Change Communication Strategist | Internal Communication Leader | Creative Idea Generator | Accredited Business Communicator | Strategic Communication Management Professional®
I think this post has identified a sore spot among communication professionals. The roles we are being offered are often expecting not just the kitchen sink, but the entire kitchen, living room and garage with compensation that would barely allow us to afford one-bedroom apartment in the suburbs. They're a blueprint for professional burnout. What can we do to educate employers about the VALUE communicators bring to a role when it comes with realistic expectations along with the tools, resources and support we need? #InternalCommunication #StrategicCommunication #SwingCommInsights
Internal Communication Strategy | Frontline Employee Engagement | Safety Communication | Corporate Communications Audits | President of IABC Houston
Every week, I am approached by recruiters looking to fill #communications manager or director positions. While I'm flattered and VERY happy in my #consulting business and serving fantastic clients, I always respond and willingly refer people in my network seeking new opportunities. Recruiters have a challenging job to do and I love to help. HOWEVER... Many of the #communications job descriptions I see are from technical companies who THINK they know what a Communications Director or Manager role needs to be. My "spidey senses" go up when the job description: 😭 Contains five or more skill sets in one position. The person is expected to do external, internal, social media, investor relations, employee engagement, government affairs, graphic design, multimedia production, etc., and... 🤑 Pays a salary of a junior-level professional while seeking senior-level expertise listed above, and... ⬆ Reports through another function, or worse, multiple functions (like HR *and* Marketing). This relegates communications professionals to a "lesser" and "reactive" role, and minimizes visibility and influence as a strategic advisor to executives. Ideally, Communications should be its own department as it interfaces and supports all functions within a company. What other "red flags" would you add here and why? How can we advise and advocate for better role creation in our profession?
Pete Pozner MSc
5mo
The word exploitation comes to mind when I see those kinds of job descriptions.
Building content ecosystems for B2C considered purchase brands 💭 I create & lead content marketing programs that drive loyalty, foster brand affinity & earn audience trust
5moI don’t have all the answers, but I think one way to prove value for internal comms and social is to connect them to retention and hiring. We all know it’s important to keep good people in an organization, and that a top complaint at many companies is poor communication from leadership. If you survey employees and find that good internal communication is helping to keep them there, that should be attributed. Same with social and a brand’s ability to attract candidates. At my previous company a senior level new hire told me that they paid attention to our social and that’s one of the reasons they came to work for the company.