The Home Care Agency Owner's Guide to Hiring a Marketer

Recruiting, marketing, and training are three core activities that can never stop if you want to grow a successful home care agency.

With increasing competition, numerous marketing channels, and changing consumer behavior, home care agencies must have a foolproof marketing strategy to succeed.

You need a marketing department to help you target and reach prospects and turn them into customers.

If you're not ready for the new challenges the market will bring, you'll find yourself in trouble when your client base starts shrinking. And this is where hiring a marketer comes in—someone who can help your business grow while you focus on providing quality service to clients.

Marketing is important to the success of your home care agency. Without it, you could miss out on a huge opportunity that could help you grow your business faster.

Marketing is one of the most powerful ways to get new customers, bring in more money, and keep existing clients coming back for more.

This guide will show you how to hire an effective marketer who can help you make the most of every marketing dollar. You will also understand the following:

The role and functions of marketers in the home care industry
Whether or not you are ready to have a marketer
What KPIs you should measure, and what performance you should expect
How to ask the right interview questions
Pay, bonus, and commission structures.

The Why and When of Hiring a Marketer

When starting a home care agency, it’s important to consider the goals of your business. For example, you might want to reach more clients, grow your client base, or improve efficiency. But how you plan to achieve these goals is equally important. And that is where having a solid plan comes in.

Why You Need to Hire a Marketing Person for Your Home Care Agency

A seasoned marketer can help you reach your target audience and get your business in front of potential clients. For example, even if you have all the caregiving knowledge and experience, your target audience won't come to you if they don't know your brand exists.

A marketer can help you set marketing goals and develop a plan to reach those goals by using different channels. This way, they can find your target audience, understand their needs, and select the best channels to reach them.

Whether or not you need a marketer depends on whether your go-to-market strategy is more marketing-intensive or sales-intensive. For example, if you're trying to create a memorable brand, it makes sense to add a marketer to your team sooner. This way, the marketer can help you with organic and paid traffic, PR, content, and so on.

But hiring a marketer at the wrong time could be a disastrous business decision. And this is why many caregiving agencies swear that hiring a marker is a waste of money. It's not. So, when is the right time to hire a marketer for your agency?

When to Hire a Marketer for Your Home Care Agency

Knowing the right time to hire a marketer is one of the most challenging business decisions growing home care agencies face. While many scenarios might prompt the decision to hire a marketer, the most common is when a business reaches a critical growth point.

If your agency has always been founder-led or sales-driven, you may soon discover that this model (where the founder or sales leader is responsible for marketing) is not sustainable.

For example, you may soon realize that your sales are plateauing, and you (the founder or sales leader)can no longer be responsible for marketing. At this point, you need to consider investing more in marketing. But you must be strategic about it.

So, when should you hire a marketer for your home care agency? To further fine-tune the timing, you should rely on the following guiding questions before searching for a marketer.

Does your agency have multiple marketing challenges you (the founder) cannot tackle well?
Will marketing play a major role in helping you launch products or home care services successfully?
Can you afford a marketer, and do you have a marketing budget?
Are you willing to spend the time it takes to find the right person?
How long ago did you start your home care agency, what is your experience level, and how many locations do you have?

1. Does Your Agency Have Multiple Marketing Challenges You (The Founder) Cannot Tackle Well?

The first thing you need to consider is whether or not there are enough marketing problems to solve. You don't hire a marketer simply because you want to "grow" or because one of the investors or board members recommended it. You need to think through the actual issues a marketer would tackle.

If there are enough issues for the marketer to tackle, you should consider whether you need full-time help to solve those marketing challenges. If you don't need full-time help, you will be better off hiring a freelancer or a marketing agency.

But when should you stop using freelancers and hire an in-house marketer?

When your projects start to multiply and managing many different freelancers starts to become a huge time suck.
If your marketing efforts are beginning to look uncoordinated because you used different freelancers who weren't talking to each other.
If you start spending close to or more than the salary, you would normally pay an in-house person to handle the same job.

2. Will Marketing Play a Major Role in Helping You Successfully Launch New Products or Services?

If your home care agency plans to build and launch a physical product, you may need to hire a marketer earlier than you think.

Home care marketing strategies will play a major role in helping you launch your physical products, especially if the products have a high price point and require packaging, distribution partnerships, and more before launch.

So, you will need a marketer since your focus will be on getting the product right, and you may not have the bandwidth to manage the marketing yourself.

3. Can You Afford a Marketer, and Do You Have a Marketing Budget?

Hiring a marketer doesn't make sense until your business has reached a certain stage. Remember that hiring a marketer isn't just about whether you can pay their salary. It's also about whether you have a robust marketing budget for Facebook ads, social media marketing, content marketing and any other marketing channel.

So, you must ensure that your planned marketing spending or budget matches the candidate's expectations. If you hire a marketer used to running a 10-person team and a $10 million marketing budget and your agency offers no budget and no team, this could be a recipe for disaster.

