Interview Guide for

Demand Generation Manager

This comprehensive interview guide provides a structured framework for identifying and hiring exceptional Demand Generation Managers. By combining behavioral interview questions, a practical work sample, and thorough competency assessments, this guide will help you evaluate candidates' marketing strategy skills, collaboration abilities, and data-driven decision-making, ensuring you select a professional who can effectively drive qualified leads and revenue growth.

How to Use This Guide

This interview guide serves as a roadmap for conducting a thorough, fair, and effective hiring process for your Demand Generation Manager position. Here's how to make the most of it:

Customize to Your Needs: Adapt this guide to reflect your specific company culture, industry context, and role requirements.
Collaborate With Your Team: Share this guide with everyone involved in the interview process to ensure consistency and alignment.
Maintain Consistency: Use the same questions and evaluation criteria across all candidates to enable fair comparisons.
Leverage Follow-up Questions: Dig deeper with the provided follow-up questions to get beyond rehearsed answers and uncover genuine experiences.
Score Independently: Have each interviewer complete their assessment before discussing candidates to prevent group bias.

For additional guidance on creating effective interview processes, check out Yardstick's blog post on structured interviews and explore sample interview questions for marketing roles.

Job Description

Demand Generation Manager

About [Company]

[Company] is a forward-thinking leader in the [Industry] space, delivering innovative solutions to help our customers succeed. Our collaborative culture values creative thinking, data-driven decision-making, and exceptional results. At [Company], you'll join a team of passionate professionals committed to making a real impact in our industry.

The Role

As our Demand Generation Manager, you'll play a pivotal role in driving our marketing strategy to generate qualified leads and accelerate revenue growth. You'll design and implement integrated campaigns across multiple channels that engage our target audience throughout the buyer's journey. Your work will directly impact our sales pipeline and be instrumental in our company's continued success.

Key Responsibilities

Design and execute multi-channel demand generation campaigns utilizing paid search, social media, email marketing, content syndication, webinars, and events
Manage marketing budgets strategically to ensure efficient spend and maximize ROI
Analyze campaign performance through key metrics to optimize results and inform future strategies
Collaborate with content marketing to develop compelling materials that engage target audiences
Implement audience segmentation and personalization to improve conversion rates
Create and manage lead nurturing programs to guide prospects through the sales funnel
Partner with sales teams to ensure alignment between marketing and sales efforts
Stay current on marketing trends and technologies to implement innovative approaches
Manage marketing automation platforms and work with CRM systems
Report on campaign effectiveness and provide actionable insights to leadership
Coordinate with external vendors and agencies as needed

What We're Looking For

3+ years of experience in demand generation, digital marketing, or related field
Proven track record of creating successful lead generation campaigns with measurable results
Strong understanding of marketing funnel dynamics and lead generation strategies
Experience with marketing automation platforms and CRM systems
Proficiency with paid search and social media advertising platforms
Excellence in analyzing data and deriving actionable insights
Strong project management skills and ability to handle multiple initiatives simultaneously
Exceptional written and verbal communication skills
Collaborative mindset with ability to work cross-functionally
Bachelor's degree in marketing, business, or relevant field (preferred)
Experience in [Industry] is a plus but not required

Why Join [Company]

At [Company], we're building something special, and we want you to be part of it. We offer an environment where your contributions are valued and your career can flourish.

Competitive compensation package: [Pay Range]
Comprehensive benefits including health insurance, retirement plans, and PTO
Professional development opportunities and mentorship
Work-life balance with flexible scheduling options
Collaborative, innovative work culture
[Additional company-specific benefits]

Hiring Process

We've designed our interview process to be thorough yet efficient, allowing both you and our team to determine if there's a mutual fit.

Initial Screening: A 30-minute conversation with our recruiter to discuss your background, experience, and interest in the role.
Marketing Campaign Work Sample: You'll complete a practical exercise demonstrating your demand generation strategy skills.
Career Experience Discussion: A deep dive into your previous marketing campaigns and achievements with our Marketing Director.
Team Collaboration Interview: Meet with key stakeholders to discuss cross-functional collaboration and marketing strategy.
Final Conversation (if needed): Additional discussion with senior leadership to address any remaining questions.

We value your time and are committed to providing timely feedback throughout the process.

Ideal Candidate Profile (Internal)

Role Overview

The Demand Generation Manager will develop and execute integrated marketing campaigns to drive qualified leads and revenue growth. This role requires a strategic marketer who excels at multi-channel campaign management, data analysis, and cross-functional collaboration. The ideal candidate will bring creativity, analytical rigor, and results-focused execution to our marketing efforts.

Essential Behavioral Competencies

Strategic Thinking: Ability to develop comprehensive marketing strategies aligned with business objectives, identify opportunities, and make decisions that drive long-term success.

Results Orientation: Strong focus on achieving measurable outcomes, setting clear goals, tracking progress, and continuously improving performance to deliver maximum marketing ROI.

Data-Driven Decision Making: Skill in gathering, analyzing, and interpreting data to inform campaign strategies, optimize marketing spend, and make evidence-based recommendations.

Cross-Functional Collaboration: Ability to work effectively with various teams, especially sales, to align objectives, share insights, and drive integrated marketing efforts.

Adaptability: Flexibility to adjust strategies based on market feedback, embrace new technologies, and quickly respond to changing business needs or competitive landscapes.

