1-Page Checklist: Fix the #1 Growth Mistake in Recruitment — Treating Marketing as a “Person”, Not a System

Use this to sanity-check your agency’s approach to marketing + BD in 2026.

1) Mindset: Sales sits inside marketing (not separate)

• We treat BD calls + outreach as top-of-funnel marketing tactics, not “instant sales”
• We accept the buyer journey is longer now (less “close on the first call”)
• We measure success by relationship + awareness + response rates, not just immediate wins

2) The classic failure: hiring a £28k “unicorn” and blaming marketing

• We are not expecting one junior marketer to be:
  • graphic designer
  • copywriter
  • strategist/CMO
  • video editor
  • CRM/data specialist
• We have a realistic scope for what marketing can achieve with our budget
• We don’t say “marketing doesn’t work” after 6–12 months of unclear direction

3) Strategy first (before tactics, agencies, or shiny ideas)

• We can answer: “Why are we doing marketing?”
• We have a written go-to-market plan (even if simple):
  • ideal client profile (ICP)
  • positioning (why us)
  • key markets/niches
  • primary channels
  • 90-day priorities
• Marketing activity is linked to the revenue engine, not a tick-box (“we’re doing marketing”)

4) Resourcing: in-house vs agency vs fractional (choose properly)

• If budget is limited, we’ve considered agency/fractional instead of hiring a junior generalist
• We use specialists like we do for:
  • accountants (critical)
  • legal (specialist)
  • finance strategy (expert)
• We’ve stopped hiring for “control” (if we can’t train/lead marketing, control is an illusion)

5) KPIs: stop running the agency like it’s 2010

• Recruiters aren’t only KPI’d on calls — we also track:
  • LinkedIn connections / target accounts added
  • meaningful DMs started
  • content posts (within guidelines)
  • event invites sent / accepted
  • conversations started (not just dials)
• We track leading indicators that create future revenue (not just “placements this week”)

6) ROI: measure it properly (quant + qual)

• We define marketing ROI in recruitment as:
  • jobs/vacancies created (primary)
  • meetings booked / replies / inbound enquiries
  • community growth / event signups
  • improved conversion rates (reply rates, meeting rates)
• We capture qualitative feedback weekly:
  • “I’ve heard of you”
  • “Saw your content/podcast/webinar”
  • “You were recommended”
• We don’t demand perfect attribution (it’s often subconscious) — but we do demand progress

7) Marketing’s job: make sales easier

• Marketing is building trust before outreach happens
• Sales outreach is supported by marketing assets:
  • events/webinars
  • podcast content
  • reports/playbooks
  • proof/case studies
• We have a simple “ecosystem” where activity compounds (not random tactics)

8) Enablement: recruiters should contribute, not become editors

• Recruiters are trained on:
  • good hooks and talking points
  • how to record a decent video (sound, framing)
  • what a strong CTA looks like
  • staying within brand guidelines
• Recruiters create (talk), marketing produces (edit/publish) — minimal time drain for billers
• We expect only ~10% to be naturally confident; we create a setup that makes it easy for more people

9) Systems + tech: avoid a “ball ache” stack

• We have a stack that connects marketing → CRM/ATS cleanly (without 50 zaps)
• We can track what activity drives:
  • leads
  • jobs
  • placements (where possible)
• We’re aiming for one source of truth across marketing + BD performance

The 30-Day Fix (minimum viable upgrade)

• Write a 1-page go-to-market plan (ICP, offer, channels, 90-day goals)
• Pick 3 metrics: Vacancies influenced + replies + meetings booked
• Set modern KPIs (calls + connections + content + conversations)
• Choose resourcing: fractional/agency OR clear in-house scope
• Launch one campaign that supports BD (webinar/report/podcast series) and build outreach around it

10-Minute Scorecard: Audit Your Recruitment Marketing + BD Setup

How to use this:
Read each statement and score yourself 0, 1, or 2.

• 0 = Not true at all
• 1 = Partially true / inconsistent
• 2 = Clearly true and working

Be honest. This is for clarity, not comfort.

1) Strategy & Direction (Max 10 points)

Statement	Score (0–2)
We have a clear Ideal Client Profile (ICP) written down	⬜
We can clearly articulate why a client should choose us	⬜
We have a documented go-to-market plan (even 1 page)	⬜
Marketing activity is tied to revenue goals, not vibes	⬜
We review strategy quarterly, not “when things feel quiet”	⬜

Subtotal /10: ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜

2) Mindset: Sales vs Marketing (Max 8 points)

Statement	Score (0–2)
We treat sales as part of marketing, not a separate silo	⬜
Cold calling is viewed as top-of-funnel, not instant close	⬜
We accept buyers need multiple touchpoints before engaging	⬜
We don’t expect “first call wins” as the norm anymore	⬜

Subtotal /8: ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜

3) Resourcing & Capability (Max 10 points)

Statement	Score (0–2)
We are not expecting one junior hire to do all marketing	⬜
Marketing responsibilities are clearly scoped and realistic	⬜
We use specialists (agency/fractional) where needed	⬜
Leadership understands enough marketing to lead it properly	⬜
Marketing is treated like finance/legal: a critical function	⬜

Subtotal /10: ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜

4) Activity & Execution (Max 12 points)

Statement	Score (0–2)
We run campaigns (events, reports, content), not random posts	⬜
Marketing supports BD conversations directly	⬜
We have at least one active authority asset (report, webinar, etc.)	⬜
Recruiters contribute insight (talking points, videos, ideas)	⬜
Marketing handles production/editing to protect biller time	⬜
Activity is consistent month-to-month	⬜

Subtotal /12: ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜

5) KPIs & Measurement (Max 10 points)

Statement	Score (0–2)
Recruiters are not KPI’d on calls alone	⬜
We track replies, conversations, meetings booked	⬜
We measure jobs/vacancies influenced by marketing	⬜
We capture qualitative signals (“heard of you”, “saw your content”)	⬜
We review performance monthly with context, not panic	⬜

Subtotal /10: ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜

6) Systems & Tech (Max 10 points)

Statement	Score (0–2)
Marketing activity links cleanly into CRM/ATS	⬜
We can broadly see where leads/jobs originate	⬜
We are not reliant on dozens of fragile automations	⬜
We trust our data enough to make decisions	⬜
We have a “single source of truth” for performance	⬜

Subtotal /10: ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜

FINAL SCORE

Add up all subtotals (Max = 60)

🟥 0–20: Old-school, high risk

You’re still relying on 2010-era BD thinking. Marketing is fragmented, misunderstood, or cosmetic. Growth will stall unless something changes.

🟧 21–40: Transition phase

You know change is needed, but execution is inconsistent. With focus and structure, this can turn into a real growth engine.

🟩 41–60: Modern, scalable

Marketing and BD are aligned. Sales is easier because trust is already built. This is what “future-proof” looks like in recruitment.

The 10-Minute Action Test

If your score is under 40, answer these three questions today:

1. What problem do we solve better than anyone else — and for who?
2. Which marketing activity directly makes BD easier right now?
3. What are we wrongly expecting one person to do alone?