Welcome to another in the series of articles by Guest Thinkers, marketing experts we’ve invited to share their own independent perspectives on topics salient to Think with Google readers. The views expressed are those of the authors and may not necessarily reflect the views of Google.
Back again as Guest Thinker is Jim Lecinski, clinical professor of marketing at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management and author of The AI Marketing Canvas. He’s previously written about how to give your annual marketing plan a makeover; how to adopt an agile approach to marketing; how marketers can use the “3 A’s” to apply AI; and how to make the most of marketing conferences with the help of AI. Here he advises how marketing leaders can build a world-class team.
I’ve been working closely with world-class CMOs to understand how they build, train, and sustain their great marketing teams. What I’ve discovered is that there’s a clear pattern — a deliberate approach that sets the best teams apart. I’m excited to share that blueprint with you, specifically how to hire, train, and retain top talent that results in a truly world-class marketing organization.
Hire: Build a world-class marketing team with diverse, adaptable, impact-driven talent
Hire for adaptability over experience
The classic way to hire is to find applicants with relevant work history and a certain level of experience. Marketing expertise and technical ability do matter, of course, but in today’s fast-changing world, adaptability and curiosity matter even more. Dave Schneider, CMO of Red Wing Shoe Co., put it perfectly when he told me, “First, we look for marketers who are curious. One of the most important qualities of a marketer is to seek to understand. Whether it is business performance, consumer behavior, or an emerging technology, the very best marketers have humility and seek to understand and are unafraid to ask, ‘Why?’”
During interviews, ask candidates to describe a time they successfully pivoted in their role or mastered a new technology to make an impact. Focus on “doers” with future potential rather than just experience and a static list of skills that might be outdated in a few years. When I talked about this with Carolyn Dawkins, CMO of David Yurman, she said she looks for talent who have “developed strategy through leadership across diverse experiences or projects” and have a “strong sense of curiosity and hunger to learn,” attributes that future-proof decision-making.
Seek diverse skill sets, not just diverse resumes
Diversity means more than different backgrounds. You need to build a mosaic of different experiences and skill sets, both “left brained” and “right brained,” that will enrich your marketing team. As Schneider says, “We look for individuals who are not afraid to be themselves ... . The best organizations embrace diversity of thought, experience, and opinion, creating a culture of inclusivity that allows everyone to perform at the highest levels.” Maybe you hire someone from an entirely different industry or bring in talent that combines both creative intuition and data-driven marketing expertise, skills crucial for blending human creativity with data insights in an AI-enabled world.
For example, a product development expert might offer a fresh perspective to your marketing challenges, while a candidate with coding knowledge could bring an understanding of AI algorithms that enhance brand storytelling. Together, they form a team where analytical, technical, and creative skills collide to solve complex marketing problems.
Use AI to help spot skills gaps in your team
Speaking of AI, it can also help you hire well. Use AI tools like Google’s NotebookLM to conduct a skills gap analysis of your current team. You can upload publicly available LinkedIn profiles of your current team members and prompt NotebookLM to create a unified list of skills across the team, which will then suggest to you what skills may be missing or most needed.
Schneider makes a great point here: “It’s impossible to conduct a skills gap analysis without a clear declaration of what value marketing is driving on behalf of the business.” First align with the senior leadership team on what marketing is accountable for. Then have AI help you identify areas where more marketing expertise is needed. The focus should be on hiring talent to address tomorrow’s challenges, not just today’s.
Train: Marketing team excellence requires continuous learning
Upskill for adaptability and impact
Once you’ve assembled your marketing team, your next focus is to develop them — to nourish and nurture them so they grow and flourish. The key to developing a world-class marketing team is building a culture of continuous learning. As Dawkins mentions, “I look for talent that has a strong sense of curiosity and hunger to learn,” not just about competitors or the category but about emerging technologies and macro shifts that can affect your brand. Your job is to find ways for your team to expand their marketing expertise every day.