Desired Outcomes

Increase marketing-qualified lead (MQL) volume by [%] while maintaining or improving lead quality metrics within the first 12 months
Reduce cost-per-lead by [%] through optimized channel mix and improved targeting strategies
Improve lead-to-opportunity conversion rates by [%] through enhanced lead nurturing programs and sales alignment
Launch [#] integrated multi-channel campaigns per quarter that deliver measurable pipeline impact
Establish comprehensive reporting framework that provides actionable insights on campaign performance and ROI

Ideal Candidate Traits

Analytical Mindset: Demonstrates strong data analysis skills with ability to translate metrics into actionable insights
Strategic Campaign Designer: Experienced in creating integrated marketing campaigns across multiple channels
Digital Marketing Expertise: Proficient with paid search, social media advertising, and email marketing tactics
Sales-Marketing Alignment: Understands the importance of collaboration between marketing and sales teams
Results-Driven: Focuses on generating measurable outcomes and constantly optimizing for better performance
Continuous Learner: Stays current with marketing trends and technologies, applying new approaches thoughtfully
Project Management: Excels at managing multiple initiatives simultaneously while maintaining quality
Communication Skills: Articulates complex marketing concepts clearly to diverse stakeholders
Team Collaborator: Works effectively with content, creative, and sales teams to achieve shared objectives

Screening Interview

Directions for the Interviewer

This initial interview aims to quickly assess if the candidate has the fundamental qualifications and aptitude for the Demand Generation Manager role. Focus on understanding their marketing campaign experience, analytical skills, and how they've collaborated with sales teams. Look for evidence of results-driven marketing initiatives and genuine interest in our industry. This conversation should help you determine if their background and approach align with what we need in this position.

Best practices:

Review the candidate's resume before the call to personalize your questions
Start with a brief introduction of yourself and the company
Explain the interview process to set expectations
Listen for specifics in their answers, not just generalities
Allow 5-10 minutes at the end for candidate questions
Take notes on key points to share with the hiring team

Directions to Share with Candidate

I'll be asking you questions about your background in demand generation and marketing campaigns. We're looking to understand your approach to creating and measuring marketing initiatives, your experience with different marketing channels, and how you've collaborated with sales teams. Feel free to share specific examples from your experience, and we'll have time at the end for any questions you have about the role or our company.

Interview Questions

Tell me about your most successful demand generation campaign. What made it effective, and how did you measure its success?

Areas to Cover

The objectives and strategy of the campaign
Which channels were utilized and why
How the campaign was targeted to specific audiences
Key metrics used to measure success
Actual results achieved (leads, conversions, pipeline impact)
How they reported on results to stakeholders

Possible Follow-up Questions

What was your budget for this campaign, and how did you allocate it?
How did you optimize the campaign once it was running?
What would you do differently if you ran this campaign again?
How did you align this campaign with sales team objectives?

How do you approach budget allocation across different marketing channels, and how do you determine ROI for each?

Areas to Cover

Their methodology for initial budget allocation
How they track performance by channel
Metrics they prioritize when calculating ROI
How they make adjustments based on performance
Tools they use for attribution and analysis
Examples of how they've optimized spend based on data

Possible Follow-up Questions

Can you share a specific example of reallocating budget based on performance data?
How do you handle attribution when multiple channels influence a conversion?
What's your approach when a high-performing channel becomes saturated?
How do you justify marketing spend to leadership?

Describe your experience with marketing automation platforms and CRM systems. How have you leveraged these tools to improve lead management?

Areas to Cover

Specific platforms and systems they've used
How they've set up lead scoring and routing
Experience creating nurture campaigns
Integration between marketing and sales systems
Reports and analytics they typically generate
Process improvements they've implemented

Possible Follow-up Questions

How have you customized these platforms to meet specific business needs?
What lead scoring models have you found most effective?
How do you ensure clean data across your marketing and sales systems?
What automation workflows have you created that had significant impact?

How do you collaborate with sales teams to ensure alignment and effective lead handoff?

Areas to Cover

Their process for establishing sales and marketing alignment
How they define MQLs and SQLs with sales input
Communication channels and cadence with sales teams
How they gather and implement sales feedback
Processes for lead handoff and tracking
Examples of overcoming sales-marketing friction

Possible Follow-up Questions

How do you handle situations where sales teams aren't following up on marketing leads?
What service level agreements have you established between marketing and sales?
How do you gather feedback from sales on lead quality?
Can you describe a time when you improved the sales-marketing relationship?

What are the key metrics you track to measure the effectiveness of demand generation efforts?

Areas to Cover

Their perspective on which metrics matter most
Understanding of leading vs. lagging indicators
How they connect marketing activities to revenue
Their approach to reporting and dashboards
How they use metrics to inform strategy
Examples of data-driven decisions they've made

Possible Follow-up Questions

How do you distinguish between vanity metrics and actionable insights?
How frequently do you review performance metrics?
How do you communicate metrics to different stakeholders?
Can you share an example of changing strategy based on metrics?

What approaches have you found effective for segmenting target audiences and personalizing marketing messages?

