4 Traits to Look for When Hiring a Communications Expert

Communications experts represent their organizations with external stakeholders and oversee internal communications between employees and the company.

A McKinsey Global Institute study concluded that corporate productivity improves by about 20–25 percent when employees feel connected with each other. A good communications coordinator, manager, director or department keeps employees and customers connected to the company’s goals and purpose.

If you’re considering hiring a corporate communications expert, here are some traits to look for.

1. Strong communications capabilities

Corporate communications experts convey the vision of the company to employees, customers and other stakeholders. Whether the focus is internal or external, this expert needs to be able to effectively communicate both in writing and in person.

The best communications professionals have extensive experience and a wide skillset with all types of media, from traditional to digital and social. They have excellent written and verbal communication skills that help them translate their organizations’ intent into meaningful dialogue that drives conversations both within and outside their organizations.  In assessing this talent in a professional, look at what they have personally contributed to a communications initiative:  what did they actually create themselves, what did they enhance that was a creation of someone else, what did they do as part of a team?

2. Creativity

How a professional conveys a message is just as important as its content. An experienced communications expert uses tone, language and a whole host of other techniques to convey the message accurately and in a compelling way. A recent survey confirmed that 93 percent of communications experts acknowledged the importance of creativity in their correspondence.

Creativity helps both internal and external messages get noticed and remembered, whether it’s aimed at internal stakeholders, such as employees and management, or external stakeholders, such as customers and suppliers. This important trait allows the professional to capture his or her audience’s attention and reinforce the brand’s key messaging in a personality and tone that resonates and engages the audience on a visceral level.

3. Ability to work with others

Many organizations elevate teamwork as part of their values. As the organization seeks to communicate a positive image to employees, customers and suppliers alike, professionals from all departments must work together. According to Forbes, effective internal communications come from videos, print, emails and in-person conversations. This essentially means leveraging the skillsets of different team members to execute strategy.

Communications professionals must be able to coordinate different team members to execute company initiatives. When they can’t work with their support team, composed of web developers, content writers, videographers and graphic designers, communications professionals become a toxic element on the team, which hurts everyone’s performance.

4. Cultural fit

When hiring someone to handle the internal and external perception of an organization, it’s necessary to find a candidate who fits the culture. Some companies maintain such an inspiring and productive culture for their employees that they are able to rely on just their current employees to recruit future ones.

Yes, the right skills are important, but they don’t always mean that the employee will add that extra value to the company. And when highly skilled candidates don’t understand the nuances of a company’s culture, they never quite fit into the organization and are unable to represent it effectively. They can’t communicate what they don’t understand.

5. Making the right choice

Engaging professionals to help connect you with talent that’s the perfect fit for your company can save you both time and hassle.

Brookwoods Group is an executive search firm in Houston, Texas, that has been linking companies with highly skilled talent since 1998.

Our staffing and recruiting experts gain insight into your company’s position and culture so we can connect you with only the right candidates.

Brookwoods Group is certified both as a veteran-owned business by the National Veteran Business Development Council and as an LGBT-owned business by the National GLBT Chamber of Commerce.

To find a communications expert who is the perfect fit for you, contact our professionals today.