In the last two years, the job market has fluctuated with more open positions than candidates across nearly every industry. We’ve seen this firsthand through our clients who have expressed difficulty in staffing their departments.
While you may need to redesign the structure of your marketing and communications teams when hiring in 2022 and beyond, staying true to your values is always key. Our team’s ability to form meaningful connections is based on our dedication to six core values – but I encourage you to reflect on your own, especially when expanding your team. As you set out to recruit and ultimately hire future communicators, there are a few considerations I urge you to keep top of mind.
1. Know what you need.
Before a job posting is even created, it’s critical to take a step back and evaluate what you’re really looking for. Do you need a marketing director? Or is the need more aligned with a communications director? As you reimagine organizational structure and evaluate what is truly needed to achieve relevant objectives, goals and visions, you may be surprised how the job title and position itself may change. Depending on your needs, a director of communications could be a better fit to oversee critical partnerships, lead specialized teams and ultimately avoid silos throughout the department.
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2. Focus on transferable skills.
Throughout the hiring process, keep an eye out for transferable skills that supplement previous work experience. While transferable skills are often associated with “soft skills” like problem solving, collaboration and punctuality, these characteristics can help differentiate good from great. While a section of buzzwords on a resume may not stand out on its own, someone who can clearly speak to these skills and demonstrate a willingness to learn will bring great value to your organization over time.
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3. Seek out courage.
PR professionals and communicators in general are often looked at as “yes” people. But hiring someone to simply execute is not going to serve your organization (or your clients) long-term. Build a team of courageous leaders who can help redefine what success looks like and what needs to happen differently to achieve it. If you hire someone who will always agree with you, you’re not getting the most out of your communicator.
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4. Find a people-first person.
“Leadership is about empathy. It is about having the ability to relate to and connect with people for the purpose of inspiring and empowering their lives.” This quote from Oprah Winfrey (a constant source of inspiration for me), applies to so much of what we do as communicators. Beyond internal expectations at your organization, having the ability to put yourself in someone else’s experience is a powerful skill. How will a message land with your customers? Your investors? Your internal staff?
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5. Be prepared to empower.
Once you find the right communications professional, give them access to the tools, resources and people they need to understand your organization on a holistic level. Hire someone you can trust – and then truly trust them! Empowerment starts at the top. Develop a method to keep employees involved in important conversations. Have them sit in meetings they wouldn’t typically attend and provide access to cross-departmental strategies and plans. This will produce results you didn’t even know you needed, but your organization will benefit tremendously.
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Here at Franco, we believe strong communications can make all the difference in organization-wide success. Stay connected on our team’s latest updates, industry tips and tactical information – from the 313 and beyond – by subscribing to our newsletter.
Here at Franco, we hire and promote based on our six core values. Like what you see? Click below to join our team.
Tina Kozak is Chief Executive Officer at Franco.