Areas to Cover

Segmentation methodologies they've used
Data points they find most valuable for segmentation
How they develop personalized content for segments
Tools or techniques for personalization at scale
Results they've achieved through personalization
How they test and refine segmentation approaches

Possible Follow-up Questions

How granular do you typically get with audience segmentation?
How do you balance personalization with efficiency?
What kinds of data have you found most predictive of buyer behavior?
How do you measure the impact of personalization efforts?

Interview Scorecard

Strategic Marketing Approach

0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
1: Shows limited understanding of strategic demand generation principles
2: Demonstrates basic knowledge but lacks comprehensive campaign strategy skills
3: Exhibits solid strategic thinking with proven campaign planning abilities
4: Displays exceptional strategic vision with innovative approaches to demand generation

Data-Driven Decision Making

0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
1: Makes decisions with minimal data consideration
2: Uses data reactively but doesn't fully leverage for strategic decisions
3: Consistently uses data to inform decisions and measure results
4: Demonstrates sophisticated understanding of analytics with proactive data utilization

Marketing-Sales Alignment

0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
1: Shows limited experience collaborating with sales teams
2: Has basic understanding of sales-marketing alignment but limited success
3: Demonstrates effective collaboration with sales and understanding of lead handoff
4: Shows exceptional ability to build strong partnerships with sales and drive unified results

Lead Generation Results

0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
1: Unlikely to achieve lead generation goals
2: Likely to achieve partial lead generation results but miss targets
3: Likely to meet expected lead generation outcomes
4: Likely to exceed lead generation goals with innovative approaches

Pipeline Impact

0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
1: Unlikely to significantly impact sales pipeline
2: Likely to create moderate pipeline impact but below targets
3: Likely to achieve expected pipeline contribution
4: Likely to substantially exceed pipeline generation targets

Recommendation

1: Strong No Hire
2: No Hire
3: Hire
4: Strong Hire

Marketing Campaign Work Sample

Directions for the Interviewer

This work sample is designed to evaluate the candidate's ability to develop a comprehensive demand generation strategy. It assesses their strategic thinking, channel expertise, audience targeting, and measurement planning. The exercise should reveal the candidate's approach to integrated campaigns and their understanding of marketing fundamentals.

When evaluating responses, look for:

Strategic alignment between business objectives and marketing tactics
Thoughtful channel selection with clear rationale
Realistic audience targeting and personalization approach
Practical budget allocation with ROI focus
Comprehensive measurement plan with relevant KPIs
Realistic timeline and implementation considerations

Provide the instructions at least 24 hours before the interview. During the session, ask the candidate to walk through their strategy, and use follow-up questions to probe their thinking process and how they would adapt the strategy based on different scenarios.

Directions to Share with Candidate

For this exercise, you'll develop a demand generation campaign strategy for [Company]. Please prepare a brief campaign plan based on the information below. You'll have 15-20 minutes to present your strategy, followed by discussion and questions.

Campaign Brief:

Objective: Generate qualified leads for [Company's] [Product/Service]
Target Audience: [Brief description of ideal customer profile]
Budget: $[Amount] for a 3-month campaign
Available Channels: Paid search, social media, email, content syndication, webinars, events (virtual/in-person)
Key Product/Service Benefits: [List 3-4 key benefits]

Your campaign plan should include:

Overall campaign strategy and objectives
Target audience segmentation approach
Channel selection with rationale
Content and messaging strategy
Budget allocation
Timeline for implementation
Key performance indicators and measurement approach

Feel free to make reasonable assumptions where needed. There's no expectation of deep product knowledge—we're interested in your strategic thinking and campaign planning approach.

Interview Scorecard

Campaign Strategy & Planning

0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
1: Strategy lacks cohesion or alignment with business objectives
2: Basic strategy with limited integration across channels
3: Well-developed strategy with clear objectives and channel integration
4: Exceptional strategy demonstrating innovative thinking and comprehensive planning

Audience Targeting & Segmentation

0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
1: Minimal audience segmentation with generic approach
2: Basic segmentation but limited personalization strategy
3: Thoughtful segmentation with clear personalization plan
4: Sophisticated segmentation strategy with highly targeted approach

Channel Selection & Budget Allocation

0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
1: Inappropriate channel selection or ineffective budget distribution
2: Reasonable channel selection but suboptimal budget allocation
3: Appropriate channel mix with strategic budget allocation
4: Optimal channel strategy with innovative approach to budget maximization

Measurement & Analytics Approach

0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
1: Minimal measurement plan with few relevant KPIs
2: Basic measurement approach but misses key metrics
3: Comprehensive measurement plan with appropriate KPIs
4: Sophisticated analytics approach with clear insight into campaign effectiveness

Lead Generation Potential

0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
1: Unlikely to generate significant qualified leads
2: Likely to generate some leads but below target expectations
3: Likely to achieve lead generation targets
4: Likely to exceed lead generation targets significantly

Recommendation

1: Strong No Hire
2: No Hire
3: Hire
4: Strong Hire

Chronological Interview

Directions for the Interviewer

This interview is designed to explore the candidate's career progression and understand their experience in demand generation and marketing campaigns over time. By conducting a chronological review of their work history, you'll gain insight into their growth, adaptability, and accumulation of relevant skills. Focus on understanding their performance in previous roles, achievements, challenges, and how they've evolved as a marketing professional.

