💫 Brooke Kruger: Communications Recruiter and Founder of KC Partners

The power of connecting people, building teams and embracing values

Hello, It’s Julia, Founder of The Switchboard, a newsletter exploring the ways we communicate and connect at work and beyond. Thank you for being part of our community. I’m grateful to you for reading, reacting and commenting. If you enjoy this edition, consider sharing it.

In This Edition

• Following your passion for connecting people

• Supporting the hiring of an entire comms team

• Embracing the values of being positive, realistic and transparent

About Brooke

With over 25 years of experience in communications, and executive recruiting, Brooke Kruger is a seasoned professional in the industry. Brooke began her career in public affairs and spent six years at top PR firms, Ketchum and Bite Communications, working on consumer and technology accounts before pivoting to recruiting in 2005.

Brooke founded KC Partners in 2009 and has been placing top communications talent for almost 20 years. Brooke is renowned for her adeptness in building world-class communications teams and her ability to leverage her vast network to find top talent quickly to meet her client’s hiring needs. Brooke lives just outside San Francisco in Marin with her husband and two sons and two dogs. 

What sparked your path into your field?

I spent six years at PR agencies and really liked parts of the job. I loved the people, doing client service, media relations and new business. I was also really driven by getting results. But it just didn’t feel like it was the perfect fit for me.

As I thought about what I would do next, I considered tech sales because I knew the tech space and players and thought my skills could translate well. But I ended up falling into recruiting and found it to be a place where I could find purpose and apply my knowledge of the industry to help people find jobs. I have always loved connecting people and recruiting allowed me to do that for a living while working with amazing candidates and clients. I am always trying to figure out what really motivates candidates to help place them in the right roles. I really love doing this work.

Since 2009, I’ve had my own search firm, KC Partners, where we place top communications talent with agencies, corporations, startups and venture capital firms. We work across all industries and geographies. I am very grateful because I get to work with the best candidates and the best clients around. KC Partners is all about long-term relationships and not about transactions, it's about really getting to know our candidates and clients. I’ve been doing this work for almost 20 years and have a very strong network that I'm able to leverage to quickly find our clients the right candidates.

As you look at your career, is there a project that has stood out as particularly meaningful? 

Every search I work on is unique. A career win was definitely building out Instacart's Communications team. I started working with their Chief Communications Officer Dani Dudeck when she joined and we ultimately placed 30 top communications people on the team. It was fun and exciting and challenging work and such a rewarding experience. 

What are the key skills needed for communications leaders today?

You need to understand the entire scope of an organization. You can be specialized in certain fields, but you have to understand all the pieces of the puzzle that go into a communications strategy. 

I see these three skills as being top priorities for communications leaders: storytelling, listening and taking action. Storytelling is critical. It’s the number one skill needed across media, brand, marketing and more. Communications leaders must be good listeners but also good at taking action. It’s important to have a point of view but you also must act on it.

You also have to be able to have the attitude and willingness to do it all — you can bring in support when needed, but you always want to be a master of your craft, and not too far removed that you can't pick up the phone to call a reporter or do a quick brief with an executive. You need to be strategic and tactical — always willing to execute when necessary. If you were called upon, could you do the work you’re asking someone else to do?

What wisdom do you have for someone who is thinking about their next steps professionally?

The job market has changed considerably in the last few years. It is a highly competitive market and it is critical that candidates know what they want, what they're looking for and what's going to be the best fit for them. You cannot be all things to all people in this job market, you have to clearly be able to articulate what you are looking for and really understand the role you’re exploring and how you will make an immediate impact.

You always need to think two steps ahead to understand the role you’re in now and the role above you. Figure out what needs to be done to accomplish that and start getting the experience you need today.  

As you think about your career, you have to ask yourself: what motivates you and where do you get the most joy and look to find a role that helps you get to these things. If you look at your day, identify what areas of the day you are feeling good and not stressed. Figuring all this out takes a lot of self-reflection. Evaluate your strengths and try and build a career around those. If you can do that work can be amazing and rewarding.

What values drive you professionally?

I try to always be positive and realistic and transparent. If I can do this with every interaction with our candidates and clients, I will feel fulfilled. I believe our work at KC partners shouldn’t feel like a transaction. By connecting with people on both a professional and personal level, we can make that happen. At the same time, we need to set expectations and keep people informed to continue to cultivate the relationship with them beyond that interaction. 

What is a life and work hack that grounds you? 

I’m an eternal optimist and believe in the power of positive thinking. I truly believe that good things will come next and I look at the glass as half full. I believe in paying it forward and giving people praise when praise is deserved. I try to champion others in whatever way I can. Whether that’s on LinkedIn or sending people notes privately, it’s important to let people know when they are doing a good job.

I am also unafraid to ask for help. It’s important to surround yourself with good people who you can look to for guidance. Have your own personal board of advisors you can always call on. I have this and am forever grateful. I believe people should not be afraid to ask for help. We don’t always have the answers but it’s important to have people around us that can help us get there.

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Thank you for tuning into this edition of The Switchboard. This career profile is based on a live interview conversation. I’m grateful to you for reading, reacting and commenting. If you enjoyed what you learned, please consider sharing it with a colleague or friend. Signing off for this edition. — Julia