The Challenge
When one of Google Cloud’s partners approached us to recruit an Africa Field Marketing Manager to join their team, we knew this was no ordinary recruitment challenge. The role required identifying a standout candidate capable of driving strategic growth across Africa—a rapidly evolving market—while meeting Google’s high standards for excellence and innovation.
Key challenges included:
- Finding a Specialist with Niche Expertise within the Tech landscape
- The ideal candidate needed a rare combination of skills: extensive experience in B2B field marketing, a proven ability to plan and execute integrated campaigns, Events, and the technical acumen to position cutting-edge cloud solutions to senior stakeholders like CIOs and IT decision-makers.
- Their background would need to reflect previous success in Field marketing specifically.
- They would need to meet other profile criteria related to location, budget, and a few other things that added additional challenge to an already tiny pool of potential candidates.
Our Approach
Understanding the complexity and specificity of the role, we adopted a strategic, research-driven approach to identify and secure the right talent.
1. Comprehensive Market Research
Our team mapped the field marketing landscape in South Africa, focusing on professionals with experience in B2B technology marketing and cloud solutions. Recognizing the niche nature of the role, we expanded our search to include candidates with transferable skills from adjacent sectors and global tech companies. Even with this expansion – we were surprised at how small the pool was.
2. Intentional Outreach
Given the specialized nature of the role, we crafted personalized and compelling manual, and individual messages that highlighted the opportunity to contribute to projects within the team. This approach successfully engaged top-tier candidates, even in a highly competitive talent market.
3. Refined Candidate Screening
Due to the specific nature of the role, and quality outreach, most of the candidates we reached out to were open to meet with us, even if exploratory.
We assessed potential candidates to ensure they possessed both the technical background required to market cloud solutions and the field marketing expertise needed to drive integrated campaigns. We considered their interest, likelyhood of moving considering their current salary, location and employment set up.
The Outcome
After an exhaustive search and many interviews, we identified and presented the top candidates for the role. The top candidate not only met but exceeded the stringent requirements, combining field marketing expertise, cloud knowledge, and the ability to navigate Africa’s unique market challenges.
The candidate was hired and has since contributed significantly, driving impactful marketing strategies and delivering tangible results.
Precision and Expertise in Action
Progressive Edge is known for having the ability to navigate complex recruitment challenges with precision and efficiency. By leveraging in-depth research, strategic outreach, and rigorous evaluation, we delivered a high-caliber candidate who is thriving in this role.