Also, your marketing budget, especially for paid marketing, can determine whether or not you're ready for a full-time in-house marketer.

For example, if you only have $10,000 to spend on paid ads, it would be unwise to take on the costs of a full-time marketer. Instead, you should focus on testing different marketing channels with your budget (such as podcast advertising and direct mail).

Note that a small budget doesn't necessarily mean you cannot hire a full-time marketer. For example, if you want to focus your marketing efforts around community and content, it can be smart to hire a marketer before you have a lot to spend.

This way, you can leverage the skills and effort of the marketer while avoiding budget-intensive marketing like paid advertising (until you have the budget for it).

3. Are You Willing to Spend the Time It Takes to Find the Right Person?

Unless you know a marketer interested in working with your homecare agency, it can take about three to six months to hire your first marketer successfully.

For example, you cannot need a full-time marketer to resume in October and only urgently start searching for one in September.

If you have pressing and immediate marketing needs, you should first work with a freelancer or marketing agency as a stop-gap while searching for the perfect in-house marketer.

4. How Long Ago Did You Start Your Home Care Agency, What is Your experience level, and How Many Locations Do You Have?

Another important thing you need to consider before hiring a marketer is whether you have a new or established agency, your experience level, and how many locations you have. Depending on your current stage, you will know if it's time to hire a marketer.

New Agency - Inexperienced Owner

Suppose you are a new agency owner; this is your first venture into the home care space. In that case, you should wait to learn enough about the industry and open up to 5 house accounts for large important clients before considering hiring a marketer.

This is especially important if you don't have huge capital or funding. So, with these 5 house accounts, you can be sure of recurring income and strong client relationships. You can use freelancers and marketing agencies before getting an in-house marketer to save costs.

This method of founder-led marketing can help you save costs since you'll be doing most of the marketing yourself. Plus, since you're just learning the ropes, this move can be vital to the long-term growth of your agency, help you fill the gaps in your knowledge base, and make you a better owner.

New Agency - Experienced Owner/Properly Capitalized

If you are an experienced agency owner with good capital and funding, you can hire a marketer once your license has been approved and you can legally operate your home care business. However, if you don't have enough capital for a full-time in-house marketer, you can use freelancers and marketing agencies for a start.

If you have enough capital and experience, you can hire a marketer immediately since you already have some experience and know what to do.

When you hire a marketer early (with the means to fund the marketing department), you can quickly establish yourself as a brand and build strategic partnerships.

In addition, hiring a marketer early on can help you free up your time so you can work on other aspects of your business and get enough clients (and revenue).

Established Agency - Single Location

If you are an established home care agency with only one location, your decision about when to hire a marketer should be based on your revenue goals.

Ideally, your agency should have multiple marketing challenges that you cannot tackle well, you should be willing to spend the time it takes to find the right person, and you should be able to afford a marketer and have a sizable marketing budget.

Consider your current revenue and decide on the acceptable marketer base pay range you can afford. If your agency can cover the cost of a marketer for 90 days (base pay + employer burden), you can begin the search for a marketer.

Established Agency - Expanding to Multiple Locations

If you're an established home care agency and want to expand to multiple locations, you may wonder when to hire a marketer for the new locations.

Ideally, you should not hire a new marketer right off the bat. Instead, you should "borrow" the marketer who works in the primary location and let them serve as the marketer for the new location until the new location starts generating at least 20% of the revenue of your primary location.

Alternatively, hold off hiring a new marketer until the new location's monthly recurring income or revenue can cater to the salary of the second marketer consistently.

Marketer Salary: How Much Should You Pay a Marketer?

So, how much should you pay a marketer at your homecare agency? Many home care agency owners are unsure how to structure the salary, commission, or bonuses of marketers at their agencies. This is because it's difficult to predict the impact a new hire will have on an agency's bottom line.

Typically, when considering a marketer's salary, you should remember that it should be a combination of base pay, commission, and/or bonus.

For example, the average annual pay for a home care marketer in the United States is $50,283. To put that in perspective, it works out to approximately $24.17 an hour, $966.98 per week, or $4,190.25 per month.

However, how much you pay your marketer will depend greatly on your region, location, marketer's experience, local economy, cost of living, and performance outcomes. For instance, yearly salaries for marketers could range from as low as $19,500 to as high as $102,000.

The majority of marketers in the home care industry earn between $36,000 (25th percentile) and $62,500 (75th percentile). While pay can vary largely within the U.S. and other countries or regions, ensure you comply with labor laws and regulations during the hire.

So, how should you structure your marketer's pay? Here are some general guidelines that can help you determine how much to pay a marketer in your homecare agency.

Base Only
Commission Only
Base + Commission
Base + Tiered Commission
Base + Performance Bonus

1. Base Only

You can pay your marketer only a base salary, but it's not usually the best option for a new home care agency.

