Other Findings Include CCO Concerns over Shareholder Activism and Cyber Attacks 

More than seven in 10 global chief communications officers (CCOs) report that digital communications ranks as their top priority for the next 18 months. Additionally, more than half of global CCOs report that their companies have been impacted by shareholder activism. These findings come from The Rising CCO VI, a survey conducted by global executive search firm Spencer Stuart and global communications and engagement firm Weber Shandwick. Now in its sixth year, The Rising CCO explores how CCOs expect their responsibilities to evolve over time in a rapidly changing world.

“Effective and engaging employee communications is in great demand today as the communications function continues to touch all parts of a company’s business,” said George Jamison, who leads Spencer Stuart’s Corporate Communications business. “CEOs are asking their top communications leaders to ensure that employees internalise strategy and company purpose. Our research shows that CCOs are working hard to drive employee advocacy and deepen their relationships with stakeholders both within and outside the company.”

Digital Communications A Strategic Partner, Hiring Priority

Digital communications is reported as the top area of focus globally for the next 18 months and is a top hiring priority for the near future. Importantly, CCOs in every region also report that digital and social media would be their closest working partners in the future. This aligns with a related trend of using data analytics widely to evaluate corporate reputation, refine messaging, and identify company supporters and allies, according to the study.

Focusing on Employee Communications and Engagement

The importance of employee communications as a top tier priority differs regionally among global CCOs. Global CCOs plan to make hires in the employee engagement and internal communications field in the next 12-18 months. Specific positons cited include Global Head of Employee Engagement, Head of Enterprise Communications (Internal and Leadership) and Employee Engagement Specialist.

Fostering Ties to Human Resources

As global CCOs focus on strengthening their connections with employees as part of their skill set today and in the near future, a large 83 percent report working closely with their human resources (HR) departments. Another 14 percent report that they do not currently work closely with HR, but their company would benefit from doing so. Global CCOs report that they working with their HR peers as often as they do with marketing (86 percent) and legal (83 percent) counterparts. Additionally, 79 percent of global CCOs expect to work more closely in the future with HR departments. These findings underscore the importance of internal alignment within organisations and the rising importance of employee advocacy and engagement in the years ahead.

Other Areas of Concern Facing CCOs

The research uncovered other top concerns on the minds of CCOs. They include:

· More than one out of two global CCOs (53 percent) have been impacted by shareholder activism. Of those who have been impacted by shareholder activism, 92 percent say their department was very or somewhat involved in addressing the event.

· Nearly one-half of global CCOs (47 percent) spend a great deal or a lot of their time preparing for or dealing with cyber security, followed by understanding shifts in consumer spending behaviours (45 percent) and managing financial crises (44 percent).

· 80 percent of global CCOs believe that marketing and communications departments are more collaborative than ever, and 54 percent expect the two functions to be fully integrated in the next few years.

· When asked what would be the one thing global CCOs would most like to focus on in their role if they had the time, the top answer was reputation (28 percent). (This question was asked on an open-ended basis.)

“As seen in this study, reputation management is a prime responsibility of the corporate communications position today. Nearly every CCO, 93 percent, places this responsibility at the top of their lists, regardless of region,” said Leslie Gaines-Ross, chief reputation strategist at Weber Shandwick. “Clearly, global CCOs take their jobs as reputation guardians seriously and are ever-vigilant about protecting their company reputations from harm, whether it be cyber threats, crises of any kind, or the growing importance of employee engagement.”