Best practices:

Start with their earliest relevant role and progress forward
Spend more time on recent and most relevant positions
Listen for context around performance claims and specific results
Probe for details on campaign management, leadership experience, and cross-functional collaboration
Look for pattern of growth and increasing responsibility
Pay attention to their reasons for role changes
Reserve time for questions about their career aspirations

Directions to Share with Candidate

We'll be walking through your professional experience chronologically to understand your career path and how your skills have developed over time. I'll ask you about your responsibilities, key achievements, and challenges in each role, focusing on your demand generation and marketing campaign experience. This helps us understand how your background aligns with what we're looking for. Please feel free to share specific examples and metrics where possible.

Interview Questions

Looking back at your career, which role do you feel had the most impact on developing your demand generation skills and why?

Areas to Cover

Which specific skills they gained from this pivotal role
How the experience shaped their approach to marketing
Key projects or campaigns that contributed to their growth
Mentors or leaders who influenced their development
How they've applied these learnings in subsequent roles
Their self-awareness about professional development

Possible Follow-up Questions

What specific challenges in this role helped you grow?
How did your perspective on marketing change from this experience?
What would you do differently if you could go back to this role?
How has this experience influenced your management style?

Let's start with your role at [Previous Company]. What attracted you to that position, and what were your main responsibilities?

Areas to Cover

Their motivation for joining the company
Scope of their marketing responsibilities
Size of team and reporting structure
Budget they managed
Types of campaigns they developed
Technologies and platforms they used
Target markets and buyer personas

Possible Follow-up Questions

What state was the marketing function in when you joined?
How did your responsibilities evolve during your time there?
What was the structure of the broader marketing organization?
How was success measured for your position?

Tell me about your most significant demand generation achievement at [Previous Company]. What was the situation, your approach, and the results?

Areas to Cover

The business challenge they were addressing
Their strategic approach and planning process
How they executed the campaign or initiative
Specific channels and tactics utilized
Resources and budget involved
Metrics and results achieved
How they measured ROI
Recognition or feedback received

Possible Follow-up Questions

What made this achievement particularly challenging?
How did you get buy-in from stakeholders for your approach?
What unexpected obstacles did you encounter and how did you overcome them?
How did this achievement impact the business beyond marketing metrics?

What were the biggest demand generation challenges you faced at [Previous Company] and how did you address them?

Areas to Cover

Specific marketing challenges encountered
Their problem-solving approach
Resources or support they leveraged
How they measured success of their solution
Lessons learned from the experience
How they've applied these lessons since

Possible Follow-up Questions

Were there internal or external factors creating these challenges?
How did you prioritize which challenges to address first?
What alternative approaches did you consider?
How did you communicate progress to stakeholders?

How did you collaborate with the sales team at [Previous Company]? Describe your approach to marketing-sales alignment.

Areas to Cover

Their process for establishing alignment between teams
Communication cadence and methods
How they defined and tracked leads with sales
Conflicts or friction points that arose
How they resolved disagreements
Successes achieved through collaboration

Possible Follow-up Questions

How did you establish credibility with the sales organization?
What structures or processes did you implement to improve alignment?
How did you handle situations when sales wasn't following up on leads?
What feedback mechanisms existed between marketing and sales?

What marketing technologies and platforms did you work with at [Previous Company], and how did you leverage them to improve results?

Areas to Cover

Specific tools and platforms they used
Their level of expertise with each technology
How they implemented or optimized these tools
Integrations they managed
Results or improvements achieved
Process changes they implemented

Possible Follow-up Questions

Which technologies did you have the most influence in selecting or implementing?
What challenges did you face with technology adoption?
How did you measure ROI on technology investments?
What manual processes did you automate?

Looking at your transition from [Previous Company] to [Next Company], what prompted that change and what new skills or experiences were you seeking?

Areas to Cover

Their motivation for making a career move
How they evaluated the new opportunity
Skills or experiences they wanted to develop
Changes in scope or responsibility
How they approached the transition
What they learned in the process

Possible Follow-up Questions

How did the new role compare to your expectations?
What was the most challenging aspect of the transition?
How did your previous experience prepare you for this role?
What surprised you most about the new position?

Which of your previous roles do you think is most similar to this position, and why?

Areas to Cover

Their understanding of the current role requirements
Relevant experience they're highlighting
Specific projects or initiatives that demonstrate transferable skills
Challenges they've faced that prepare them for this role
Results they've achieved that align with our expectations
Their self-awareness about strengths and fit

Possible Follow-up Questions

What aspects of that role prepared you best for this position?
What additional skills have you developed since that role?
What do you see as the key differences between that role and this one?
How would you apply your experiences to our company's specific challenges?