Also, most marketers want a steady and reliable income with bonuses and commissions, so if you pay just the base salary, they may be less incentivized to work hard. However, this salary structure is best if you focus on inbound leads rather than chasing deals.

The base salary for a marketer should be enough to cover their basic needs and high enough to help them do well in their location. If you hire a marketer who is very good at what they do, they may be able to negotiate more money in exchange for doing more work, but this is something that you should discuss before hiring them.

In a base-only salary structure:

You don't have to pay marketers per sale (they are guaranteed a salary regardless of performance).
There are no complicated calculations (an advantage for you).
You have to pay a salary that is high enough to incentivize and motivate the marketer to do a satisfactory job (this could be a disadvantage for your business).

2. Commission Only

Commission only means that the marketer is getting paid on a commission basis for every client they bring in—and if they bring in enough clients, they'll get paid more! Here, the marketer receives a predetermined percentage of sales they make as compensation for their services.

This could be an attractive option for start-ups, especially if you do not have the funds available to pay a base salary and expect your sales numbers to grow over time.

Since the only pay the marketer earns is from the commission, the marketer will work more to earn more. This can dramatically increase your sales.

However, commission-only marketers are considered independent contractors (technically not in-house marketers). It may be harder to get these marketers, and the turnover rate may be high.

Also, when you agree on a percentage, you'll want to consider any additional costs of bringing in new clients (like advertising).

In a commission-only salary structure:

There's no base salary, and marketers will only make money based on the number of new clients they bring.
You can hire more than one marketer and be able to afford them.
It may be difficult to get interested applicants.
The turnover rate may be high.

3. Base + Commission

This common salary structure allows marketers to get paid more than just the base salary. Here, you combine base and commission into one package where your marketer gets paid both a base salary and commission simultaneously. You can pay the base salary at an hourly rate or as a straight salary.

The base + commission payment structure is beneficial because it assures the marketer that they’ll have a guaranteed base salary even when sales are low. So while the base salary, in this case, is low (obviously not as high as a base-only salary), the marketer has guaranteed income and greater income potential the better they perform.
Usually, the standard salary-to-commission ratio is 60:40, with 60% being the base salary rate and 40% being the commission-driven percentage.

For example, if your marketer earns $100,000 a year, the fixed base salary will be $60,000, and the variable commission salary will be $40,000. However, you can tweak the ratio to suit your agency.

Let’s consider the role of a hypothetical home care agency marketer who gets paid with the base pay + commission structure. Here, the marketer’s main job is to close deals and bring new opportunities for the agency.

Here’s a commission plan example:

Responsibility: Close deals

KPIs/Goals: Number of deals closed

On-Target Earning: $100,000 per year [60:40 = $60,000:$40,000]

Target: 10 deals per month

When the base salary and commission ratio is 60:40, the marketer will earn $5,000 of base salary every month, with the remaining $3,333 as variable pay.

Example Scenario 1:

The marketer closes 10 deals monthly, attaining 100% of their target.

Monthly target = 10 | Actual deals closed = 10

Target attainment % = 100% x (Target Attainment) =100% x (10/10) = 100%

Final variable pay = 100% of $3,333 = $3,333.

So, the marketer takes home $5,000 + $3,333 this month = $8,333.

Example Scenario 2:

The marketer underachieves. The variable pay will decrease depending on the % of attainment.

Monthly target = 10 | Actual deals closed = 7

Target attainment % = 100% x (Target Attainment) =100% x (7/10) = 70%

Final variable pay = 70% of $3,333 = $2,333.

So, the marketer takes home $5,000 + $2,333 this month = $7,333.

Example Scenario 3:

The marketer overachieves. The variable pay will increase depending on the % of attainment.

Monthly target = 10 | Actual deals closed = 15

Target attainment % = 100% x (Target Attainment) =100% x (15/10) = 150%

Final variable pay = 150% of $3,333 = $4,999.

So, the marketer takes home $5,000 + $4,999 this month = $9,999.

In a base + commission structure:

You pay a smaller base salary regardless of performance and a commission based on your efforts.
It helps you to keep the payroll costs lower on months with less productivity.
You need a highly motivated marketer to meet or surpass the target.

4. Base + Tiered Commission

Base + tiered commission is a compensation structure that pays employees a base salary irrespective of performance, with an increasing commission in tiers depending on performance. So, the best marketers or closers earn a higher commission once they hit certain targets.

For example, the marketer may earn a 5% commission on sales revenue when selling up to $100,000. After that, you may up the % commission to 7% until they sell $300,000. Once they hit the $300,000 target, you can increase the percentage to 10% and so on.

All you need to use this system is to set a quota, set milestones, and assign the increasing payout rates for each milestone.

In a base + tiered commission structure:

You pay a fixed base rate and varying commission percentages depending on performance.
Marketers can be motivated and get creative to achieve higher sales.
Effective because the more deals the marketers close, the more benefits they get.
You must ensure that increasing payouts remain profitable for the firm. Don’t state commission percentages you cannot afford or you run into big problems.

