How To Hire a Content Writer

Complete with job descriptions, skill profiles, and interview templates. Use this Content Writer hiring guide to help you make the right decisions, fast.

CONTENT WRITER RECRUITMENT GUIDE

What does a Content Writer do?

Content Writers work for marketing agencies and in-house advertising/marketing departments to produce engaging written content for digital and print media. Content Writers can write on a range of subjects, which their clients then use to build marketing campaigns for their services or to educate consumers on topics relevant to their brand.

Day to day tasks of a Content Writer

Producing innovative and engaging written content including, but not limited to, media materials, marketing materials, magazines, blogs, website copy and social media posts
Researching and developing story angles for print, broadcast and online media
Interviewing clients and key spokespeople
Ensuring quality, clarity, audience relevance and consistency of clients’ brand voice
Contributing to media training workshops

Recruitment guide role overview illustration

CONTENT WRITER DEFINITION

A Content Writer is a person who specializes in providing relevant content for a company's marketing collateral. Every company has a specific target audience and requires the most relevant content to attract business. Content should contain keywords aimed towards improving a website's SEO.

HIRING PROCESS

Content Writer Hiring Process

1
STEP 1
2
STEP 2
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STEP 3
4
STEP 4
5
STEP 5

STEP 1

Build the Ideal Candidate Profile

To find the best person for the role, you need to understand what the role involves. You can complete this with the hiring manager to define the role, its contribution, and the skills needed.

STEP 2

Write A Job Description Based On Skills

Once you understand the requirements for the role, you’ll need to understand the skills for success. You can then write an effective job description to promote your role.

STEP 3

Selecting The Ideal Candidate

See which applicants have the right skills for the role. Send all your applicants a Vervoe skills assessment from the expert library, or customize one for your organization.

STEP 4

Interview Top Performers

Your skills assessment results will identify top performers. Focus your time on interviewing those that have met or exceeded your requirements. Assessment results will also help guide which skill areas to focus on in the interview.

STEP 5

Making An Offer

Once you assess your candidates against these skills, you’re ready to offer the top performer(s). You should base your offer on the value that the candidate would bring to your team and your business as a whole. It is also important to ensure your compensation and benefits packages are competitive in the industry and help you attract and retain the top talent.

BUILD THE IDEAL CANDIDATE PROFILE

Skills needed for a Content Writer

A content writer must have a great attention to detail and the ability to draft creative and unique content at scale. They must be able to manage simultaneous projects and fit into the culture and brand of a company.

Content Writing
Project Management
Culture Fit

WRITE A JOB DESCRIPTION BASED ON SKILLS

How to write a Content Writer job description

Once you’ve determined the skills required for the role, you can write the job description to advertise for your position. Here’s what to include in your Content Writer job description:

Job Title: What position are you hiring for?
Summary: What makes your company unique? What would it be like to work for you?
Responsibilities: An overview of the role’s day-to-day activities, and how the position contributes to the organization
Requirements: Skills a candidate must have to perform the job successfully
Benefits: Details of compensation, benefits, and any perks on offer

Use our sample Content Writer job description

SELECTING THE IDEAL CANDIDATE

Sample skill tests for a Content Writer

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Question 1

Content Writing

Question Type: File Upload

Submit a file containing your most current B2B writing you've done to date.

Question 2

Culture Fit

Question Type: Video

Record a video no more than 2 minutes long describing why you started content writing.

Question 3

Project Management

Question Type: Text

Walk through the process you go through when you start a new project with a client? For example, what is the first thing you'd do the moment you were hired (also considering you have not spoken to the company before being hired), what questions would you ask, etc.?

INTERVIEW TOP PERFORMERS

How to interview a Content Writer

Once your Vervoe skills assessment has surfaced the most qualified people for your open role, you can focus on interviewing these candidates. The interview should focus on any skills that require development that were highlighted from the skills assessment.

Now you know that candidates can do the job, the interview becomes more of a relationship building exercise where you can get to know the candidate on a more personal level, understand their motivations, and how they would fit in with the team.

MAKING AN OFFER

How much does it cost to hire a Content Writer?

The US average for a Content Writer is $46,552 according to Glassdoor.com while the reported average salary on Talent.com amounts to $85,000. According to ZipRecruiter, the majority of Content Writer salaries currently range between $33,000 (25th percentile) to $55,500 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $75,500 annually across the United States

United States

Content Writer salaries in the United States range from $13,000 - $101,000 (USD). Content Writer salaries in the U.S vary a lot depending on the industry and the nature and size of the business they work for.

Source: Source: ZipRecruiter

United Kingdom

Content Writer salaries in the United Kingdom range from £18,000 - £31,000 (GBP). Content Writer salaries in the UK vary a lot depending on the industry and the nature and size of the business they work for.

Source: Source: PayScale

Australia

Content Writer salaries in Australia range from $44,000 - $74,000 (AUD). Content Writer salaries in Australia vary a lot depending on the industry and the nature and size of the business they work for.