The first 6 months in a new marketing role

Daniel Evans

Blogs

This one’s for the marketers stepping into a new role, especially those coming in as the first marketing hire in a recruitment business. I’ve been there myself, no team, limited resources, and a big list of expectations.

This article is built off the back of (multiple) conversations I’ve had with Lauren Turner, Marketing Manager across both Fintelligent and Leaders in Care. I’ve been lucky enough to see the impact Lauren is having on the business and it’s been incredible. So, if you’re wondering what those first six months should look like, here’s what I’ve taken from my time with Lauren.

TLDR;

Listen before delivering
Build relationships before setting boundaries
Understand what matters to your business (commercial goals)
Think commercially before planning your team’s growth
You have to be super organised so use your time wisely
Speak in their language (recruiters and CEOs)
Nail managing up, it’s key to your success

Listening before delivering

You don’t need to make an immediate impact in your first few weeks. You’re not behind, you’re not on trial, and you’re not expected to fix everything in week one.

It’s so important to listen and learn how the business works. Get to know the people, how they sell, how they talk about the brand, and what really matters to them, their clients, and their candidates. and their clients.

That early groundwork also builds trust. Because once people see you asking the right questions and showing interest in how their world works, they’re a lot more likely to back you when you start changing things later.

Relationships before boundaries

If you’re the first marketer in the business, there’s probably going to be a knowledge gap around what marketing should and shouldn’t be doing. The instinct might be to push back straight away. But sometimes, saying yes early on is what earns you the right to say no later.

Saying yes to the quick wins, to the things people think marketing should be doing, helps you build credibility. Once people know you’ve got things under control, that’s when you can start shifting gears and showing them what marketing can really deliver.

You’re not saying yes to everything forever. You’re just choosing the right moments to be generous with your time, so the longer-term strategy has a better chance of landing.

Get clear on what matters to the business

As soon as you can, start aligning your work with the business goals. That sounds obvious, but a lot of marketers walk into a new role and start focusing on brand, socials, and campaigns without ever linking it back to what the business is trying to achieve commercially.

If the focus is on client retention or building out a new contract division, that’s where your efforts should go. Set up the reporting to track progress, look at spend patterns, analyse the client base and then build campaigns that support that direction.

And when someone throws an idea your way? Make it make sense against the wider plan. If it doesn’t, that’s your reason to deprioritise or push back. Once you start tying your work to the growth targets, you’ll quickly become strategic partner, not a Canva-producer.

Think commercially before you start building the team

A lot of solo marketers want to grow the team quickly because the workload can feel overwhelming, especially when you’re working across multiple brands.

But the best time to make that case is after you’ve proved the value of marketing, not before.

Spend those first few months figuring out what the business needs, what you can realistically deliver with the time you’ve got, and where the gaps are. Use that insight to shape a clear roadmap for the next 6 to 12 months. That way, when you make the case for extra headcount or investment, it’s backed by a clear plan and commercial logic.

And don’t jump too early. One good quarter doesn’t mean the business is ready to support another full-time hire. Look for consistency first, then build the case from there.

Use your time wisely

You’ve only got so many hours in the week. And as a solo marketer, you’re going to feel stretched. That’s where organisation needs to become your super power.

Break down big priorities into smaller tasks and use tools like Trello or ClickUp to track progress and be ruthless with your time. Just because something’s fun or creative doesn’t mean it’s the best use of your day. Make sure to sure work on the business priority, not personal preference.

Speak in their language

Internal relationships make or break your role. Especially in recruitment, where marketing and sales haven’t always worked smoothly together.

So take the time to really get to know how people work. Whether that’s a consultant, a manager, or the founder – figure out what matters to them and how they prefer to communicate.

Sometimes an email won’t cut it. Sit down with people, walk them through decisions, and frame things in a way that makes sense to them. Talk results. Talk commission. Talk placements. That’s how you build buy-in – and make sure people don’t block your work further down the line.

You must manage up

When you report directly to a founder or CEO, it can be tempting to overthink every interaction. But they don’t expect you to have all the answers. In fact, they’re probably hoping you’ll bring them problems before they turn into messes. If you’re ever in doubt about priorities, push it up. Ask the right questions, present the options, and let them decide what’s most important..

And finally, don’t forget to breathe

Marketing touches every part of a recruitment business from sales, onboarding, ops, HR, the lot. You’re not going to get everything right first time. You’ll mess things up, juggle too much, and feel like you’re not moving fast enough.

That’s normal. Give yourself room to reflect and be honest about what’s working and what isn’t. That’s the best way to achieve continuous improvement and build a commercially focused marketing function.

If you’re a solo marketer walking into a brand-new role, or leading someone who is, this is your reminder that the first six months don’t need to be about massive results. They need to be about people, priorities, and perspective.

And Lauren’s experience is a great example of how to get it right.