Interview Scorecard

Marketing Campaign Experience

0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
1: Limited experience designing or executing marketing campaigns
2: Some campaign experience but lacking in strategic approach or results
3: Strong history of developing and managing effective marketing campaigns
4: Exceptional track record of innovative, high-performing campaign strategies

Leadership and Growth

0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
1: Little evidence of professional growth or increasing responsibility
2: Some growth but limited leadership experience or impact
3: Clear progression with demonstrated leadership and increasing scope
4: Exceptional growth trajectory with significant leadership achievements

Sales-Marketing Alignment

0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
1: Minimal experience collaborating with sales teams
2: Basic collaboration experience but limited success in alignment
3: Strong history of effective sales-marketing partnership
4: Exceptional track record of creating high-functioning sales-marketing relationships

Marketing Technology Proficiency

0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
1: Limited experience with relevant marketing technologies
2: Basic technology experience but gaps in key platforms
3: Strong proficiency with major marketing automation and analytics platforms
4: Advanced expertise across multiple marketing technologies with implementation success

Lead Generation Results

0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
1: Unlikely to achieve lead generation goals based on past performance
2: Likely to achieve partial lead generation results but miss targets
3: Likely to meet expected lead generation outcomes based on track record
4: Likely to exceed lead generation goals based on exceptional past results

Pipeline Impact

0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
1: Unlikely to significantly impact sales pipeline based on history
2: Likely to create moderate pipeline impact but below targets
3: Likely to achieve expected pipeline contribution based on past performance
4: Likely to substantially exceed pipeline targets based on demonstrated history

Recommendation

1: Strong No Hire
2: No Hire
3: Hire
4: Strong Hire

Team Collaboration Interview

Directions for the Interviewer

This interview focuses on assessing how the candidate collaborates with cross-functional teams, particularly sales, content marketing, and other stakeholders. The demand generation role requires strong partnership skills to ensure alignment between marketing efforts and business objectives. Look for evidence of the candidate's ability to build relationships, communicate effectively, navigate conflicts, and drive results through teamwork.

Best practices:

Ask for specific examples that demonstrate collaborative behaviors
Listen for how the candidate handles different perspectives and conflicting priorities
Assess their communication style and adaptability to different stakeholders
Look for evidence of how they've built successful partnerships
Pay attention to their approach to feedback and conflict resolution
Consider how they balance being a team player with driving results
Save time at the end for the candidate to ask questions

Directions to Share with Candidate

In this interview, we'll focus on your experience collaborating with different teams and stakeholders. Since the Demand Generation Manager role requires close partnership with sales, content, and other departments, we want to understand your approach to cross-functional teamwork. I'll ask you about specific situations where you've worked with others to achieve marketing goals, handled challenges, and built effective partnerships.

Interview Questions

Tell me about a successful campaign you developed in partnership with a sales team. How did you ensure alignment and what was the outcome? (Collaboration, Results Orientation)

Areas to Cover

How they initiated collaboration with sales
Their process for establishing shared goals and expectations
How they incorporated sales feedback into the campaign
Communication methods used throughout the campaign
Specific ways they ensured sales team buy-in
How they measured success for both teams
Challenges encountered and how they were resolved
Results achieved for both marketing and sales

Possible Follow-up Questions

How did you establish credibility with the sales team?
What disagreements arose and how did you handle them?
How did you ensure sales was equipped to follow up effectively?
What would you do differently in hindsight?

Describe a time when you needed to work with the content team to develop materials for a demand generation campaign. How did you communicate your needs and ensure quality outputs? (Communication, Cross-Functional Collaboration)

Areas to Cover

Their briefing process for content requirements
How they communicated campaign strategy and objectives
Their method for providing constructive feedback
How they balanced content quality with timelines
Challenges encountered in the collaboration
How they measured content effectiveness
Lessons learned about effective content partnerships

Possible Follow-up Questions

How did you handle situations where the content team had different priorities?
What feedback loops did you create to improve future collaborations?
How did you ensure content was optimized for lead generation?
What processes did you implement to make collaboration more efficient?

Tell me about a situation where you had to influence stakeholders without formal authority to support a marketing initiative. What was your approach? (Influencing Skills, Strategic Thinking)

Areas to Cover

The specific situation and stakeholders involved
How they built the case for their initiative
Their approach to understanding stakeholder concerns
Communication strategies they employed
How they addressed resistance or objections
The outcome of their influence attempt
What they learned about effective influence

Possible Follow-up Questions

How did you tailor your approach to different stakeholders?
What objections did you encounter and how did you address them?
How did you build relationships that facilitated influence?
What would you do differently in a similar situation?

Describe a time when you had to manage conflicting priorities between different teams while working on a demand generation project. How did you handle it? (Adaptability, Problem Solving)

Areas to Cover

The specific conflict situation and teams involved
How they identified the competing priorities
Their process for evaluating options and tradeoffs
How they facilitated discussion between teams
The solution they implemented
How they communicated decisions to all parties
The outcome and lessons learned

Possible Follow-up Questions

How did you ensure all perspectives were considered?
What criteria did you use to make your final decision?
How did you maintain relationships with teams whose priorities weren't addressed?
What would you do differently if faced with a similar situation?

Tell me about a time when you received feedback that your marketing campaigns weren't meeting the needs of the sales team. How did you respond? (Adaptability, Data-Driven Decision Making)

Areas to Cover

The specific feedback received and how they processed it
How they investigated the underlying issues
Their approach to gathering additional information
Changes they implemented based on the feedback
How they measured the impact of their changes
How they communicated back to the sales team
Long-term improvements that resulted

Possible Follow-up Questions

What was your initial reaction to the feedback?
How did you validate whether the feedback was representative?
What resistance did you encounter when implementing changes?
How did this experience change your approach to sales-marketing alignment?

