How To Hire A Content Manager

A content manager is responsible for creating, curating and communicating content as part of an organization's communication and marketing strategy.

This article will explore the job responsibilities a content manager has, the specific skills and competencies beneficial for the role and the online tests that can be embedded within the recruitment process to ensure the strongest candidate is selected for your content manager role.

What should a content manager be able to do?

A content manager needs to be able to create engaging content relevant for an organization’s target audience(s). Content needs to be shared regularly, whilst being fresh and interesting - so creativity is key. A talent for visualization, as well as excellent writing ability, will assist greatly in devising social media posts and writing blogs - some of the mediums used regularly by content managers.

Sharing content via the right communication channels is essential to reach and impact, so a content manager must also understand the audiences they are creating content for. This involves tailoring the communications approaches and language so a message is successfully communicated and resonates with the target audience.

They are responsible for curating and communicating brand image, which is important for the company's reputation and attracting new talent to join the organization. A content manager must therefore be experienced in developing a strong and consistent brand image.

Skills to look for in a content manager

To be successful in their role, a content manager will benefit greatly from certain key skills. When recruiting, it is prudent to consider the presence of the following competencies:

• Oral communication: a content manager role is all about communicating, so strong communication skills, both oral and written, are a must. They may be required to create video or podcast content, requiring an engaging oral communication style. A content manager will also likely work as part of a larger communications team, so the ability to communicate ideas clearly to other team members is useful for effective collaboration.

• Written communication: creating written content is a large part of a content manager’s role - whether this is website copy, a blog post or social media content (on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram, for example). A skilled content manager will be able to tailor their written voice for the audience and platform being used. High-quality writing is essential to engaging audiences and building a respected brand image.

• Attention to detail: content managers require an eye for detail to ensure all content released is correct and free from grammatical or spelling errors. Attention to detail is also useful for monitoring and evaluation of impact, as content managers are also required to track their performance metrics and analyse the success of their posts and overarching campaigns.

• Software skills: content managers need to have a mastery of digital and social media platforms to carry out their role effectively. This may include, but not be limited to, Wordpress, Blogspot and Wix (for website and blog content) and Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok and YouTube (for social media posts and video content). They also need to know how to use advertising features such as Google or Facebook Ads.

To create content, skill in using Microsoft applications such as Publisher, online design applications like Canva and Adobe Photoshop is important. The skills required will depend upon the software favored by your organization.

Useful abilities for a content manager

When hiring a content manager, look for the presence of the following abilities, as these will greatly improve a candidate’s performance in role:

• Creativity: content managers are responsible for creating material that target audiences will find engaging and inspiring (to increase brand exposure and awareness) or content that will encourage a specific action (such as purchasing a product or signing up to attend an event). Innovative methods of communicating and creative content are essential to generating the engagement and traction needed.

• Social perceptiveness: for a content manager, social perceptiveness is about understanding the audience(s) with which they are communicating. High levels of social perceptiveness mean that a candidate will be able to connect with the needs and values of an audience and tailor communications accordingly. Social perceptiveness also involves anticipating and understanding other people’s reactions, vital when creating content designed to perform a specific function.

• Problem-solving: content managers need to be able to come up with new ways of successfully marketing products and services to potential customers. The ability to think outside the box and problem solve, considering and evaluating the options available in a calm and efficient manner will help them to be successful in the role.

• Flexibility: campaigns don’t always resonate as planned and sometimes messages don’t land effectively or have the outcome expected. In these cases, a content manager will need to reconsider their approach and make adjustments to ensure their objectives are met. The ability to change tack and be adaptable in the face of new or unexpected challenges will help a content manager to deliver an impactful content strategy.

Which soft skills tests could I use to hire a content manager?

Incorporating soft skills tests into your recruitment process is a quick and easy way to evaluate which individuals in your candidate pool have the soft skills desired. When hiring a content manager, the following soft skills tests should be considered:

• Interpersonal skills: interpersonal skills underpin communication. As the holders of content and communication strategy, content managers need to be comfortable interacting and communicating with a wide variety of different groups with the right levels of empathy and emotional awareness. The test presents theoretical scenarios and asks candidates to evaluate the effectiveness of a list of possible responses.

• Adaptability: as covered in the abilities section, adaptability is useful as it ensures your hire will be able to comfortably manage problems and find an alternative path forwards. In an adaptability test, a candidate is presented with a series of scenarios and must select the course of action that is closest to the action they would take in the given situation.

• Leadership: depending upon your team structure, your content manager may well be responsible for managing junior communications staff. A leadership skills test is a useful way of determining if a candidate has the delegation, management and mentoring skills needed to be a strong leader. Even if your content manager role has no line management responsibility, this test is useful for assessing the ability to take ownership, initiative and lead a workstrand - such as delivering the organization’s content strategy.

• Time management: a content manager will have many communications tasks to manage across multiple mediums and platforms. Good time management is important for effective work scheduling, delivering outputs and realizing outcomes on time. The time management test asks candidates to answer questions based on workplace scenarios focused on prioritization of tasks, work planning, executing tasks and reflecting upon the timescales of delivery.

Which technical or aptitude tests could I use to hire a content manager?

A well-rounded candidate will possess the required technical skills as well as the soft skills needed to excel. To measure technical ability, consider embedding the following aptitude tests into your content manager recruitment process:

• Verbal reasoning: a verbal reasoning test assesses the ability to interpret written information, important for a role required to use the written word to communicate effectively with target audiences and messages. A verbal reasoning test presents candidates with paragraphs of information and asks them to determine whether a series of statements are ‘true’, ‘false’, or if they ‘cannot say’ based on the information provided.

• Error checking: content managers share content with large audiences, so it is vital that this is high-quality, consistent in tone and style and free from any errors to avoid any negative impact upon brand image. This requires the ability to rapidly check all content before it is released. An error checking test assesses attention to detail by asking candidates to highlight any discrepancies between two sets of information.

• Logical reasoning: a logical reasoning test is a good way of measuring problem-solving ability and the capacity to rapidly identify solutions whilst under pressure, which may be necessary during the delivery of a communications campaign. The test presents candidates with a series of patterns and asks them to select the correct next figure in the sequence.

Specific software tests, such as the WordPress Administrator test - If your company uses WordPress as its content management system, setting a skills test to evaluate a candidate’s comfort with using the platform is highly beneficial. Also consider setting tests covering Google Ads or Facebook Ads, if these are applications your chosen hire will have high levels of interaction with. A Google Analytics test is also available to assess the ability to interpret data from tracking mechanisms.

Our recommended test battery for a content manager

The right suite of pre-employment aptitude tests can help to ensure the most capable candidate is hired for your vacant content management role. At a minimum, we recommend using the following aptitude and soft skills assessments within your recruitment process:

• Verbal reasoning: written communication is an essential part of a content manager’s daily work, devising social media and blog posts to share across the most suitable platforms. A verbal reasoning test should be used within your hiring process to determine if your prospective employees have the command of language required to create impact through written content.

• Adaptability: set an adaptability test alongside the above to assess how well your candidate pool can pivot in the face of challenges to ensure the right approach is taken to meet reach and engagement targets.

• Error checking test: use an error checking test to ensure your chosen candidate has an eye for detail and can produce high-quality error-free work and develop a strong brand image through consistency.

• Software skills tests: finally, to make sure your new hire can hit the ground running and navigate the software your company uses with ease, set specific software skills tests to evaluate competency.

View our content manager test guide for more information on incorporating soft skills and aptitude testing into your recruitment process to ensure you select the strongest candidate for your roles.