When a growing Manchester based business realised it needed to level up its marketing leadership, finding the right person became mission-critical.
That’s when they turned to Focus 5 Recruitment, a trusted marketing recruitment agency in Manchester, to help them identify and attract the best talent in the market.
The Challenge: Finding a Senior Marketing Leader who could drive growth
Our client was creating a brand-new Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) role to help shape their marketing strategy and accelerate business growth.
While they had a small, capable marketing team, they needed someone with the senior-level expertise to bring strategic direction, commercial focus, and proven leadership.
They were looking for a recruitment partner who could:
- Understand their business and long-term ambitions
- Represent their brand professionally and ethically
- Tell their story in a compelling way to attract top talent
- Manage the full process from search through to successful placement
That’s where Focus 5 Recruitment stepped in.
Our Approach: Manchester marketing recruitment with a difference
At Focus 5 Recruitment, we’re proud to be a specialist marketing, digital, and sales recruitment agency based in Manchester. We don’t just fill roles — we build long-term partnerships and act as an extension of our clients’ teams.
For this CMO search, we worked closely with the client to:
- Define what success would look like in the first 6–12 months
- Clarify essential experience, cultural fit, and leadership qualities
- Identify ideal candidate backgrounds — and eliminate unsuitable ones
Once the brief was clear, we got to work:
- Creating a compelling job specification and advert
- Mapping the Manchester and UK-wide marketing talent market
- Proactively approaching candidates from competitor and complementary sectors
- Conducting video interviews and providing detailed candidate profiles
We didn’t rely on ad responses alone — instead, we used our Manchester marketing recruitment network to uncover both active and passive candidates who could make a real difference.
The Results: A standout hire who transformed the business
Our approach generated over 100 qualified candidates, refined through:
- 30 longlisted candidates
- 12 shortlisted with video profiles
- 9 first-stage interviews
- 6 second-stage interviews
- 3 final interviews
- 1 outstanding hire
The successful candidate has now been in post for nearly a year and has:
✅ Reduced overall marketing spend by 30%
✅ Launched a successful new product line
✅ Grown the internal team from 3 to 7 specialists
✅ Contributed to revenue growth from £12m to £19m
Their impact has been nothing short of transformative — delivering both commercial results and long-term marketing capability for the business.
Why this worked
This project was a success thanks to three key factors:
- True partnership – We collaborated closely with the client, acting as an extension of their leadership team.
- Targeted search – We went beyond job boards to reach top-tier, passive marketing talent in the Manchester market.
- Authentic storytelling – We helped the client position their opportunity in a way that resonated with senior candidates.
Looking for your next business changing hire in Manchester?
If you’re based in Manchester or the North West and looking to hire in marketing, digital, or tech, we’d love to help.
At Focus 5 Recruitment, we specialise in ethical recruitment that puts people first — connecting growing businesses with the talent they need to thrive.
📞 0161 401 4055
📧 info@focus5recruitment.com
🌐 www.focus5recruitment.com