Ever watched a company excitedly hire”digital expert” only to see them leave six months later, taking all their knowledge with them? I’ve seen this movie play out more times than I care to admit.
Most organizations approach digital hiring with dangerous assumptions
“We just need someone with the right technical skills.” That’s what the CEO of a mid-size ecomm told me before they hired an SEO specialist who couldn’t translate technical jargon into business value.
Companies often believe any recruiting agency can effectively find digital specialists. After all, hiring is hiring, right? Wrong.
Then there’s the classic mistake: assuming onboarding a digital specialist follows the same playbook as any other employee.
Perhaps most costly is the misconception that digital roles are easily defined. “We need a social media person” could mean a hundred different things depending on your actual business objectives.
Each digital specialty comes with its own hiring pitfalls
SEO specialists, for instance, range from technical experts who can restructure your entire site architecture to content-focused strategists who excel at keyword research but struggle with implementation. CRO and UX specialists often face the steepest learning curve when joining new organizations. They need to understand not just conversion principles, but your specific customer psychology, sales process, and technical constraints. A specialist who improved conversion rates by 40% at their previous company might struggle to achieve even modest gains if they don’t grasp your unique business context. Digital data analysts represent perhaps the most misunderstood role. Companies often hire analysts expecting them to be strategic advisors, when many excel at data processing but struggle with business interpretation. The reverse is equally problematic – hiring strategic thinkers who can’t actually extract and manipulate the data they need. Copywriters in the digital space face unique challenges too. Writing for conversion requires an understanding of psychology, testing methodologies, and platform-specific constraints that traditional copywriters may lack. I’ve seen brilliant brand copywriters fail completely at writing ad copy that converts, simply because the skillsets are entirely different.
After running Evolvery for years and helping our clients build their digital teams, I’ve reached an uncomfortable truth: hiring digital specialists isn’t just filling positions – it’s making strategic decisions that shape your entire digital trajectory. This is especially critical when hiring your first digital specialist, as they often set the tone and expectations for all future digital hires.
Generic recruiting approaches often lead to expensive mismatches. One client spent 1 year and 60K on a digital marketing manager who looked perfect on paper but couldn’t execute in their specific environment. That setback cost them nearly two years of digital growth.
The right specialist needs both technical expertise AND cultural alignment. I’ve seen technically brilliant people fail spectacularly in organizations that weren’t ready for their expertise.
Without specialized knowledge guiding your hiring process, you’ll likely hire for the wrong digital role entirely. Is it really an SEO specialist you need, or perhaps a content strategist with SEO knowledge?
The pattern repeats itself with alarming predictability
Companies struggle to define what they actually need. Technical terminology overwhelms decision-makers without digital backgrounds. Generic recruiters ask surface-level questions that fail to reveal true expertise. “Do you know SEO?” doesn’t distinguish between someone who changed a few meta tags and someone who can architect a comprehensive organic growth strategy. New digital hires without proper support systems often leave within months. Without a manager who understands their work, they become isolated, demotivated, and eventually exit – taking all accumulated knowledge with them.
We’ve identified three critical elements for successful digital hiring:
- Precise needs assessment that aligns with business objectives. This means understanding whether you truly need a full-time specialist or perhaps just a freelancer or agency partner for a specific project.
- Technical evaluation by those who understand the nuances of digital roles. We use this process when building our own team – we know what questions reveal true expertise versus surface-level knowledge.
- Structured onboarding and development plans specifically for digital specialists. This includes setting clear goals, tracking progress, and providing specialized feedback – especially critical when the direct supervisor may not fully understand the specialty.
I’ve personally hired 100+ specialists, and the difference between success and failure almost always comes down to these elements.
Digital specialists don’t just fill positions – they establish the foundation for your entire digital capability. Get this wrong, and you’re not just wasting a salary – you’re compromising market position and competitive advantage. The cost extends far beyond the hiring expense.
With the right approach to digital talent acquisition, companies can accelerate their digital initiatives while reducing risk. I’ve seen organizations transform their digital capabilities in months rather than years when they get this foundation right.
The digital talent you need exists – but finding them requires expertise that generic recruitment processes simply don’t provide. Your digital future depends on getting this first critical hire right.
One tip that will save you time and money: Before you write that job description, invest in a proper digital needs assessment with someone who understands both your business objectives AND the digital landscape. The few hours spent here will prevent months of expensive misdirection.