5. Base + Performance Bonus

Base + performance bonus is a salary structure that pays employees a base salary and a performance-based bonus as extra compensation.

Your marketer can get a bonus for meeting pre-established benchmarks and goals. So, instead of paying marketers commissions for sales, you pay them a fixed bonus monthly, quarterly, or annually.

In a base + performance bonus structure:

If your marketer does not reach the agreed goal, you don’t pay them the bonus. But if they do and surpass it, you pay on the agreed fixed rate.
You have a payment structure that is transparent and easier to calculate.

What Is the Job Description and Job Summary of a Marketer?

Before hiring a home care agency marketer, you need to know what the marketer will be doing for your agency or brand. So, what is the job summary of a marketer, and what are the qualifications an ideal candidate or marketer should have?

Qualifications and Qualities of a Marketer

They should have a degree in business, marketing, or healthcare (recommended but not required).
They should have at least 2 years of related experience in home care or other service industries (recommended but not required).
If they don't have relevant experience in your niche but have made lots of impact in other niches, they should be open to training in your organization (recommended).
They should possess excellent presentation and communication skills.
They should have a professional and positive business image.
They should be data-driven and have good analytical skills and capacity.
They should be creative and curious and understand competitors.
They should be able to build relationships with prospects and clients.
They should be strategic, especially with time and resources, and be at the top of their marketing game.
They should be able to manage large workloads and be team players.
They should be able to set clear, actionable goals.
They should be able to adapt to changing client needs.
They should have good observational skills.

Job Summary of a Marketer

A marketer will be responsible for building relationships with partners and clients via presentations, face-to-face meetings, phone calls, online meetings, email, etc. This is why your marketer must be a good communicator.

A marketer must also work with other team members to monitor goals and important KPIs like billable hours, revenue, and the number of clients. They must also develop good relationships with their supervisor and report results appropriately (either daily or weekly).

They should also be able to tell when a plan is not working and when to review the plans and tweak other networking activities.

Essential Functions of a Marketer

They should seek and develop good relationships with strong and strategic referral sources.
They should visit referral sources to grow and maintain professional relationships.
They should follow up with clients (medical and non-medical).
They should establish a networking plan that actively grows your agency's influencer network.
They should frequently update the prospects, clients, and referral sources database, so no one gets left out of a call or mailing list.

Traits and Characteristics of an Ideal Marketer

An ideal marketer should:

Be honest, trustworthy, engaging, likable, and approachable.
Be able to handle rejection.
Be able to penetrate and catch the attention of competitor clients.
Be able to get your agency more business through meetings, networking, referrals, etc.
Be strategic, systematic, and organized.
Be adaptable and collaborative.
Be results-oriented and forward-looking.
Be a creative, critical thinker and problem solver, and pay attention to details.
Be a persuasive strong communicator.
Be a strong closer.

Home Care Marketer Job Description Example

Here's an example of a marketer job description you can use to advertise for the position of marketer at your home care agency. Let's look at the job description for a marketer at a hypothetical company named Care Model.

Marketing Manager - Care Model Denver, CO.

Full-time

Company Description:

Are you looking to advance your career in one of the fastest-growing areas of healthcare where you can make a difference in people's lives? Here's an exciting opportunity for you! We at Care Model are a reputable and leading home healthcare provider with a dynamic, caring, professional, and entrepreneurial environment.

Care Model is looking for an experienced Account Executive to serve as the Marketing Manager.

The role involves developing and managing relationships with referral sources in the community, promoting Care Model Care services, and expanding our Medicare home health business in the Denver Metro territory.

We need a results-driven, highly motivated individual who can develop and build strong, lasting relationships.

We invite you to apply your energy, skills, and abilities to work in this exciting and entrepreneurial atmosphere as a vital team member dedicated to offering our patients the best possible care!

Responsibilities:

Generating referrals for home health by building relationships with physicians, long-term care, independent and assisted living facilities, and other community resources.
Conducting market analysis; and developing sales strategy, goals, and plans.
Conducting sales calls and evaluating results and effectiveness of sales activity
Supporting business development activities and helping to establish strong relationships with new and existing referral sources.

Qualifications:

Minimum of a Bachelor’s Degree. At least two years of recent sales experience in the healthcare industry, preferably in home healthcare.
Formal sales training.
Proven ability to develop and implement a sales and marketing plan.

Evidence of achieving referral goals within the market.
Excellent planning, organization, and presentation skills are critical.

The ideal candidate will have established healthcare contacts and be able to network in the community readily.

Additional Information

The most talented and admired professionals make Care Model their employer because it is a clear path to a fulfilling career and amazing, innovative colleagues.

We believe that our clients and their families deserve home health care delivered with compassion, excellence, and reliability. And that's why we need to make them aware of our helpful services and reach many other prospects.

