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Hudson: Communication is the channel trough which we manage performance

Andrea Colantoni took over the realms of Hudson Czech Republic and Slovakia, a provider of professional recruitment, contract professionals and talent management services in September 2010. Managing the local branch of a publicly listed company can be tough at times in terms of communication. Despite that, Colantoni perceives communication as a challenge that can boost corporate performance when done properly. Regardless of circumstances, communication must always be respectful, he says. By Cristina Muntean of Media Education CEE.

Can you describe the role of communication in your organization when you took over Hudson? Has something changed ever since?
It sounds like a cliché but communication is fundamental. At Hudson it is important what we communicate, as we are a publicly traded company, but also how. Within my team, first I obviously had to communicate my approach and thoughts about the business and our direction. Secondly, Hudson is, like many other companies, undergoing a review of its strategy as a result of our new CEO joining last year. My role therefore, is firstly to communicate our CEO’s vision and strategy to my local team. Then I have to use communication to set our local goals, way of working and make sure that people are aware of what is expected of them.

What is the role of communication when you are trying to give a new direction to your organization?
Simply put, communication is the channel trough which we set our direction as a team strategically, but also the tool through which we manage expectations, targets and performance.

How should a leader handle internal communication and external communication to achieve high performance?
Obviously, every leader and manager has her/his own style and they have to be aware of that as it works more or less efficiently depending on the recipient. In relation to performance, the key word is clarity. You cannot achieve high performance if the goal is not clear, as well as the means how to get there. I advocate a style which is very clear on targets, and equally clear on challenging our own habits and giving feedback very openly. I am sure not everybody likes it, but sometimes a tough and honest meeting is much more efficient than a nice one. Having said that, communication must always be respectful.

What is your take on media relations? Are media relations something that helps you with business development and growth? Do you measure the impact of your media relations efforts on your business?
The media is an important channel to communicate with your audience. In our case the audience can be potential clients, but also future jobseekers. We spend quite some time on building media relations by interacting with journalists on topics they are interested in. We also measure the level of interaction we have with journalists and things such as how many times Hudson is mentioned in the press every month. We haven’t defined how that impacts business but I am convinced that this is a long-term effort that enables us to get access to our audience because they will have heard of us already.

How do you prepare for meeting Czech journalists? Is there any advice you could give fellow managers who plan to go through similar situations?
My experience is that it is not more difficult to prepare for a meeting with a journalist than a client, for example. Showing some interest by reading up on their recent articles is fundamental and always appreciated. Good journalists will do the same with you. Secondly, make sure you know what you want to get out of it. You have to have a message, and it is critical that you understand what the journalist needs. Lastly, be humble. Just because you need media space doesn’t mean that you needn’t prepare and critically revise if what you want to say is interesting. Try to understand how his/her media channel works and be patient.

What is the most important advice you could give someone who plans to enhance the role of communication within his organization? What should he emphasize and what should he / she stay away from?
The best advice I can give is that this is not a one-off situation. Consistency and regularity is the key. You need to build relationships, not just peddle your product/service. Stay away from promoting a product or service: instead, show the journalist that you have some thought leadership in your sector and that you are a knowledgeable and interesting person. And finally understand that for journalists time is everything. You must respect deadlines. If you say you will submit answers at a given date, you do it or the journalist will move on. Like with any relationship, you have to invest time.

What role do you think communication will play with Czech managers in the future? Where are we heading?
The importance cannot be overstated. More companies are finding themselves right now having to communicate bad news for the first time, and they are sometimes poorly equipped for it. Whether a manager will communicate changes internally, or interact with media, he or she will need to be better prepared. We are living in an age where more information is available publicly, which means that managers need to control what is said about them. Being non-transparent or saying “no comment” is not going to do your company any good. In public companies, managers obviously have to adhere to the corporate media policy, but there is much a manager can do locally to turn the media into a familiar element that can work for you at times.