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A Guide to Recruiting PR and Communication Professionals
With a
diversity of job titles, functions and responsibilities, it is important
that recruiters and HR professionals understand what they should be
looking for in a public relations and communications professional.
A wrong or
poorly informed recruitment decision could cost your organisation thousands
in time and money. The following
Q & A guide has been put together to help you recruit the right person
for your organisation...
Frequently
asked questions:
What's
the difference between a PR officer, executive, manager, director etc and
what do they do?
PR
can take many forms in different organisations. Some practitioners may
work in a generalist capacity, while others will focus on specialist areas
of PR or specific stakeholders – for example investor relations, public
affairs, corporate communications, media relations, internal communications,
marketing communications or customer relations.
There is little standardisation of public relations job titles and, to add
to the confusion, not all of the titles that are used relate entirely to
public relations, but all of them cover at least part of what public
relations is.
The terms executive, officer, manager and director/head are probably the
most common used to indicate levels of responsibility and seniority,
but even these terms are used with considerable flexibility from
organisation to organisation.
As a general guide, the most common
hierarchy is set out below:
| Consultancy titles |
In-house titles |
| Junior/Trainee Account
Executive |
PR / Comms Executive* |
| Account Executive |
PR / Comms Officer* |
| Senior Account Executive |
PR / Comms Manager /
Head of PR |
| Account Manager |
PR / Comms Director /
Head of PR |
| Account Director |
* Executive
/ Officer may be interchangeable. Executive may also be used to
denote a high level position. |
| Division Director |
| Board Director |
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What
skills should you look for?
While the skills and knowledge
a PR practitioner needs will vary depending on the nature of the job, all
will need the following attributes:
-
Excellent communication
and ‘people’ skills
-
Flexibility,
determination, enthusiasm and the ability to cope well under pressure
-
Thoroughness and problem
solving skills
-
Ability to think
strategically
-
Good presentation skills
and confidence
-
Creativity and imagination
-
Excellent time-management
skills and the ability to work on more than one project at a time
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How
important is PR or communications experience?
The knowledge and experience
needed will depend on the level and nature of the job but might include
print production, event management, media liaison, press release and
feature writing, issues and crisis management, and brand and corporate
reputation management.
The CIPR has produced a training framework as part of its continuing
professional development (CPD) programme which gives a detailed breakdown
of the knowledge and business skills a PR professional might need,
depending on their level of responsibility. For information on this,
please email
cpd@cipr.co.uk.
Some PR jobs (eg. parliamentary lobbying, investor relations, internal
communications) require specialist skills, so relevant experience and
training is essential for mid or senior level practitioners.
Since different sectors (eg. pharmaceutical, motor industry, property,
consumer, financial services, legal) provide different PR challenges,
previous experience in the relevant environment can also be useful. For
press officer and media relations positions, previous experience within
the relevant sector will also have given the individual an opportunity to
build up an extensive network of media and industry contacts.
For entry level and junior positions, evidence of work experience in PR
can indicate the candidate has some understanding of the challenges and
demands of working in public relations, as well as a grounding in some
basic skills. This experience need not be on a formal or paid basis.
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Are
there any formal qualifications you should ask for?
The CIPR offers two
professional qualifications: the Advanced Certificate and the Diploma in
Public Relations, providing students with a thorough grounding in the
theory and practice of strategic public relations.
The Institute also approves a number of external qualifications including
bachelor degrees, masters degrees and postgraduate qualifications.
CIPR-approved courses have undergone rigorous assessment to ensure that the
curriculum and teaching methods are up to date and reflect best practice.
In addition to experience, a
formal education in PR will help to ensure you are employing a
well-rounded practitioner.
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Why should
you ask for CIPR membership?
-
CIPR
members must sign the Institute’s Code of Conduct – this means they are required to acting professionally, ethically, honestly and openly at all times.
-
They have access to an unrivalled collection of professional resources to help them work more effectively – including practical skills guides, case-studies, an extensive communications library and specialist training opportunities.
-
They have joined their industry body because they care about their professional development, they are committed to developing their skills and knowledge, and they are serious about PR.
-
CIPR
members have fulfilled our rigorous membership
conditions, based on a combination of experience and qualifications, so membership is your assurance that you are employing someone with the appropriate professional knowledge.
