Lindsey Chastain, founder and CEO at The Writing Detective, is busy.

The Oklahoma-based entrepreneur writes for three websites, is the director of client services for a PR company and has a farm and a family of six. Did we mention that she’s busy?

Chastain, in her season of busyness, prioritizes streamlining tasks, whittling down superfluous assignments and getting to the nitty-gritty of what’s most important at work and at home.

“Organization really has to be my thing,” Chastain told PR Daily. “Otherwise, I would not be able to balance everything.”

Like Chastain, PR professionals have multiple timelines and responsibilities tugging at them. Here’s how you can keep your workflow manageable by streamlining practically everything.

Get your mind right first

Whether you use old-school paper or like new school, electronic ways of doing things, staying organized starts with a mindset of knowing how to prioritize.

Chastain said that she stays organized by having an overall idea of how much time things take and works in batches to break down her responsibilities.

“I know a press release is going to take me about 45 minutes to write. I know a pitch is going to take me about 15 minutes to write. I know an article is going to take me about two hours to write,” Chastain said. “So, I kind of have an overall idea of how much time that I have blocked out for that day.”

Write (or type) everything out

If you’re feeling overwhelmed and don’t know where to start with organization, start small, even with a to-do list.

“It doesn’t need to be something complicated,” Chastain said. “You can check off the to-do list and that little rush of dopamine helps … (people) overcome stress or anxiety. It gives us that little push that we need to say, ‘OK, I can do the next thing now.’”

David Barkoe, founder and CEO of Miami-based PR agency Carve Communications, also likes to-do lists.

“For me, I’m a lister. Make a list but don’t just make it – cross things off when you complete them,” Barkoe said. “Also, prioritize items on your list. If you know it’s important or should be done first, circle it, star it, capitalize it or something to note its importance.”

He credits a lot of his creativity and organizational skills to keeping a notebook on his desk, which he uses for tasks, ideas and other useful things related to his profession.

“I’m somebody that still believes in doing things on paper,” Barkoe said. “I am old school.”

Chastain writes on paper, too. She uses a paper planner where she jots down her personal and professional tasks for the day, week, month and even year.

“I keep track of how I’m spending my time so at the end of the week, I can go back and review,” she said.

Beyond writing and checking off daily duties, staying organized can look like delegating certain assignments and responsibilities to specific folders and locations.

Strategize your sorting

Chastain lives by this notion and uses an email system, Spark Mail, where a “Smart Inbox” ranks and assorts her tasks and assignments by priority so her work doesn’t get lost.

“I don’t ever look at an email and not do anything with it,” Chastain said. “My goal is to by the end of the day (have) no emails in my inbox. They have all either been added to the to-do system, assigned or put in a follow-up folder.”

Another element of her productivity system is using a customizable workspace dashboard that helps her keep her Excel spreadsheets, Word documents and databases in one space.

“If something comes in my … system, it gets assigned to the company that it belongs to,” Chastain said of managing the multiple hats she wears.

From a strategic and organizational perspective, Barkoe said he and his team work in 30 and 90-day batches and ask themselves what client-facing needs must they get done in the next 30 days.

“Do we have some stuff to pitch right away because a client is announcing something next week or going to an event?” Barkoe said as an example.

After answering these crucial questions, he and his team get to work.

“We really never try to look past the 90 days,” Barkoe said. “I’ve learned over the years … (that) business changes every 90 days. The way we as an organization stay organized for our clients is picking up on everything in 90-day sprints.”

Barkoe said that he likes to be coordinated and prioritizes those 30 and 90 days by making lists to break down the days into manageable tasks for his clients so there are no surprises.

“So, we know what we need to plan for while always developing new opportunities rather than waiting around for the client to give us something.”

Sherri Kolade is a writer at Ragan Communications. When she is not with her family, she enjoys watching Alfred Hitchcock-style films, reading and building an authentically curated life that includes more than occasionally finding something deliciously fried. Follow her on LinkedIn. Have a great PR story idea? Email her at sherrik@ragan.com.

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You might not be seeing the same flurry of articles talking about the “Great Resignation” as you did in 2021 or early 2022.

But that doesn’t mean it’s all over.

Ragan’s Communications Benchmark Report, a survey of nearly 1,000 internal and external communicators conducted exclusively for the Communications Leadership Council, found that 77% of respondents said turnover was at or above the previous year’s level.

Of that 77%, 30%  said turnover had increased. That was down from the 36% who said the same a year ago, but the cumulative effect is clear: people are still looking for the next best thing.

This means retention is more critical than ever. And one key way to keep top talent is by helping them grow and progress in their careers via upskilling and training.

The skills communicators are most interested in sharing and improving on their teams run the full gamut. It’s not surprising that measurement and data analysis remains by far the most in-demand skillset, ranking even above perennial favorites like storytelling (57%), writing and editing (42%) and social media use (29%).

Let’s use this opportunity to put to rest the old, outdated idea that communicators don’t need to be skilled with numbers to succeed. No, you don’t need to be a mathematician, but having a solid understanding of statistics, trends and other basic mathematical concepts so you can read and interpret measurement data at a high level.

