Strategic Hiring Process for Your Inbound Agency
Key Takeaways
- Three hiring categories - client delivery, capability, and tactical - each require different evaluation criteria
- Continuous talent cultivation through soft interviewing and content engagement beats reactive recruiting
- It is not inbound, it is not outbound, it is all-bound - combining both approaches produces the best results
Doug Davidhoff, founder and CEO of Imagine Business Development, joins the show to share his strategic approach to hiring that goes beyond posting job listings and hoping for the best.
Three Hiring Categories
Doug breaks agency hiring into three distinct categories, each with different triggers and evaluation criteria. Client delivery positions are junior staff hired based on capacity and revenue needs. Capability positions are support roles that enhance service offerings - these are the highest-risk hires and should be reviewed quarterly. Tactical hires involve converting existing freelancers to full-time employees when the relationship has already been proven.
Continuous Talent Cultivation
Rather than scrambling to fill positions when someone leaves or capacity is maxed out, Doug advocates for continuous talent cultivation. This means building candidate pools proactively, “soft interviewing” through content engagement, and networking before positions open. When a role does become available, the agency already has a shortlist of candidates they have been building relationships with.
Doug also recommends delegating hiring to team leaders rather than keeping it centralized with the CEO. The people closest to the work are best positioned to evaluate candidates for fit and capability.
The All-Bound Approach
Doug describes his philosophy succinctly: it is not inbound, it is not outbound, it is all-bound. The most effective agencies combine inbound marketing with deliberate outbound effort, using both channels to build pipeline and close deals.