Quick Summary
This post shares a real lesson from hiring too fast, then realizing the job title was never the problem - the missing skills were. In design and construction businesses, “marketing manager” can mean ten different things, so copying a generic job description is a fast track to frustration. Instead, start with what you actually need: lead generation to grow volume, or brand and communications to attract better-fit clients. Hire slow, define the role clearly, and you will save yourself a painful reset later.
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Firing sucks.
I haven’t had to do it in years, but the last time was awful.
They were nice, which made it harder. The relationship had been strained for months, and I kept going back and forth. But it wasn’t getting better, and it was pulling away time and energy from moving the company forward.
When I finally made the tough decision, it went fine. And I wished I’d done it sooner.
Looking back, I realized I hired too fast.
I didn’t take the time to understand what skills the company truly needed from the role. I just copied and pasted a job title and description from the internet.
Maybe you can relate to my mistake.
Skills Over Titles
In marketing, titles are wildly misleading.
One “marketing manager” might be a graphic designer creating proposals. Another plans events. Another might be building a marketing department from scratch.
Same title, but completely different skillsets.
If you’re hiring marketing support next year, don’t copy someone else’s job description. Instead, focus on the skills your company needs to grow and attract the kind of work you want more of in 2026.
The Typical Two
Here’s a simpler way to think about it:
- Want more leads? Find a marketer with lead-generation skills who is focused on filling your sales team’s inbox and calendar.
- Want to shift the quality of those leads? Lean on a marketer with the brand & communications chops to shape your reputation and positioning.
(At Findable, we have both.)
Hire Slow
Since then, I now spend at least two weeks thinking through and writing my own job description before posting it publicly.
It’s slower, but I haven’t had to repeat that awful firing experience for a while.
Daniela