You can become part of a caring, professional team while developing your career with an industry leader. We offer a comprehensive salary and benefits package, including the following:

Medical insurance
Paid time off (PTO)
Tuition reimbursement
401k with company match.

Salary Structure: Base Salary + Commission

Care Model is an equal opportunity employer; qualified applicants will not be discriminated against based on race, color, religion, gender, national origin, disability, or veteran status.

Interviewing Marketers for Your Home Care Agency

No matter how good a marketer's achievements look on paper (or on the internet), you need some kind of interview with them to find out if they're the best fit for the position and company.

To choose the best person for the position and your company, you need to be able to screen, interview, and hire people. Be sure you have important criteria you're looking to see and even put them in your job posting and requirements.

The screening process begins when you write your job posting, as people will apply to your job based on that post. Also, your job description should be as detailed and precise as possible.

For example, if you want a minimum educational qualification or experience, you should put it there. And if it's not required, state it there, too.

Once you're done with the requirements, you should place the job ads on professional platforms where your ideal candidate will be (such as LinkedIn). You can also post the job on job boards, in newspapers, etc.

While there will be many applicants, putting specific information goes a long way in reducing the resumes you'll ultimately have to consider (since there will be fewer unqualified candidates).

How Can You Determine the Marketer that Qualifies for the Interview?

Let's face it: You can't interview every applicant for the marketing role. And if the number of applicants is too low, something is probably wrong with your job posting (or you were detailed enough and prevented unqualified applicants from applying.

The first thing you need to know is that the right person for the job is someone who can make a difference. And that difference, in this case, is making sure that your brand and products are more visible.
If your company has an open position, look at the job description and ask yourself: Does this person have all of these qualities? If not, then you shouldn't interview them.
Because your job descriptions describe the kind of person you want in the role, they should include clearly stated skills, experience, and education that the marketer must possess.
Also, you need to check if the applicant possesses the skills required for the role. Some of these skills include communication skills, analytical skills, organizational skills, presentation skills, observational skills, etc.

Some important points to note during the screening process.

Sometimes, a candidate might not have the education you require. If they don't, you should take a look at the skills, on-the-job training, and experience that they have. Sometimes, these are worth more than a degree.
Check how often the candidate changed jobs in the past. If the applicant has changed jobs so many times, it may be a warning sign both ways (whether they were fired or whether they quit). If the candidate has an impressive profile and you want to invite them for an interview, you must insist on discussing why they changed jobs so frequently.
Cover letters are not mandatory. Any resume and cover letter submitted must be tailored to your company and the position you're looking to fill. Also, check whether the formatting is neat and free from typographical and grammatical errors.
You can use an applicant tracking system (ATS) if you will be screening more than 1,000 resumes annually. This can save you a lot of time by tracking relevant keywords and CV formats and dropping candidates who do not include these keywords or follow the right formatting procedure. This way, you only have a handful of qualified applicants to screen and consider for an interview.

Once you've gone through their resumes, you want to know what goes on in their life outside the resume.

A simple internet search can reveal many things. For example, you should check the candidate's social media presence.

While their social media presence should not automatically disqualify them, it can give you great insights into whether or not the candidate fits into your work culture.

After these screenings, only a handful of candidates would remain. These are the candidates you want to interview.

So, give them a call and fix a time that's most convenient for everyone who will be present at the interview. During the call, you can note how each candidate interacted with you. Once you've agreed on a time, note it in your schedule book.

On the Day of the Interview

You have to be at the top of your game on the day of the interview, as your decision can make, break, or dent your company. You should have a notepad where you note your observations about each candidate.

You need to note your first impressions about them. Were they punctual? If they were late, do they have a valid reason for coming late (remember, life happens)? If there was a valid reason, did they give a courtesy call to explain that they would not arrive on time? How long before the actual interview time did they call?

Some of the general impressions you should note during the interview include the following:

Their appearance. Are they clean and presentable? Did they dress appropriately for the position they were interviewing for?
How did they greet you? Did they give a firm handshake and make eye contact?
Did they smile?
Were they prepared with extra copies of their resume?
Did they put their phones on "do not disturb" (DND) silence, and did they put away their phones?

While these actions and behaviors may seem basic, they can help when you're trying to make your decision. First impressions are important and set the tone for the rest of the interview.

During the Interview

Throughout the interview, it's important to be as objective as possible. While you need to be super prepared, remember that the interview is not an interrogation but a conversation.

You should use the same interview questions for each candidate (follow-up questions may differ greatly depending on how the interview flows). Also, only ask open-ended questions so candidates can express themselves with long responses.

While the interview should be timed, you should not rush any interviewee as it could speak badly of your company. The key is to listen to what the candidates are saying and how they are saying it. Remember that you're looking for a marketer who can match your company's vision and mission.

You want to be sure that the candidate you choose has relevant experience with marketing and advertising. For example, they must know how to create effective campaigns and utilize them. If they have experience growing a business, getting results, and are personally motivated to help businesses and startups, that's a plus.

