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Hiring is Just Marketing

Hiring is Just Marketing

Matt Deseno
March 03, 2026

Hiring is just marketing

Someone asked this on our Margin Makers feedback form:

"Can you walk through the stages of how you built your team? What would you do differently?"

I've gotten some version of this question at least a dozen times in the last few months.

And here's what I always want to say but never do:

You already know how to recruit. You're just not thinking about it that way.

The same things you do to get customers also work to get team members.

Let me show you what I mean.

Today in 3 minutes or less:

✔️ You already know how to do this

✔️ The same grid, flipped

✔️ Steal these (they work)

🤦 You already know how to do this

Let me show you what I mean.

Here's the real question: How did you get your last five customers?

Maybe they found a YouTube video. Maybe someone referred them. Maybe they'd been following you for months before they bought.

Now ask yourself: why would hiring be any different?

We just hired three people in the last two months, and they found us the exact same way our customers do: through content, referrals, and reputation.

Most business owners treat hiring like a completely separate problem from marketing.

They've got customer acquisition dialed in—SEO, ads, referrals, case studies—but when it comes to hiring, they post a generic job description on Indeed and pray someone decent applies.

Then they wonder why:

The best candidates never see their posting
Applications come from people who don't get it
Great employees seem to work for everyone else

Here's what they're missing: you already know how to attract people. You just need to point it at a different audience.

The tactics that bring you customers also bring you team members.

You're just not using them to your full advantage.

🧩 The same grid, flipped

Think about how you grow anything: you attract new people, and you keep existing people happy.

That's true for customers. And it's true for team members. Here’s a little grid I made so you can get the visual:

For reaching NEW people (leads or recruiting team members):

Customers need: Google reviews, case studies, paid ads
Team needs: Glassdoor reviews, "day in the life" content, employee referrals

For EXISTING people in your space (customers or team):

Customers need: Email nurture, loyalty programs, upsells
Team needs: Onboarding sequences, recognition, career development

You're not starting from scratch here. You already have the playbook.

💡 Steal these (they work)

If you post customer case studies...
Post culture stories. "Here's how Jake went from support rep to team lead in 18 months."

If you run ads to generate leads...
Run ads to generate applicants. Target people who follow your competitors or industry thought leaders.

If you have a referral program for customers...
Have a referral program for hiring. Your best employees know other great people. Ask them.

If you nurture cold leads with email sequences...
Nurture potential hires before you even have an open role. Build a "future team" list the same way you build a lead list.

If you track customer reviews on Google...
Track employee reviews on Glassdoor. Respond to them. Show you care about reputation on both sides.

The tactics are the exact same for leads as they are for teams.

🛠️ Three Things to Fix Right Now

1. Audit what's already working for customer acquisition

Don't reinvent the wheel. Look at what actually brings you customers:

What gets you the best leads?
What converts cold traffic?
What makes existing customers refer others?

Write it down. Those are your hiring tactics too.

2. Apply the same tactics to team building

Pick one thing that works for customers and do it for hiring:

Post culture content the way you post case studies
Ask your best team members for referrals the way you ask customers
Create a "why work here" page the way you have a sales page

Start with one. Don't overthink it.

3. Dig your well before you’re thirsty

Don't wait until you're desperate to hire.

Start building relationships with potential team members now:

Keep a "future team" list the same way you keep a lead list
Share content that attracts people who think like you
Engage with people in your industry (or neighboring niches) who could be great fits someday

When you need someone, you'll already have relationships built.

You're already good at attracting people who care about what you do.

You just need to realize that applies to team members, not just customers.

Stop treating hiring like a separate problem with separate tactics.

It's just marketing with a different audience.

THOUGHTS ON TODAY'S MARGIN MAKERS?

To profiting more and working less. 💸

-Matt

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