How have you approached educating internal teams about demand generation strategies and performance metrics? (Communication, Strategic Thinking)

Areas to Cover

Their approach to knowledge sharing across teams
Methods used to communicate complex marketing concepts
How they've built understanding of metrics and KPIs
Training or resources they've developed
How they've measured understanding and adoption
Challenges they've faced in internal education
Success stories of improved collaboration through education

Possible Follow-up Questions

How did you tailor your communication to different audience types?
What techniques have you found most effective for explaining complex metrics?
How did improved understanding impact collaboration quality?
What resistance have you encountered and how did you address it?

Interview Scorecard

Cross-Functional Collaboration

0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
1: Shows limited ability to work effectively with other teams
2: Can collaborate but struggles with difficult stakeholders or conflicts
3: Demonstrates strong partnership skills across multiple functions
4: Exceptional ability to build productive relationships and drive results through collaboration

Communication Effectiveness

0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
1: Communication lacks clarity or adaptability to different audiences
2: Communicates adequately but room for improvement in persuasiveness
3: Strong communicator who adapts style and message effectively
4: Exceptional communicator who excels at explaining complex concepts and influencing others

Conflict Resolution

0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
1: Avoids conflict or handles disagreements ineffectively
2: Basic conflict management skills but limited success with complex situations
3: Effectively navigates conflicts to reach productive resolutions
4: Exceptional at turning conflicts into opportunities for improvement and stronger relationships

Influence Without Authority

0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
1: Struggles to influence others without formal authority
2: Some success influencing others but limited in challenging situations
3: Consistently demonstrates ability to gain buy-in across various stakeholders
4: Exceptional influencer who achieves results through relationship building and persuasion

Lead Generation Focus

0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
1: Unlikely to achieve lead generation goals
2: Likely to achieve partial lead generation results but miss targets
3: Likely to meet expected lead generation outcomes
4: Likely to exceed lead generation goals with innovative approaches

Recommendation

1: Strong No Hire
2: No Hire
3: Hire
4: Strong Hire

Optional Executive Interview

Directions for the Interviewer

This interview is designed for senior leadership to evaluate the candidate's strategic thinking, cultural fit, and leadership potential. As an executive stakeholder, your perspective is valuable in determining whether the candidate has the vision and capability to drive demand generation at a strategic level. Focus on understanding how the candidate approaches marketing strategy, measures success, and aligns their work to business objectives. This is also an opportunity to assess whether they'll thrive in our company culture and add value beyond tactical campaign execution.

Best practices:

Focus on higher-level strategic questions rather than technical details
Assess their understanding of how demand generation impacts the business
Evaluate their ability to communicate marketing concepts to executive audiences
Look for evidence of innovative thinking and adaptability
Consider their potential for growth and leadership
Provide context about the company vision and challenges
Reserve time for the candidate to ask questions
Share your insights about company culture and leadership philosophy

Directions to Share with Candidate

This conversation will focus on your strategic approach to demand generation and marketing leadership. I'm interested in understanding how you think about aligning marketing efforts with business objectives, how you measure success, and your vision for building effective demand generation programs. This is also an opportunity for you to learn more about our company direction and leadership approach.

Interview Questions

How do you see the role of demand generation evolving in the coming years, and how do you stay ahead of industry trends? (Strategic Thinking, Adaptability)

Areas to Cover

Their perspective on emerging marketing trends
How they evaluate new channels or technologies
Their approach to balancing innovation with proven methods
How they stay informed about industry developments
Examples of how they've evolved their approach over time
Their vision for future demand generation practices

Possible Follow-up Questions

What recent industry change has most impacted your demand generation strategy?
How do you determine which new trends to adopt versus observe?
How have you helped organizations adapt to changing marketing landscapes?
What sources do you rely on to stay informed?

Tell me about a time when you had to realign a demand generation strategy due to changing business priorities. How did you approach it? (Strategic Thinking, Adaptability)

Areas to Cover

The specific business change and its impact on marketing
How they gathered information to inform their new approach
Their process for developing the realigned strategy
How they communicated changes to stakeholders
Challenges encountered during the transition
Results achieved with the new approach
Lessons learned about strategic flexibility

Possible Follow-up Questions

How did you manage campaign continuity during the transition?
What resistance did you encounter and how did you address it?
How quickly were you able to implement the changes?
How did you measure the success of the realignment?

How do you connect demand generation activities to revenue outcomes? What approach do you take to attribution? (Data-Driven Decision Making, Results Orientation)

Areas to Cover

Their philosophy on marketing attribution
Specific models they've implemented or used
How they've overcome attribution challenges
Their approach to reporting marketing's impact on revenue
How they use attribution data to inform strategy
Examples of how they've improved attribution accuracy
How they communicate attribution insights to leadership

Possible Follow-up Questions

How do you handle attribution in complex, multi-touch customer journeys?
What tools or technologies have you found most effective for attribution?
How do you balance perfect attribution with actionable insights?
How have you helped leadership understand marketing's revenue contribution?

Describe your approach to building and developing a high-performing marketing team. What qualities do you look for and how do you foster growth? (Leadership, Team Development)

Areas to Cover

Their leadership philosophy and approach
Qualities they prioritize when building a team
How they assess talent and potential
Their methods for developing team members
Examples of how they've improved team performance
Their approach to addressing performance issues
How they foster collaboration and innovation

Possible Follow-up Questions

How do you balance specialized expertise with versatility in a team?
How have you handled situations where team members were resistant to change?
What's your approach to giving feedback and managing performance?
How do you keep a team motivated during challenging periods?