You should also ask them about their previous job experience and what they did there. If a marketer has changed so many jobs recently, you should be interested in why that's the case.

Also, pay attention to how much autonomy they had at their past job and how much responsibility they took on overall.

If they're not given much freedom at work, it might be hard for them to take on additional responsibilities without feeling overwhelmed. This is a great way to gauge whether they'd be able to work well independently and within a team environment.

Take great care to analyze the responses you get from each candidate. Some of the warning signs you should look out for include the following:

Short, closed answers to open-ended questions (inability to communicate effectively, express themselves, or hold interesting conversations).
Excessive complaints about their past jobs or previous employers (inability to take responsibility for actions).
Over-explaining answers to simple questions (they want to prove a point or cannot organize their thoughts enough to keep the talk on the subject).
Looking impatient or uninterested (they are likely impatient and might not be able to listen to instructions and follow through).
Taking over the conversation (they want to be the most significant person in the room to prove a point. While this might sometimes be a good trait, it is mostly repulsive).
Indications that the position doesn't match their long-term career goals (they are probably just here for the short term and have other plans with their lives are careers. They can quit at any time, and your turnover rate will increase).

Your Conduct As an Interviewer/Employer

While studying the candidate, you should note that the candidate will also be studying you. Thoughts that might be running through their heads include:

Are you a cool employer?
Do you know how to hold engaging conversations?
Are you showing interest in what the candidates are saying?
Are you a good listener?
Are you otherwise occupied with your phone or other devices?
Did you make eye contact?
Did you make the candidate uneasy?
Did you ask personal questions surrounding areas like religious belief or sexual orientation?
Are you clear and forthcoming with the interviewees?
Do you understand the job description?
Do you embody the passion, vision, and mission of your company?
Can you answer all the questions about the company?
Are you well-dressed, and seem like an employer or company that's fun to work with?

Sample Interview Questions, Marketing Scenarios, and Candidate Interview Evaluation

The interview process is a great way to know if a candidate is right for your agency. Here are some sample interview questions you can use when interviewing for the position of marketer at your home care agency:

Why are you looking for a job at this time? (You want to know if they quit their former position, feel unfulfilled at their current workplace, etc.).
Please review your availability with me. (You want to know their availability, if they work other jobs, etc. If the applicant is unwilling to work the hours you need or cannot meet basic criteria, they are not the best fit.
Have you ever been fired or asked to resign from a job? Explain.
What was your first paying job? What are the three most important things you learned in that job that you still value?
What do you consider is an acceptable reason to miss work?
Have you missed work before at your former workplace?
What do you consider to be a fair attendance policy?
What was a time when you went above and beyond to meet expectations?
Have you ever been disciplined on the job? Explain.
What situations demonstrate your initiative and willingness to work?
What tasks do you prefer not to do or would refuse to do?
What can you say about your experience? What qualifies you for this job?
How many years of experience do you have?
What are your strengths/weaknesses?
How healthy is your self-esteem?
How do you feel about criticism?
How would you describe yourself?
What skills would you bring to this job that would prove the most helpful? Why?
In what areas would you need additional training to improve? Why?

How would you handle the following situations:

A referral partner asks for help because their census is low.
A client or their family yells at you or says something unkind.
You’re at a potential client’s home, and the family is having difficulty getting the client to accept services; how would you manage to sign the client?
You have a 9 a.m. meeting, and it is 8:30 a.m. You are running late. What would you do?

How would you rate your skills on a scale of 1-10 (with 10 being the best)?

Relationship Building
Networking Prospecting
Digital Marketing
Verbal & Written Communication
Active Listening Skills
Follow-up.

Marketing Scenarios for Discussion

A marketing scenario summarizes your marketing strategy logic that helps you ensure your logic works.

This scenario helps to translate your marketing strategy into simple, everyday language. Here are some marketing scenarios you can discuss with your marketer to help you see how they approach problems and marketing strategies and whether or not their approach will work.

You walk into a facility for the first time, and as you approach the receptionist, you see one of your competitors at the desk. Your competitor is requesting the social worker's information so they can make an appointment. You overhear the receptionist saying to that person they are wasting their time because the social worker has a preferred company and does not refer to anyone else. What do you do?
You have been going to a facility for about 2 months, made 10 visits, and have yet to receive a true referral. You have decided to speak up and ask why no referrals are coming to you. How would you start the conversation?
You have been receiving steady referrals from a facility for months, on average 2 a week, and suddenly you notice that not a single intake has come in for 6 weeks. How do you handle it?
You go into a facility to thank the social worker for a client that was recently referred, and when you see them, they tell you that the last client they sent you has just called to complain about how terrible the aide was and the lack of response they got from the office. How do you respond?
A social worker or other referral source calls you directly with a potential client on Sunday morning. What items should you always have with you? Why?
You go to see a client in a facility, and as you approach the room, a competitor is walking out. When you sit with the potential client, they start by mentioning that they were just quoted a price much lower than what you can offer. How would you handle getting the client without discounting your product?
You are in the process of signing a client, and they balk at the price; they ask you why they shouldn’t hire someone private who works for much cheaper. Explain the benefits of hiring an agency over a private aide.

