Steve has a great article on how to hire staff in the agency world. In that, he refers to a quote that at the time was a bit of mantra for us as a team. I’m still not sure he was 100% right, and both of us are okay with that, which as Steve puts it, is down to the level of risk each party is willing to take. Or, phrasing that differently, the decision making process each party goes through.
Decision making
Firstly, I do use this saying, but I unashamedly took it from Tim . It’s Tim’s quote not mine, which I’m pretty sure he read somewhere:
If it’s not 100% yes then it’s 100% no
The great thing about that mantra is that we used it to check and balance each others thinking. Get each other to talk the other out of something, and if you couldn’t, you knew that positives would out way negatives. The thing about decisions is that you’ll never actually be able to see both sides and experience the circumstances that are created from the choice you make – what would have happened if we did that and what would have happened if we didn’t. Despite that it’s useful to have different approaches to stress test ones thinking and that combination of personality traits served us well while we worked and interviewed people together.
Judging decisions
In my mind, decisions can be judged by four characteristics:
- Quality
- Speed
- Yield
- Time
As HBR put it – “An army’s success depends at least as much on the quality of the decisions its officers and soldiers make and execute on the ground as it does on actual fighting power. “
In a business context, there are those that believe that speed is the dominant metric, usually summed up with some sort of fail fast or high-velocity decision making. But speed is only 25% when assessing the decision.
The hiring committee
Another great thing about interviewing with another person is the perspective that gives you and importantly the perspective that gives the candidate. A key point here is that it’s actually the candidates decision to join the business not the other way around.
- Interview with a CEO and they could be less connected with the day to day and therefore team fit. Ok they can deal with senior stakeholders but can they engage their colleagues?
- Similarly, interview with the Sales Director and they may only look at the sound bites – will this person say the right thing externally, does this person have the expertise we can sell. How do we account for bringing that sale into the business, passing that message on, giving context to the delivery team, for example?
- An Ops Director – is this person going to deliver efficiently and get the best work out of others.
- A Client Service person – is this person going to positively affect a sustainable relationship, build trust.
TTI – time to first interaction
In web speak, TTI (time to first interaction) is used to measure the loading of elements before a user can begin to start to use the web property.
Let’s put this in a hiring sense: every interaction (or lack there of) is an indication of the ability a candidate or employer has. It could mean a number of things; the company simply hasn’t had time to review the candidate, the candidate hasn’t differentiated against other applicants or in worst cases neither party is genuinely interested in the other.
In hiring, the TTI equivalent is that first sign of energy. Did they follow up after the interview? Did we reply promptly? Was the communication clear and respectful on both sides? These small signals are actually big indicators of alignment, values, and readiness.
Candidates who show curiosity early on tend to be more proactive when they’re in the job. Employers who are timely and thoughtful in their communication demonstrate what kind of culture they’ve built. And when both sides show signs of real engagement, it creates momentum that can be hard to manufacture later.
Red flags and green lights
When hiring for a marketing agency—especially in any people-first business —it’s not always about finding the most decorated CV or the person who “nails” the interview. It’s about pattern recognition. What behaviours or characteristics have led to success in the past? What did we ignore in the past that came back to bite us?
Some green lights we’ve learned to trust:
- Candidates who ask smart questions about the business, not just their role.
- People who reference collaboration, not just their own wins.
- Applicants who send a thoughtful follow-up—not a generic thank you, but a reflection of the conversation.
- Candidates who are comfortable being themselves in an interview setting. No bravado, no overcompensation—just clarity and presence.
And the red flags?
- Vagueness about their own contributions in past roles.
- Little or no curiosity about the team or culture.
- A strange absence of follow-up or gratitude.
- A sense that they’re not really sure why they want this job, just a job.
Hiring for trajectory, not just talent
Lastly, we’ve learned to look for trajectory over polish. Not just what someone has done, but how fast they’ve learned and where they’re heading. Someone raw but curious, driven, and thoughtful can outpace a more “qualified” hire in a matter of months.
It’s not always obvious. It won’t be 100% clear. But the job of an agency leader isn’t to be perfect—it’s to be consistent in your process and generous with your attention. Because who you hire is your agency. The culture, the product, the reputation—it all starts with the people you bring in.
Our Hiring Process (in short)
While each hire is different, having a consistent process helps reduce bias, clarify expectations, and create a better experience for candidates. Here’s how we typically structured it:
1. Define the Role (before advertising)
- Best practice: Don’t reuse old job specs—write a fresh one based on the actual current needs of the business.
- Define: key outcomes, skills required, team interaction, and growth trajectory.
- Use internal alignment to avoid divergence mid-process. Everyone involved should agree what “good” looks like.
2. Application & Shortlisting
- Best practice: Look beyond the CV. What do the cover letter, LinkedIn presence, or writing samples say about initiative and fit?
- Use criteria aligned with role success—not just past titles.
- Shortlist candidates with a mix of relevant experience and strong indicators of curiosity, communication, and alignment.
3. First Interview – Fit & Motivation
- Best practice: Keep it conversational. Learn why they are interested in you—not just why they’re a good candidate.
- Explore values, decision-making, and how they’ve responded to challenges in past roles.
- This stage is as much about them interviewing you, so be transparent about the team and role.
4. Second Interview – Capability & Collaboration
- Best practice: Include someone from the team they’ll work closely with.
- Dig into their process: how they solve problems, take feedback, communicate ideas.
- Present a small, realistic task or challenge—something they could actually face in the job. Assess thinking, not just polish.
5. Final Conversation – Chemistry & Questions
- Best practice: Think long-term. Would we want to build something with this person? How do they respond to ambiguity?
- Leave time for them to ask questions. Their questions will often tell you more than their answers.
- Be honest about the ups and downs of the role. Transparency here creates trust, whether or not they join.
6. Offer & Onboarding
- Best practice: Once the decision is made, move fast and communicate clearly.
- The offer letter should reflect everything already discussed—no surprises.
- Onboarding starts before day one. Share context, documents, goals, and early wins so they arrive ready, not confused.
Final Thought
You don’t just build teams by hiring people—you build them by hiring well. A great process doesn’t mean being rigid. It means being intentional. Be clear, be kind, and be consistent. If it’s not 100% yes, it’s 100% no. But when it is a yes? That’s the beginning of something powerful.
So, if you’re hiring for your marketing agency, remember: decisions are shared, candidates are choosing you too, and the little moments often tell the biggest stories.
