How to hire a central communications specialist

How to hire a central communications specialist, step by step

Here's a step-by-step central communications specialist hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a central communications specialist job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new central communications specialist
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a central communications specialist do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your central communications specialist job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a central communications specialist for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A central communications specialist's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, central communications specialists from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   This list shows salaries for various types of central communications specialists.

   Type of Central Communications Specialist	Description	Hourly rate
   Central Communications Specialist		$14-25
   Switchboard Operator	Switchboard operators work to assist callers in huge hospitals, hotels, and companies. The operators answer calls and route them to the necessary department or person to address their concerns... Show more	$12-18
   Service Operator	A service operator is responsible for providing the best customer service by responding to the callers' inquiries and concerns, depending on which business they are employed. Service operators process callers' requests by directing them to specific resources or coordinate with the appropriate person to resolve callers' issues... Show more	$9-34

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Customer Service
   • Data Entry
   • Traffic Flow
   • Sops
   • FDA
   • Financial Transactions
   • Scheduling Decisions
   • Role Model
   • Customer Issues
   • SIG
   • Medical Abbreviations
   • Hippa
   • Routine Verbal
   • State Regulations

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage, create and edit internal and external communication collateral, providing high-level management copywriting and document creation support.
   • Interpret medical abbreviations (SIG codes).
   • Follow all HIPPA and other confidentiality laws.
   • Dispatch helicopter teams to scene call flights.
   • Assist customers to the parking lot with groceries.
   • Resolve complex verification problems relate to interactions between all functional areas of the AVN, FAA and its user organizations.

   More central communications specialist duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your central communications specialist job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A central communications specialist salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for a central communications specialist in Michigan may be lower than in California, and an entry-level central communications specialist usually earns less than a senior-level central communications specialist. Additionally, a central communications specialist with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average central communications specialist salary

   $41,083yearly

   $19.75 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level central communications specialist salary

   $31,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 15, 2025

   Average central communications specialist salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Oregon	$43,420	$21
   2	Kentucky	$43,152	$21
   3	Arizona	$42,704	$21
   4	Colorado	$42,405	$20
   5	Illinois	$41,581	$20
   6	Alabama	$41,113	$20
   7	Wisconsin	$36,653	$18
   8	North Carolina	$33,619	$16

   Average central communications specialist salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	BMO Capital Markets	$69,713	$33.52
   2	Health Research, Inc.	$56,585	$27.20	1
   3	Northwestern Mutual	$47,699	$22.93	1
   4	FCA US LLC	$46,820	$22.51	6
   5	Oregon Health & Science University	$43,633	$20.98	3
   6	Americorps	$41,333	$19.87	13
   7	Lendmark Financial	$40,975	$19.70	7
   8	Bank of America	$40,560	$19.50	1
   9	United Dominion Realty Trust	$40,063	$19.26
   10	Hy-Vee	$39,623	$19.05	4
   11	Salt & Straw	$34,506	$16.59

4. Writing a central communications specialist job description

   A central communications specialist job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of a central communications specialist job description:

   Central communications specialist job description example

   • Bachelor’s degree preferred, or the equivalent in related work experience.
   • 3 or more years experience in environmental services or business development and general knowledge of sales, operations, procurement, and customer service functions.
   • Strong analytical, organizational, prioritization, and time management skills with the capacity to handle diverse and significant requirements in high-pressure and time-sensitive situations.
   • Excellent oral and written communication skills for interface and collaboration with all organizational levels and ability to work independently with minimal supervision.
   • Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Outlook, Excel, Word, PowerPoint)
   • Knowledge in Tableau, Salesforce, etc. is preferred.

   What can you expect:

   • Strong work/life flexibility.
   • To be surrounded by a diverse team who is collaborative and committed to the achievement of the company.
   • To be rewarded for your contributions with a targeted annual company bonus and annual salary reviews.
   • Competitive pay and benefits include Unlimited Time Off, as business allows and 8 paid holidays!

   Univar Solutions is a leading, global distributor of chemicals and ingredients essential to the safety, health, and wellbeing of our daily lives from life-saving medicines and vitamins to hand sanitizers and industrial materials used for cleaning, construction, and more. Our global team of more than 10,000 employees supports our vision to redefine distribution and be the most valued chemical and ingredient distributor on the planet!

   We offer a Total Rewards package that includes market-aligned pay and incentives as well as a diverse benefit offering to support our employees’ physical, emotional, and financial well-being.

   Univar Solutions supports sustainable solutions for the world around us so that we can do our part to help keep our communities healthy, fed, clean, and safe!

   We are committed to a diverse workforce and a culture of inclusion. Together, we are building a culture that acknowledges individuals' unique experiences, perspectives and expertise and provides the development and growth opportunities to empower us to redefine our industry.

   Univar Solutions is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against based on their race, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or other protected classification.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right central communications specialist for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your central communications specialist job on Zippia to find and recruit central communications specialist candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit central communications specialists, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new central communications specialist

   Once you have selected a candidate for the central communications specialist position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new central communications specialist. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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How much does it cost to hire a central communications specialist?