Candidate Interview Evaluation

You need to be able to evaluate and record each candidate you interview so that you can make the best hiring decisions. To do this, you will need an interview evaluation form to help you easily evaluate each candidate. Here's what a sample candidate interview evaluation form looks like.

Marketing Interview Evaluation Form

Candidate’s Name:______________________________

Position/Job title:______________________________

Date:_______________________

Department/team:______________________________

Interviewed By:________________________________

Interview rating sheet:

Scoring

Candidate evaluation forms are to be completed by the interviewer to rank the candidate's overall qualifications for the position. Under each heading, the interviewer should give the candidate a numerical rating and write specific job-related comments at the pace provided. The numerical rating system is based on the following:

5. – Exceptional 4 – Above Average 3 – Average 2 – Satisfactory 1 – Unsatisfactory

Educational Background – Does the candidate have the appropriate qualifications or training for this position?

Rating: 1 2 3 4 5

Comments:

Certifications – Does the candidate hold the necessary marketing certifications and training?

Rating: 1 2 3 4 5

Comments:

Prior Work Experience – Has the candidate acquired the necessary skills or qualifications through past work experiences?

Rating: 1 2 3 4 5

Comments:

Technical Qualifications/Experience – Does the candidate have the technical skills necessary for this position?

Rating: 1 2 3 4 5

Comments:

Marketing Experience – Does the candidate have sufficient and relevant marketing experience?

Rating: 1 2 3 4 5

Comments:

Growth – Has the candidate shown growth in traffic throughout their last job?

Rating: 1 2 3 4 5

Comments:

Industry familiarity – Is the candidate familiar with your specific industry?

Rating: 1 2 3 4 5

Comments:

Decision-making – Did the candidate demonstrate an ability to make timely, cost-effective, and informed decisions?

Rating: 1 2 3 4 5

Comments:

Content Promotion – Does the candidate show a deep understanding of content promotion strategies?

Rating: 1 2 3 4 5

Comments:

Influencer Awareness – Can the candidate point to their favorite marketer and explain why they are so effective?

Rating: 1 2 3 4 5

Comments:

Tools – Is the candidate familiar with the relevant marketing tools they will use in this role?

Rating: 1 2 3 4 5

Comments:

Metrics – Has the candidate in past roles dealt with contradictory or misleading metrics and was able to explain the metrics to non-marketing professionals?

Rating: 1 2 3 4 5

Comments:

Product Marketing – Does the candidate demonstrate knowledge of an effective product launch?

Rating: 1 2 3 4 5

Comments:

Social Media Marketing – Has the candidate researched your company's social media, and does the candidate have points of possible improvement to offer?

Rating: 1 2 3 4 5

Comments:

Content – Can the candidate highlight their favorite piece of content and explain its connection to company-wide goals?

Rating: 1 2 3 4 5

Comments:

Administrative and Budgetary Experience: financial planning, staff supervision, management of resources – Does the candidate demonstrate the knowledge of these areas necessary for this position?

Rating: 1 2 3 4 5

Comments:

Leadership Ability – Did the candidate demonstrate the leadership skills necessary for this position?

Rating: 1 2 3 4 5

Comments:

Customer Service Skills – Did the candidate demonstrate the knowledge and skills necessary to create a positive customer experience/interaction for this position?

Rating: 1 2 3 4 5

Comments:

Communication Skills – How were the candidate’s communication skills during the interview?

Rating: 1 2 3 4 5

Comments:

Candidate Enthusiasm – How much interest did the candidate show in the position?

Rating: 1 2 3 4 5

Comments:

Overall Impression and Recommendation – Final comments and recommendations for proceeding with this candidate.

Rating: 1 2 3 4 5

Comments:

(Sources: Case Western Reserve University; SmartRecruiters).

Marketer Onboarding and Performance Expectations

After interviewing and hiring the best candidate for the job, you need to onboard the new hire properly and help the marketer become familiar with the uniqueness of your company.

What to Do After Hiring Home Care Marketing Pros

You need to discuss the marketer's duties, expectations, and measurable KPIs. Doing this early on is essential as it sets the tone for how smooth your working relationship with the marketer is.

Establishing a solid, predictable baseline for work performance is a good place to start. These are ultimately at your discretion and based on what works for your company.

Here are some standards set by other agencies that have proven successful.

The workday begins and ends in the office (remote work has become increasingly popular. You can allow remote work days if it doesn't affect your marketer's productivity).
A daily itinerary should be presented to management CRM/Activity notes should reflect the itinerary.
All communications with clients and referral partners should be made through company channels (company cell phone and email).
More time should be spent cultivating accounts out in the field.
Account performance should be reviewed with management monthly/quarterly.
All expenditures above $xxxx need to be approved by management.