What do you believe are the most critical factors in creating effective collaboration between marketing, sales, and product teams? (Cross-Functional Collaboration, Strategic Thinking)

Areas to Cover

Their philosophy on cross-functional alignment
Specific structures or processes they've implemented
How they establish shared goals and metrics
Their approach to communication across teams
Examples of successful collaboration they've led
How they've resolved cross-functional conflicts
Their view on marketing's role in supporting other functions

Possible Follow-up Questions

How do you establish credibility with non-marketing leaders?
What have you found most challenging about cross-functional collaboration?
How do you handle situations where teams have conflicting priorities?
What role does marketing data play in cross-functional decision making?

Looking at our company and market position, what do you see as the biggest opportunities and challenges for our demand generation efforts? (Strategic Thinking, Business Acumen)

Areas to Cover

Their understanding of our business and industry
How they analyze market opportunities
Their approach to competitive differentiation
Their perspective on our target audience
Strategic priorities they would recommend
Potential challenges they've identified
Initial thoughts on approach and execution

Possible Follow-up Questions

How would you prioritize these opportunities?
What information would you need to refine your assessment?
How would you measure success in addressing these areas?
What resources would be most critical to executing effectively?

Interview Scorecard

Strategic Vision

0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
1: Limited strategic perspective or future-oriented thinking
2: Demonstrates basic strategic understanding but lacks depth
3: Shows strong strategic thinking with clear vision for marketing's role
4: Exceptional strategic capabilities with innovative, forward-thinking approach

Business Acumen

0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
1: Limited understanding of business context beyond marketing
2: Basic business knowledge but gaps in connecting marketing to broader objectives
3: Strong business acumen with clear ability to align marketing with company goals
4: Exceptional understanding of business dynamics with ability to drive strategic value

Leadership Capability

0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
1: Limited leadership experience or effectiveness
2: Some leadership capabilities but development areas remain
3: Demonstrates strong leadership approach and team development skills
4: Exceptional leadership potential with proven ability to build high-performing teams

Executive Communication

0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
1: Communication lacks executive presence or persuasiveness
2: Communicates adequately but room for improvement at executive level
3: Strong communicator who presents ideas clearly and persuasively
4: Exceptional communicator who inspires confidence and influences effectively

Lead Generation Strategy

0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
1: Unlikely to develop effective lead generation strategies
2: Likely to create basic strategies but miss opportunities for optimization
3: Likely to implement effective, data-driven lead generation strategies
4: Likely to develop innovative, high-performing lead generation approaches

Recommendation

1: Strong No Hire
2: No Hire
3: Hire
4: Strong Hire

Debrief Meeting

Directions for Conducting the Debrief Meeting

The Debrief Meeting is an open discussion for the hiring team members to share the information learned during the candidate interviews. Use the questions below to guide the discussion.

Start the meeting by reviewing the requirements for the role and the key competencies and goals to succeed.

The meeting leader should strive to create an environment where it is okay to express opinions about the candidate that differ from the consensus or from leadership's opinions.

Scores and interview notes are important data points but should not be the sole factor in making the final decision.

Any hiring team member should feel free to change their recommendation as they learn new information and reflect on what they've learned.

Questions to Guide the Debrief Meeting

Does anyone have any questions for the other interviewers about the candidate?

Guidance: The meeting facilitator should initially present themselves as neutral and try not to sway the conversation before others have a chance to speak up.

Are there any additional comments about the Candidate?

Guidance: This is an opportunity for all the interviewers to share anything they learned that is important for the other interviewers to know.

How do the candidate's demand generation capabilities align with our specific business needs?

Guidance: Discuss how the candidate's experience with marketing channels, technologies, and strategies fits with your current marketing stack and business objectives.

Is there anything further we need to investigate before making a decision?

Guidance: Based on this discussion, you may decide to probe further on certain issues with the candidate or explore specific issues in the reference calls.

Has anyone changed their hire/no-hire recommendation?

Guidance: This is an opportunity for the interviewers to change their recommendation from the new information they learned in this meeting.

If the consensus is no hire, should the candidate be considered for other roles? If so, what roles?

Guidance: Discuss whether engaging with the candidate about a different role would be worthwhile.

What are the next steps?

Guidance: If there is no consensus, follow the process for that situation (e.g., it is the hiring manager's decision). Further investigation may be needed before making the decision. If there is a consensus on hiring, reference checks could be the next step.

Reference Checks

Directions for Conducting Reference Checks

Reference checks provide valuable insight into the candidate's past performance, working style, and potential for success in the Demand Generation Manager role. Focus on gathering specific examples that validate the candidate's marketing capabilities, collaboration skills, and results orientation.

When conducting reference checks:

Ask the candidate to help arrange calls with former managers and colleagues
Establish rapport before diving into detailed questions
Listen for specifics rather than generalities
Note both verbal cues and what isn't said
Ask follow-up questions to get deeper context
Focus on behavioral examples rather than opinions
Compare information across multiple references to identify patterns
Look for consistency with what you learned during interviews

For marketing roles, pay special attention to measurable results and the reference's assessment of the candidate's impact on lead generation and pipeline. Ask about specific campaigns or initiatives and their outcomes.

Questions for Reference Checks

In what capacity did you work with [Candidate], and for how long?

