Marketing Talent Search: An Interview with Thomas Peeters on Blending Marketing and Recruitment 

In this insightful interview, we talk with Thomas Peeters, the Head of THoM Talent Search at The House of Marketing, about his dynamic approach to blending marketing strategies with recruitment. Thomas shares his thoughts on how marketing principles can revolutionize talent acquisition and the importance of integrating qualitative and quantitative data in recruitment strategies. 

Thomas, can you briefly introduce yourself and describe your role at The House of Marketing? 

Thomas: Sure! My name is Thomas, and I’ll be celebrating ten years with The House of Marketing this summer. Initially, I worked as a marketing consultant on interim and consulting projects. Over the last few years, I transitioned into a commercial role as a client partner at Customer Collective, helping clients tackle their marketing challenges. Recently, I’ve taken the lead in THoM Talent Search, our third offering, alongside interim and consulting services. In this role, I work on both the commercial and operational sides, ensuring an integrated approach from client engagement to candidate placement. 

How do you integrate both qualitative and quantitative data in your recruitment strategies, and how does this approach differentiate you from traditional recruiters? 

We analyze both qualitative and quantitative data. Our approach is to recruit as marketers, meaning we start by deeply understanding the client’s needs, much like how a marketer analyzes customer needs. We interview HR managers, business managers, and other key stakeholders to grasp the whole picture. Similarly, we dive into the candidate’s needs, considering their values and mission alignment, which are more complex today than five years ago. 

We leverage our network and outbound search to target specific profiles using digital marketing techniques. We gather additional data points by testing different marketing messages and angles to see what resonates best with candidates. Combining qualitative insights and quantitative data helps us enrich job descriptions and validate our strategies. 

What role do you envision The House of Marketing playing in shaping the future of talent acquisition by applying marketing principles? 

As part of the Customer Collective group, we have close ties with technology, data, and digital marketing. Our role is to advise clients on their current needs, future trends and competencies. We help them understand who they might need in the coming years and translate market evolutions into specific roles and skill sets. 

Employer branding is another critical aspect. Just like in product marketing, defining your core value proposition and communicating it consistently is essential. We help clients position themselves authentically and ensure their messaging resonates internally and externally. 

How do you ensure alignment between marketing and HR teams when implementing recruitment strategies? 

Alignment between marketing and HR is crucial but often challenging as these departments can be separate. To bridge this gap, we define joint objectives and KPIs that both teams can work towards, such as employer engagement. HR provides insights from employees while marketing crafts compelling stories that resonate externally. This collaborative approach ensures a consistent employer brand and enhances internal communication. 

What metrics do you use to measure the success of your marketing-driven recruitment initiatives? 

While we track technical KPIs like conversion rates from long lists to shortlists and interview success rates, these aren’t always the most insightful. It’s more valuable to test different strategies and angles in the same context to see what works best. This approach provides more relevant insights for clients than average conversion rates, which vary widely by sector, role, and seniority. 

What advice would you give companies looking to enhance their talent acquisition strategies using marketing principles? 

Embrace a marketing mindset. Understand your target audience deeply, whether they are customers or candidates. Define your core value proposition clearly and communicate it authentically. Use data-driven insights to continuously refine your strategies. And most importantly, ensure close collaboration between marketing and HR to align your efforts and achieve a consistent employer brand. 

Thomas, thank you for sharing your insights with us today. It’s been a pleasure talking to you. 

Thank you! It’s been great to discuss how marketing principles can enhance talent acquisition. I hope this inspires others to explore this approach.