirements that you don’t have. Explain how other work experiences will help make up for the gap. Transferable skills and creativity count!

Be prepared, but not scripted

Being prepared for your interview is step one. But overpreparing to the point of scripting your responses can backfire.

I know from experience!

I once thought I was the perfect candidate for a job I really wanted. To  improve my chances, I asked for the hiring manager’s interview style and questions beforehand from the recruiter, who was impressed by my willingness to prepare.

But during the interview, I found myself reading my perfectly scripted notes. It was so awkward that I couldn’t recover.

Remember that it’s an interview, not a screen test. Prepare, but don’t read your word-for-word answers to interviewers’ questions. Scripted responses will make you seem stiff and less confident.

Test your technology

It’s Murphy’s Law. Our technology will fail at the worst possible time, like right when you’re trying to join a video interview call.

Work ahead and test your system as much as you can before the interview. Have a backup plan and download the app for the meeting software the company uses to your phone. (Heads up: we use Zoom at Hennessey Digital.) If your computer crashes, have another device ready just in case.

If your Plan B fails too, just stay calm and troubleshoot. Employers like to see how you perform under pressure. Things happen, and good employers will have empathy for your situation.

What NOT to do in the job interview

Now you’ve learned ways to set yourself up for success. What should you not do if you want to land the digital marketing job of your dreams?

Don’t be slow to respond

Recruiters and hiring managers are always impressed with a quick response time. Always respond to emails from the same day, or at the absolute latest, the next business day.

The digital marketing world moves fast, so you need to demonstrate you can keep up with the pace of business.

Don’t be late, reschedule multiple times, or no-show

Recruiters and hiring managers are busy, especially in digital marketing. The likelihood of getting a second chance to reschedule an interview is low. If you’re late to your interview, apologize and give an explanation for why you were late.

If a true emergency comes up, give the interviewer a heads-up right away. Things do happen, and a good employer will understand.

Don’t trash a previous employer

Even if you’ve worked for the worst company in the world, a job interview isn’t the appropriate place to talk about it. Trashing a prior employer or manager shows you have a poor attitude and likely won’t be a culture fit.

What did a bad experience at a previous employer teach you? Frame these negative experiences as questions for the interviewer that will help you learn about the company. For example: “I’ve learned through past roles that communication is very important to me. Can you talk about how I would get information to do my job effectively? How does the company encourage communication?”

Don’t give generic answers

You’ll probably be asked “what is most interesting to you about this position?” or “why do you want to work here?” Be ready with a response that shows you’ve researched the company. Illustrate in detail how you’re a good fit for them.

Interviewers expect answers that are customized to the job you’re applying for. Why are you interested in their company specifically? Saying “I’m a hard worker” is a generic statement that you could say in any interview. You’ve probably heard of behavioral interviewing questions, and you should be prepared to answer these. We want to hear your stories! Be specific in your responses and don’t speak in vague hypotheticals. This makes us wonder about your experience.

Investigate. Read up on the company culture and learn about how they work. In your interview, tie the job requirements back to your work experience. This paints a picture for how you fit into the company and the job itself.

Don’t skip the opportunity to ask questions

Failing to ask good questions is a telltale sign of not doing your research. Google can give you hundreds of potential questions to ask in an interview!

Even if the interviewer answered all your “big” things, asking questions shows a genuine interest and thirst for learning more and becoming an educated participant in the hiring process. Ask about the people you would interview with next, what their style is, and what their advice is for succeeding at the company.

The question portion of an interview gives candidates open and direct access to insider information. Use it as an opportunity to gain knowledge, do further research, and impress the next interviewer.

How to land your dream job in digital marketing

In the market for your dream job? Hennessey Digital is hiring!

We’re always looking for top talent in SEO, engineering, and people who love digital marketing as much as we do.

Check out our open positions and remember our tips for how to land your dream job in digital marketing.

Bonus points for mentioning this blog post in your interview!

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