Marketing and Human Resources are worlds apart as far as the type of work involved and the personalities they attract. However, you’d be quite surprised to see much both of these specializations have in common.

Working With Search Engines

Seach Engine Marketing has become one of the most important marketing channels. Whether it’s having your website or content show up organically or via paid search - you want to be the the first result that comes up when someone searches for your product or service. Google, Bing, and YouTube are the most popular search engines and marketers try to optimize their content within these platforms. Hiring managers work within search engines themselves, with SimplyHired.com, Monster.com, and Indeed.com being the most popular. They want their job postings (content) to be found by as many qualified job prospects as possible. These job aggregators also provide organic and paid listings as well.

Putting Quality Content In Front of Target Prospects

Marketers try to put their product, paid ads, and other content in front of target prospects. Whether that potential customer is in the research stage or buying stage, marketers want their brand to be associated with filling the needs of that prospect. With hiring managers, it’s a matter of getting their job posting in front of qualified applicants. Not just any applicant is wanted, the applicants whose skillsets match the needs of the job are the desired hires.

Seeking “Conversions”

Whether it’s opting in to an email list, signing up for a free trial, or purchasing a product - marketers always want the prospect to take action. These desired actions can be tracked and are generally referred to as conversions. It’s the same for hiring managers, with the conversions being submitted applications. The marketing funnel involves prospects, leads, and ultimately customers. In conjunction, the hiring funnel involves job prospects, applicants, and hires.

As you can see, despite the vast differences between these 2 specializations, marketing and hiring have a lot in common. Marketers can learn a lot from HR professionals and vice versa.