Guidance: Establish the reference's relationship to the candidate and the duration/recency of their interaction. This helps contextualize their feedback and assess its relevance.

Can you describe [Candidate's] primary responsibilities related to demand generation and marketing campaigns?

Guidance: Confirm the candidate's actual role and scope of responsibility. Listen for alignment with how the candidate described their role during interviews. Pay attention to the level of ownership and strategic input the candidate had.

What were [Candidate's] most significant achievements in generating leads or driving pipeline?

Guidance: Look for specific examples and measurable results. Ask for metrics where possible. Determine if the reference can clearly articulate the candidate's impact on business outcomes. Follow up with questions about how the candidate approached planning and execution.

How would you describe [Candidate's] ability to collaborate with sales teams and other stakeholders?

Guidance: Marketing-sales alignment is critical for this role. Listen for examples of how the candidate built relationships, handled conflicts, and ensured marketing efforts supported sales objectives. Ask about the candidate's communication style and effectiveness.

What marketing channels or strategies did [Candidate] have the most success with, and why?

Guidance: This helps validate the candidate's expertise in specific marketing channels and their strategic approach. Listen for their ability to select appropriate channels, optimize performance, and adapt strategies based on results.

What would you say are [Candidate's] greatest strengths and areas for development?

Guidance: Listen for consistency with your own observations during the interview process. Pay attention to how the reference frames development areas—whether they're fundamental concerns or growth opportunities. Ask for specific examples of how strengths were demonstrated.

On a scale of 1-10, how likely would you be to hire or work with [Candidate] again, and why?

Guidance: This question often reveals the reference's true assessment of the candidate. Listen carefully to the explanation behind the rating. A slight hesitation or qualified answer might signal concerns. Follow up on any hesitation with additional questions.

Reference Check Scorecard

Marketing Campaign Expertise

0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
1: Reference indicates limited capability in campaign development or execution
2: Reference suggests basic campaign skills but limited strategic approach
3: Reference confirms strong campaign capabilities with measurable results
4: Reference enthusiastically validates exceptional campaign expertise and innovation

Results Achievement

0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
1: Reference provides little evidence of significant results
2: Reference mentions some results but below expectations or without metrics
3: Reference confirms consistent achievement of marketing objectives and targets
4: Reference validates exceptional results that exceeded expectations

Collaboration and Teamwork

0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
1: Reference indicates challenges with cross-functional relationships
2: Reference suggests adequate but not exceptional collaboration skills
3: Reference confirms strong partnership abilities across teams
4: Reference enthusiastically praises exceptional collaboration and relationship building

Data-Driven Approach

0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
1: Reference indicates limited use of data in decision making
2: Reference suggests basic data usage but not sophisticated analysis
3: Reference confirms consistent use of data to inform strategy and measure results
4: Reference validates exceptional analytical capabilities and data-driven decision making

Lead Generation Potential

0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
1: Reference indicates candidate unlikely to meet lead generation goals
2: Reference suggests candidate may partially achieve lead generation targets
3: Reference confirms candidate likely to meet expected lead generation outcomes
4: Reference validates candidate likely to exceed lead generation expectations

Frequently Asked Questions

How should I customize this interview guide for our specific company needs?

Review each section and adapt questions to align with your specific marketing technology stack, target markets, and business objectives. Focus on the channels most relevant to your business and add questions that address any unique challenges in your industry. You can also adjust the competencies in the Ideal Candidate Profile to match your company's values and priorities.

What if a candidate has limited experience with our specific industry?

Focus on transferable skills and adaptability rather than industry-specific knowledge. Look for candidates who demonstrate strong fundamentals in campaign strategy, audience targeting, and performance measurement. These skills typically transfer well across industries. Consider asking how they've successfully entered new markets or learned about new products in the past. Learn more about hiring for potential.

Should we prioritize candidates with specific marketing technology experience?

While familiarity with your marketing stack is valuable, prioritize candidates who demonstrate the ability to learn new technologies quickly. Technology changes rapidly, but strategic thinking and analytical capabilities are more enduring. Look for evidence of how candidates have successfully adopted new platforms in the past. The ability to extract insights from data is often more important than expertise with specific tools.

How should we balance evaluating campaign execution skills versus strategic thinking?

Both are important but at different levels depending on the seniority of the role. For mid to senior-level positions, strategic thinking should receive more weight, while still confirming tactical execution abilities. The work sample is particularly useful for assessing both dimensions. Pay attention to how candidates connect tactics to broader strategic objectives during their responses. Our blog post on strategic hiring provides additional insights.

What if there's disagreement among interviewers about a candidate?

Use the debrief meeting to thoroughly discuss different perspectives. Ask interviewers to provide specific examples supporting their assessments rather than general impressions. Focus on how the candidate demonstrated or failed to demonstrate key competencies. Sometimes disagreements highlight blind spots in the interview process that need addressing. If consensus isn't possible, the hiring manager typically makes the final decision based on all available information.

How can we ensure our evaluation process is free from bias?

Consistently use the scorecards for all candidates and base ratings on specific behaviors and answers rather than general feelings. Have interviewers complete their evaluations independently before discussing the candidate. Include diverse perspectives on your interview panel and challenge each other if you notice potential biases emerging. Structure your interviews to focus on past behaviors and achievements rather than hypothetical scenarios. For more on this topic, visit our blog post on structured interviews.