With over
8000 members, coming from both in-house and consultancy backgrounds from a broad range of specialist sectors, at all stages of their career, one of our members will be right for your
organisation. Remember
to ask for CIPR membership in your recruitment advertising: stating
'CIPR membership an advantage' in your advertisement shows you take your
communications and reputation management seriously.
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What
do the different grades of membership mean?
There are a number of grades of membership spanning different levels of experience and qualifications in public relations.
Entry to each of the grades is rigorously assessed. Recruiting a CIPR member of the appropriate grade will ensure that you are getting a PR practitioner with the necessary levels of knowledge and experience.
-
An Associate Member of the Institute
(ACIPR) must either have a
CIPR approved qualification or have at least three years full time experience in public relations.
-
A Member of the
CIPR (MCIPR) will have either taken the
CIPR’s Diploma in PR, or have practiced public relations for at least 6 years.
-
Fellowship of the
CIPR (FCIPR) is awarded in recognition of outstanding contribution to public relations and the
CIPR.
For more information , please email the
CIPR on
info@cipr.co.uk.
back to top How
much should you expect to pay? Salaries in PR are largely comparable to those in related
industries such as advertising and marketing. Salaries will vary depending
on organisation type, size and location, on the level of responsibility of
the job, and on the degree of experience and specialism required.
Keep an eye on appointment and recruitment advertisements in newspapers
and trade publications to get an idea of the salaries that are currently
being offered for different jobs. The CIPR's PR JobShop, PRWeek (the PR industry’s weekly trade
publication) and The Guardian (particularly the Monday and Saturday
editions) are a good starting point.
Recruitment consultancies and online recruitment services (such as the
CIPR’s JobShop) can also provide useful information on salaries, job
descriptions and skills.
PRWeek produces an annual salary survey that provides an indication of
average salaries – the results from the 2002 salary are outlined below:
| Average annual salaries by region: |
£ |
| Greater London |
|
62443 |
| Outer London |
|
49175 |
| South East |
|
43462 |
| North West |
|
42477 |
| Northern Ireland |
|
40833 |
| Yorks & Humber |
|
39655 |
| West Midlands |
|
39030 |
| South West |
|
38896 |
| North East |
|
37611 |
| Scotland |
|
36017 |
| East |
|
35758 |
| East Midlands |
|
35500 |
| Wales |
|
29200 |
| |
| Average annual salaries by
role: |
|
Inhouse |
Consultancy |
| PR/account executive |
|
22154 |
19417 |
| PR/account manager |
|
37273 |
29237 |
| PR/account director |
|
61727 |
53776 |
| Managing director/CEO |
|
57069 |
70356 |
back to top What
should you be looking for in your job advertisement? To
help give you an idea of the kinds of things you might like to ask for in
your advertisement, we have provided below a generic sample advertisement:
We are seeking a dedicated,
enthusiastic and self motivated PR Officer to join our public relations
team.
You will play a key role in
getting our messages across to a wide range of audiences so previous
experience of implementing comprehensive PR programmes is essential.
Working to tight
deadlines, you will build and develop the organisation's profile with
a range of stakeholders, as well as liaising closely with journalists,
pro-actively seeking media opportunities and reacting to fast breaking
stories. You will also be responsible for managing the in-house
newsletter and producing a variety of other publications.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills are essential, whilst
a knowledge of the sector would be helpful. Membership of the Chartered Institute
of Public Relations and a PR qualification would be an advantage.
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can you advertise to recruit a PR or communications professional? The
key places to advertise are the CIPR PRJobShop (see below), PRWeek, and the
Saturday and Monday editions of The Guardian. The
CIPR PRJobshop provides a highly effective and economical solution to your
recruitment needs. The online jobs board gives access to
CIPR members and
non-members with a specific interest in public relations and
communications roles. For full details, click
here.
back to top What
do the various PR industry related terms mean? As
with any business sector, the PR and communications industry uses a set of
specific terms or jargon. To help non-PR related professionals understand
the 'industry language', we have put together a PR jargon buster, click
here.
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Finally,
don’t forget to ask for CIPR membership when recruiting a PR
professional.
For more information on
recruiting a PR practitioner, please email the CIPR on
info@cipr.co.uk.
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