Hiring a communications leader is a consequential decision. The right person can strengthen trust, advise the CEO through difficult moments, protect reputation and help employees understand where the business is going.
Before you begin a search, you need clarity about the leadership your organization requires—and a search partner who understands how to recognize it.
Whether you’re appointing a Chief Communications Officer, a Head of Corporate Affairs or a Vice President of Communications, here are the questions I recommend asking.
Does the firm understand your communications mandate?
Communications leadership looks different in every organization.
A publicly traded company may need someone with financial communications experience and the judgment to navigate scrutiny. A growing consumer brand may need a leader who can build its corporate narrative while managing reputation. A healthcare or biotech business may need someone who can communicate complex information credibly to multiple audiences.
Ask your prospective search partner:
- How would you define the leadership challenge behind this role?
- What experience is essential, and what could come from an adjacent industry?
- How will you distinguish a strong communications practitioner from someone ready to advise our CEO?
A good search partner should help sharpen the brief before approaching candidates.
Who will actually lead your search?
Understand who will run the assignment, speak with candidates and advise your leadership team.
Ask who conducts interviews, who presents the shortlist and who stays involved through the offer. You should also know how often you’ll receive updates and how the firm will handle a change in direction.
The relationship matters. Your search partner will represent your organization in confidential conversations with people whose first impression may determine whether they engage.
Can the firm reach leaders beyond the applicant pool?
Many potential candidates are busy succeeding in their current roles. They may consider a move when the mandate, leadership team and opportunity make sense.
Ask how the firm maps the market, identifies relevant talent and approaches people discreetly. Explore whether its relationships extend across corporate communications, agencies, corporate affairs and the sectors relevant to your business.
Also ask about restrictions: which companies or candidates are off limits because of the firm’s existing client relationships?
You need to understand the talent market your search partner can realistically access.
How will candidates be assessed?
A polished interview and recognizable employers on a résumé provide only part of the picture.
For senior communications roles, assessment should explore judgment, influence and the ability to operate under pressure. Ask candidates for specific examples:
- When did they challenge a senior executive’s proposed approach?
- How did they manage an issue when the facts were incomplete?
- How have they earned trust across legal, HR, marketing and operations?
- What have they built, changed or improved?
- How do they connect communications priorities to business objectives?
Your search partner should explain why each candidate fits the mandate, where the risks are and what needs further examination.
Will the firm give you candid market advice?
A useful search partner will tell you when the compensation, scope or expectations are unlikely to attract the leader you want.
That advice may concern reporting lines, team resources, location requirements or the balance between strategy and execution. A role that asks one person to counsel the CEO, manage every communications channel, handle crises and build a team needs a realistic discussion about support.
Before launching, agree on what success looks like in the first year—and what the organization will provide to make it achievable.
Are the process and fees clear?
Ask for a written explanation of the search stages, fees, payment milestones and responsibilities on both sides.
For a retained search, clarify:
- What market research and candidate assessment are included.
- When you will receive progress updates and candidate presentations.
- How references and offer negotiations will be handled.
- What happens if the scope changes or the search is paused.
- What replacement provisions apply.
Timelines should reflect the complexity of the assignment and your ability to provide feedback. Clear expectations help both parties keep the search moving.
Will the firm protect confidentiality and candidate trust?
Senior searches can involve succession plans, sensitive business changes and executives who cannot publicly signal an interest in moving.
Ask how the firm protects information, obtains permission before sharing candidate details and manages references. The care it gives candidates will influence how those candidates view your organization.
Even people who decline should leave the process with a clear understanding of the opportunity and a respectful impression of your business.
Choose a partner who helps you make a better decision
The strongest shortlist gives you more than qualified names. It gives you a clear view of the choices: what each leader could bring, the conditions in which they would succeed and the tradeoffs involved.
At Phifer & Company, I lead executive search across Marketing, Communications, Brand and Corporate Affairs. Our work begins with understanding the business situation, the leadership mandate and the person who can move it forward.
If you’re considering a communications leadership hire—even if it’s early stage—let’s talk.
Visit Phifer & Company or email hello@phifercompany.com.