A recruiter's mindset: strategic interviewing tips.

• Author: Johnson, Jennifer

Hiring for your marketing department is an important process, whether your firm is big or small. Your marketing department is a necessity in a law firm's strategy, and finding people who will work well in your team is imperative. Arming yourself with a few strategic questions and listening and watching for the key points can help you find the right candidate who will be more likely to stay with your team long term.

One Process Fits All

You've gathered resumes, reviewed them and decided on a few candidates to interview. Now what? A structured interviewing approach that is used consistently will make comparing candidates and the decision-making process at the end much easier.

If you're using a recruiter for your search, then you should expect to be fully briefed on the following aspects of a candidate's background before the interview takes place:

* Reasons for leaving his or her current role;

* Reasons the candidate is interested in the role you are offering.

* Salary expectations; and

* References.

When conducting the search on your own, you should do some legwork even after you find a candidate's resume that, on paper at least, seems to be a perfect fit. Start by Googling the candidate. What does the search reveal? Does he or she have a public profile on LinkedIn? Is the candidate blogging? This type of due diligence can provide you with valuable insights including the following points:

* Recommendations that have been written about the person by current and former colleagues/bosses. Look for key words and themes that sync with what you're seeking in your next hire.

* His or her writing style. Do you see typos in the profile or is it clean and easy to read?

* Group in which the candidate is involved. Is the candidate connected in the industries in which he or she work or merely sitting on the sidelines?

* If the candidate is blogging or Tweeting actively, review this content to ensure his or her public voice is one that would complement your firm's environment.

As a recruiter, I take LinkedIn seriously, because it is the world's business Rolodex. For me, marketing professionals have the opportunity to use this medium as a place to represent that they are staying up-to-date with technology as well as a chance to set a good example for the attorneys with whom they work. In my recruiting and when I'm looking to build my talent roster, I focus on marketing professionals who, at the absolute least, have a basic profile on LinkedIn.

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