Marketing Objectives and Desired Outcomes

Here's a sample marketing objective that can help you

Objective

Create a schedule of visits to the top facilities you wish to target. You should visit each facility on a predictable weekly, monthly, or quarterly schedule. You should spend any remaining time prospecting other facilities and potential strategic referral partners in the surrounding zone.

Visit Objectives

Visit all the key players within your chosen facilities, documenting and tracking outcomes using your CRM or a spreadsheet. The goal is to secure and confirm a new meeting from every meeting.

Demographics

Build your strategies based on the demographic makeup of your ideal home care clients. The targeted facilities and strategic referral partners should be within these demographic zones.

Documenting Important Information

Document all activities for input into a CRM or spreadsheet.

Account Follow-up Visits

Greet those you have already met, ask to be introduced to other key people within the facility, and ask for referrals when appropriate.

What Is the Focus of the Follow-up?

Identify key players in the facility.
Continue to build on existing relationships Identify and understand the needs of the referral source.
Obtain as much personal information as possible about the referral source (birthdays, etc.).

What Is the Desired Outcome?

Open at least 15 primary accounts every month
Do at least 30 in-person visits weekly
Attend two lunch and learn meetings monthly
Attend one networking event monthly
Get at least 6 referrals monthly
Practice and perfect active listening.

90-day Outcomes

By Day 30…

Identify and qualify top accounts.
Build a schedule based on demographic zones

By Day 60…

Know at least two of the facility’s key personnel
Receive at least one referral from two of the facilities

By Day 90…

Know most of the key personnel in your accounts
Receive one referral from each primary account
If no referral is received from a facility, ask for one.
Evaluate all accounts and choose which to keep and which to replace.

Final Thoughts

Once you've chosen a marketer to work with, you must stay on top of their progress. This means making sure that you check in with them about where things stand for the month ahead.

If there are any changes in plans or goals, this will be an excellent time to ask questions about how that might affect your marketing strategy moving forward.

Another thing that you should do once you've hired a marketer is to make sure that they understand what kind of content is required for each stage of the campaign—from initial strategy development through final execution.

This means keeping an eye on social media accounts, blog posts, other forms of content, and everything else happening within the marketing sphere (such as press releases).

If the marketer is the right fit for your home care agency, they would be able to model your brand voice, implement marketing plans and strategies, and do well on important KPIs. Ideally, observe (not micromanage) them for at least three months to see how well you like their performance.

Remember, a marketer is one of the most important roles at your home care agency, and hiring one is not a walk in the park. So, you must be ready to give it all it takes to hire the best marketer for your company. Are you ready? Happy hiring!

The Home Care Agency Owner's Guide to Hiring a Marketer

The Why and When of Hiring a Marketer

Why You Need to Hire a Marketing Person for Your Home Care Agency

When to Hire a Marketer for Your Home Care Agency

1. Does Your Agency Have Multiple Marketing Challenges You (The Founder) Cannot Tackle Well?

2. Will Marketing Play a Major Role in Helping You Successfully Launch New Products or Services?

3. Can You Afford a Marketer, and Do You Have a Marketing Budget?

3. Are You Willing to Spend the Time It Takes to Find the Right Person?

4. How Long Ago Did You Start Your Home Care Agency, What is Your experience level, and How Many Locations Do You Have?

New Agency - Inexperienced Owner

New Agency - Experienced Owner/Properly Capitalized

Established Agency - Single Location

Established Agency - Expanding to Multiple Locations

Marketer Salary: How Much Should You Pay a Marketer?

1. Base Only

2. Commission Only

3. Base + Commission

4. Base + Tiered Commission

5. Base + Performance Bonus

What Is the Job Description and Job Summary of a Marketer?

Qualifications and Qualities of a Marketer

Job Summary of a Marketer

Essential Functions of a Marketer

Traits and Characteristics of an Ideal Marketer

Home Care Marketer Job Description Example

Interviewing Marketers for Your Home Care Agency

How Can You Determine the Marketer that Qualifies for the Interview?

On the Day of the Interview

During the Interview

Your Conduct As an Interviewer/Employer

Sample Interview Questions, Marketing Scenarios, and Candidate Interview Evaluation

Marketing Scenarios for Discussion

Candidate Interview Evaluation

Marketing Interview Evaluation Form

Scoring

Other Evaluation Questions and Parameters

The Resume

Pre-Interview Evaluation

First Impression Evaluation

Important Considerations/Evaluation During the Interview

Your Role in the Interview

Marketer Onboarding and Performance Expectations

What to Do After Hiring Home Care Marketing Pros

Marketing Objectives and Desired Outcomes

Objective

Visit Objectives

Demographics

Documenting Important Information

Account Follow-up Visits

What Is the Focus of the Follow-up?

What Is the Desired Outcome?

90-day Outcomes

Final Thoughts