“Insights and Inspiration” sessions are one way that Schneider fosters a learning culture at Red Wing. Roughly once a week, the team gathers to explore themes like AI, creative effectiveness, and consumer experience through outside speakers, thoughtful events, and team activities. This dedication to shared learning helps keep the entire team ahead of consumer industry trends, making them more adaptable and ready to pivot when necessary.
Try building partnerships with experts or organizations that are more advanced in particular areas. Dawkins notes that David Yurman works with such partners to “challenge the status quo whilst building the team’s expertise.” It’s this kind of external exposure that can really boost your team’s development and ability to innovate.
Put cross-training first
AI thrives when it has access to integrated, cross-functional insights. So do marketing teams. Cross-train your team across various disciplines — whether in content creation, data analytics, or brand strategy — and you’ll break down silos and build up innovation. This approach equips them with a broader understanding of the entire marketing ecosystem and helps your team use AI tools to their fullest.
As Schneider puts it, “Marketing leaders must provide both the opportunity and obligation for continuous learning that allows for teams’ professional development and a more impactful marketing plan.” Cross-functional collaboration and training not only accelerates learning but also empowers your marketers to understand the broader business context of their work.
Retain: Keep your world-class marketing team engaged and growing with AI
Foster an innovation-driven culture
Money matters, but employees stay where they feel valued, heard, and motivated to innovate. Dawkins inspires her team at David Yurman with “real-time sharing” and by showcasing work outside of their immediate categories. Urge your people to experiment, particularly with AI and other emerging tools, and give them room to fail, learn, and improve. You’ll create a culture that celebrates growth and keeps talent engaged — and motivated to stay with you.
Design career growth paths
When top performers leave, it’s often due to the lack of clear career growth. Combat stagnation by providing defined career development paths that align with the future of marketing. At Red Wing, Schneider designs learning themes and dedicated sessions where team members can share learning outcomes with peers, making personal development a community effort. I’ve led many such development sessions, helping marketing teams learn about AI. Employees who keep growing this way and who get to spearhead new initiatives will have a sense of ownership and pride over their contribution.
Find ways for your marketers to become AI champions, whether through certifications or internal roles that focus on training their peers. If you want them to stick around, give them openings to dive in and become not just AI competent but highly AI proficient. This not only drives expertise within your organization but also makes your top talent feel that they can lead the future of marketing within your company, now and for many years to come.
Let AI help with work-life balance
Work-life balance and flexibility are still key to retaining talent, and now technology can support this in unexpected ways. Use AI to streamline mundane tasks that in the past may have bogged down or overwhelmed the team, such as data gathering, analysis, and reporting. AI is good at this, and it frees up time for strategic and creative endeavors. When employees feel they can use technology to be more productive instead of being overwhelmed, morale goes up and they can focus on what really matters — delivering great work that moves the needle.
Key takeaways: How a CMO builds a world-class marketing organization
To build a great marketing team that can thrive in today’s dynamic environment, rethink how you hire, train, and retain talent. As a CMO, your approach should be to create a world-class marketing organization that adapts, learns together, and is endlessly curious.
- Start: Identify the skills gaps within your team and use AI to assess candidates’ potential fit. Embrace diverse experiences to enrich your team’s perspectives.
- Stop: Don’t rely solely on traditional training programs. Give your team access to opportunities for continuous learning and cross-functional collaboration that reflect the fast pace of change in marketing today.
- Continue: Create a thriving, flexible work environment by offering career development opportunities that align with each team member’s long-term goals, and by fostering a culture of curiosity, creativity, and innovation.
About the author
Jim Lecinski is a clinical professor of marketing at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, where he was named 2022 Professor of the Year. A recognized marketing expert with over 30 years of experience, Jim teaches popular MBA courses on marketing strategy, omnichannel marketing, and AI for marketing. His seminal book, “Winning the Zero Moment of Truth” (ZMOT), has been read by over 300,000 marketers worldwide. His latest book is “The AI Marketing Canvas,” published by Stanford University Press. Follow him on LinkedIn and watch for future articles from Jim here on Think with Google.
