Sometimes You Need to Know Where to Look

After spending 20-plus years in corporate communications for large national and international companies, I realized that a dilemma I faced in each company was not unique. Hiring talented communications consultants for short-term projects was not easy. 

It wasn’t because there was a lack of talent available. Instead, it was because there was no easy way to find them. But I finally figured out the solution: I had to find the talent myself. After years of doing the grunt work and spending hours of my own time sourcing a list of available candidates, I realized it was time to leave the corporate world and start Evo Communications.  

The growth of communications in the corporate setting 

When I launched the business in 2017, I was very familiar with the pain points of corporate communicators and the pressure they felt every day to communicate internally and externally with employees, stakeholders and customers. It’s a lot; for example, the average employee receives 121 emails per day and spends an average of 2.5 hours a day looking for information they need to do their job, according to Haiilo.  

Plus, research shows more informed employees outperform their peers by 77%, according to Gartner. So, getting the right information to the right people in the right format can contribute to an employee’s success at a company. It’s fair to say strategic corporate communications is essential for cutting through the noise.   

But, with layoffs, hiring freezes or budget squeezes, corp comms team members faced then—and continue to face today—a challenging situation of having to do more with less.  

If we were lucky enough to have discretionary budget dollars to hire temporary communications consultants for help on a project or to fill a role while someone was out on medical leave, the challenge became finding the right person. Although the companies that I worked for had a list of approved vendors, that list was full of third-party placement companies. None of them were focused on corporate communications. This was painfully obvious as I began reviewing incoming candidates. So, I had to go out and find the talent myself.  

I spent countless hours “off the clock” finding the right independent consultants to augment my corp comms team for special projects, to fill maternity leaves, etc. And I finally realized if I had an issue finding good talent, many of my peers probably did, too.  

The right people aren’t always right under your nose 

When communications teams are stretched thin, bringing on the right consultant is critical. And knowing where to look for the right talent is key.  

That’s not to say the HR Department didn’t want to help me. They just couldn’t because they didn’t have relationships with the organizations that sourced the talent that I needed. In fact, there weren’t many options available, and I wanted to change that. And just like that, Evo Communications was born.  

What I wanted to do differently and why 

I launched Evo Communications with the goal of not being a placement agency. Instead, I wanted to be seen as a strategic partner, an ally for corporate communications leaders who needed expert help on a temporary basis. 

I had already started a purposefully curated list of independent communications consultants who were the caliber of talent that I would have wanted in my corporate jobs, and I continued to add qualified people to it. They needed experience in large, matrixed organizations and the ability to hit the ground running, building trust with internal partners from the very first "Hello."

And while that list is an incredible asset for Evo Communications, so is the experience I gained working in the types of environments that I now sell into. When I tell my prospects and clients that I’ve walked in their shoes and understand their challenge of finding the right talent for their team, I usually get a head nod. They know I get it, and that’s critical.  

Filling my cup   

Helping corporate communications leaders fill a temporary role with exemplary people fills my cup. When it’s a mutual match, that’s when “real” magic happens. If you have a need now or anticipate having one later, I’d love to start a conversation. Please feel free to reach out and let’s schedule some time to talk.