The average modern organization has undertaken five major firmwide changes in the past three years — and nearly 75% expect to multiply the types of major change initiatives they will undertake in the coming years. In modern times of transformation, meaningful communication from business leaders will need to be a constant. 

Ksquared Search has experienced an influx of searches for proactive marketing and communications executives — read on to learn how we identify strong candidates and how they implement strategies of transformative communications. 

Certain skills are expected in executive communications roles — candidates must demonstrate strong writing, editing, and overall storytelling abilities. However, leadership teams should look beyond these boxes to find the most effective candidates. Even the most compelling, poignant stories will fall flat if the entire team is not fully on board. 

Candidates must have an overt ability to create close, trusted partnerships with business leaders across their organization. Communication executives must foster a collaborative environment, where everyone feels they have a seat at the table during everything from marketing ideation to execution. As marketing and communications leaders, these executives need to be persuasive, using their influence to bring teams together and moving in the same direction.

In periods of transformation, feelings of discontent or confusion bubble to the surface and may slowly impede business processes if left unchecked. A communications leader will have a dual role during transformation as both an active listener and a proactive communicator. 

Strong leaders first seek to understand the full context of the change, such as departmental reorganization or new product focus. From there, communication executives look for general sentiments in the employee population. With both elements in mind, they find communications channels that will increase understanding, both internally and externally. 

Marketing and communications leaders get out in front of the narrative, becoming the primary source of information on organizational changes. They distill complex information down into critical points and convey it in an engaging manner. Communicating clearly and often through organized campaign structures also migrates any potential fallout from those impacted.

A strong leader understands that there are always opportunities to learn and improve. Marketing and communications require continued refinement, so there must be ways to measure the success in communications strategies during times of transformation. 

One tactic communication executives may use is focusing on continued input from stakeholders. Some leaders create in-person town halls, digital surveys, email correspondence, or a company internet. These platforms allow team members to voice their concerns and receive continual updates. 

Recent research reveals that this tactic carries weight. The Gallup Work Experience Communication Survey found marketing leaders who help the workforce see how changes will affect their organization’s future create a positive perception of organizational capability — employees are more likely to agree that their company has the speed and agility necessary to meet consumer and marketplace change. 

With a strong storyteller at the helm, your organization and all stakeholders should grow in the same direction. However, with a sea of candidates in front of you, it may be difficult to find a candidate capable of guiding you through the storm. The Ksquared Search team offers decades of executive search experience to help you identify your ideal communication executive — contact us to start your search today.