How to hire a corporate communications specialist

How to hire a corporate communications specialist, step by step

Here's a step-by-step corporate 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 corporate communications specialist job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new corporate communications specialist
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a corporate communications specialist do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The corporate communications specialist hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

   No

   A corporate communications specialist's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, corporate 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 corporate communications specialists.

   Type of Corporate Communications Specialist	Description	Hourly rate
   Corporate Communications Specialist	Public relations specialists create and maintain a favorable public image for the organization they represent. They design media releases to shape public perception of their organization and to increase awareness of its work and goals.	$16-48
   Public Relations	Public relations is a strategic way of developing and maintaining a client's or company's public image through media coverage, appearances, and press releases by designing and developing events to raise funds or to spread awareness to the public regarding products, brands, or individuals. It involves research and evaluation of programs including financial, marketing, employee, or government relations using topics of public interest and news items... Show more	$15-34
   Community Relations Coordinator	A public relations coordinator or community relations coordinator is a professional who is responsible for promoting or creating a public image for individuals, groups, or organizations. Since businesses are major contributors to communities and fundraisers, public relations coordinators are required to handle donations requests and build a marketing platform for the company... Show more	$16-29

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Corporate Communications
   • Customer Service
   • Press Releases
   • PowerPoint
   • External Communications
   • Project Management
   • Communications Support
   • SharePoint
   • Human Resources
   • Employee Engagement
   • Content Development
   • Marketing Campaigns
   • Video Scripts
   • Communications Strategies

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage transition of internal communication content to new SharePoint platform providing increase employee communication and availability of corporate information.
   • Improve aesthetics, effectiveness, ROI and time-to-market of marketing communications by re-designing and effectively managing the development process and procedure.
   • Prove entitlement for client account positions on CMS ensuring accruals exist on CMS
   • Monitor and resolve CMS and accounting system variances at the issue level.
   • Review all incoming artist packets, biographies, press kits and discographies.
   • Develop and edit graphics for web and PowerPoint presentations for a top management.

   More corporate communications specialist duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the corporate communications specialist job description is a good way to get more applicants. A corporate communications specialist salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

   For example, the average salary for a corporate communications specialist in Oklahoma may be lower than in Connecticut, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level corporate communications specialist. Additionally, a corporate communications specialist with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average corporate communications specialist salary

   $58,892yearly

   $28.31 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level corporate communications specialist salary

   $34,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 16, 2025

   Average corporate communications specialist salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	District of Columbia	$73,590	$35
   2	New Jersey	$73,529	$35
   3	California	$73,307	$35
   4	Virginia	$72,943	$35
   5	New York	$69,171	$33
   6	Pennsylvania	$68,977	$33
   7	Massachusetts	$66,999	$32
   8	Ohio	$65,960	$32
   9	Delaware	$61,594	$30
   10	Arizona	$61,029	$29
   11	Colorado	$58,085	$28
   12	Nevada	$56,531	$27
   13	Minnesota	$55,214	$27
   14	North Carolina	$51,788	$25
   15	Texas	$50,714	$24
   16	Indiana	$50,352	$24
   17	Illinois	$48,848	$23
   18	Wisconsin	$46,449	$22
   19	Utah	$45,987	$22
   20	Alabama	$45,823	$22

   Average corporate communications specialist salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Parsons	$126,258	$60.70	3
   2	DTCC	$115,566	$55.56	1
   3	Horizon Pharma USA, Inc.	$112,009	$53.85
   4	Edelman Financial Engines	$110,856	$53.30	2
   5	Hologic	$106,289	$51.10	2
   6	Accenture	$106,046	$50.98	119
   7	Koch Industries	$106,020	$50.97
   8	Bloomberg	$105,395	$50.67	4
   9	NV Energy	$105,381	$50.66
   10	Capital Group	$99,904	$48.03	9
   11	Deloitte	$97,554	$46.90	34
   12	Supermicro	$94,611	$45.49	1
   13	SAGE Publishing	$92,761	$44.60
   14	Atlantic Capital Bank	$91,402	$43.94	2
   15	Lenovo	$90,942	$43.72
   16	JPMorgan Chase & Co.	$90,717	$43.61	89
   17	Infor	$89,371	$42.97	1
   18	Oppenheimer & Co	$86,425	$41.55
   19	D.R. Horton	$83,479	$40.13
   20	AECOM	$83,309	$40.05	2

4. Writing a corporate communications specialist job description

   A corporate 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 corporate communications specialist job description:

   Corporate communications specialist job description example

   The Corporate Engagement and Communications VISTA will attend Board and committee meetings to take minutes and facilitate communication on established deliverables assigned to committees or individual members. They will maintain a calendar of Board events and meetings, and program events and touch points for Board members and new corporate partners. They will develop a communication calendar to keep Board members on track with committee and personal goals. They will create a relation matrix for each member to identify resources (new corporate partners, donors, investors) that could provide services or in-kind and monetary support to communities, either directly or through augmented programming. They will also work in collaboration with ASAS DC's community engagement team to respond to identified community needs through Board-member contacts, facilitate corporate engagement with programming for students (e.g., Deloitte Impact Day, Marriott volunteer day), and develop a system to track outreach to new partner corporations and schedule follow-up from Board members. They will design a marketing/social media calendar and determine marketing best practices as applicable to corporate outreach. Finally, they will research requirements to become an established charity in Prince George's County, ensuring we can receive charitable contributions and grants. The VISTA member will be supported by our Community Engagement Manager and Executive Director, along with a Site Supervisor. Further help on this page can be found by clicking here.
   
   Member Duties : -Attend Board and associated committee meetings to take minutes and facilitate communication on established deliverables assigned to committees or individual members -Create a relationship matrix for each Board member to identify resources (new corporate partners, donors, investors) that could provide services or in-kind support to the communities ASAS DC serves -Work with Board members and community outreach team to design and execute corporate engagement opportunities for students and communities (e.g. volunteer days, career exploration opportunities, etc.) -In collaboration with the Executive Director, design and execute a marketing/social media calendar that includes opportunities for community and corporate engagement -Conduct an ongoing research project around establishing charity status in new states to increase ASAS DC's scope and potential community base
   
   Program Benefits : Education award upon successful completion of service , Health Coverage* , Training , Relocation Allowance , Stipend , Childcare assistance if eligible , Choice of Education Award or End of Service Stipend , Housing Stipend .
   Terms :
   
   Uniforms provided and required , Permits attendance at school during off hours , Permits working at another job during off hours , Car recommended .
   
   Service Areas :
   
   Children/Youth , Community Outreach , Education .
   
   Skills :
   
   Community Organization , Communications , Youth Development , Education , Team Work , Non-Profit Management .

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find corporate communications specialists for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any corporate communications specialists they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level corporate communications specialists with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   To find corporate communications specialist candidates, you can consider the following options:

   • Post your job opening on Zippia or other job search websites.
   • Use niche websites that focus on engineering and technology jobs, such as pr news job board, pr council, prsa job center, hoojobs.
   • Post your job on free job posting websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit corporate 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. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   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 corporate communications specialist

   Once you've decided on a perfect corporate communications specialist candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new corporate 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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