Technological skills continue to be in high demand too, between a need for generalized tech ability (46%) as well as video and multimedia production skills (37%). But writing, editing and storytelling never go out of style in communications and remain among the most-requested skills.

How are you working to improve employee retention and keep skill levels on the cutting edge? You can read more about trends in communications in the Benchmark Report Executive Summary.

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As PR firms reflect on key lessons learned during the pandemic and begin returning to the office, investing in employee professional development and career growth should be a top priority.

At RH Strategic, we understand our people are the most valuable asset; they are our differentiators, our culture, our everything. Attracting and retaining talent is the most important priority for our firm. This guides our investment in company culture and in providing opportunities for developing talent.

Our Mentor-Manager program combines the unique benefits of mentorship (nurturing, coaching and championing) with management (feedback and advocacy). Through this model, each employee is paired with a mentor-manager, who is more experienced in their career and is a guide helping their mentees, helping to set professional development goals, navigate opportunities and overcome challenges to reach those goals.

For the past three years, I’ve had the privilege to be a part of this program as a mentee and a mentor-manager. Today, I lead this program with great passion because of the value I have received from it and what I have seen others gain from it.

These are the lessons learned from the program and five key components that fuel its success:

1. Go-to advocates: We are each other’s champion. mentor-managers are not responsible for going through to-do lists or discussing account activity. Instead, they are dedicated advocates helping Mentees reach their professional goals. Together, mentor-managers and mentees discuss progress toward growth objectives and best practices to navigate challenges along the way.
2. Clear pathways for growth: There should be no guessing about career growth. Mentor-managers connect with mentees regularly, often weekly, to discuss clear growth pathways with a roadmap to achieving career goals. Mentors-managers have been in mentees’ shoes and can guide them on expectations for each role, allowing employees to know what it takes to reach the next level.
3. Continuous feedback: The days of receiving feedback once a year during annual reviews are over. Employees need ongoing feedback to ensure they are meeting goals and expectations and remaining on the path to success. Mentor-managers check-in with mentees’ account managers and teammates regularly to further champion and celebrate accomplishments, while also collecting constructive feedback on opportunities for growth.
4. Quality time with senior leadership: In addition to regular meetings with mentor-managers, each staff member meets quarterly with senior leadership in sessions dedicated to discussing how the firm can best support each employee’s unique career goals and growth at the firm. Quality face-to-face time with leadership instills value in each employee and empowers them to share ideas and goals.
5. Management and mentorship trainings: Mastering management and mentorship does not happen overnight. It is vital to host regular training sessions to equip mentor-managers with the tools and techniques to be an effective advocate and guide for mentees.

Through my experience with the program, I have found this model to be successful in helping staff members reach long-term goals and navigate PR careers, all while helping them feel connected to the culture and supported by the firm.

Sam Garrard is an account supervisor at RH Strategic.

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There’s seldom enough time to get all the work done that we plan to check off our lists. And, while the popularity of remote and hybrid work has acknowledged the importance of internal communications, it’s also increased the sheer volume of stuff on your plate. While most leaders agree that long-term strategic thinking is key to an organization’s success, how can you think strategically when you don’t have the time to think long term?

During her recent TED talk, leadership expert Dorie Clark said that business leaders need to acknowledge the consequences of working in a world that valorizes being busy. “We’re pushed, we’re driven toward achievement and action and creation,” she said. “And that’s great, but there’s also a downside. And that’s something that I think is worth talking about.”

Clark shared some reasons why perpetual busyness often feels like an endless cycle, offering a challenge to reconsider why we really value our time.

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During the coronavirus pandemic, working from home became a necessity for many as we were forced to hunker down to reduce the spread of the deadly virus.

Now, however, work from home has become a benefit so coveted that 48% of respondents to Ragan’s Salary Survey & Workplace Culture Report for 2022 said they would choose to work from home — even over a raise.

Though in total more workers would choose the cash over the flexibility of working from home, a stark divide appears when we break down that number by gender. A whopping 68% of men would choose a raise — while 52% of women would choose to work from home. Similarly, 84% of women indicated they worked from home at least one day a week, while only 76% of men said the same.

The Ragan Salary Survey mostly polled those who work in communications, but there are valuable lessons here for all wellness professionals. In order to create a more equitable workplace where people of all genders have a chance to thrive, offering the flexibility to work from home is key, especially as a higher proportion as childcare and household chores still falls to women.

Luckily, many employers have already gotten this message, as 79% of survey respondents said their organization offered work from home, while 59% offered the related benefit of flexible hours. However, some of these offerings may decrease as workers are expected to return to the office as the pandemic recedes — 34% of workers said they expected to go into the office more frequently in the next six months, while another 19% were unsure.

“We are being forced back, creating lots of angst,” another respondent said.

For more insights, including average salaries and other information on benefit offerings, download the free report.

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When the world changed in March 2020, strategic communications became a necessity across business functions. Now, as communicators polish their crystal balls to prophesize what lies ahead for the future of their field, what newfound trends do they see?

Ragan’s Salary Survey & Workplace Culture Report for 2022 asked communicators to fill in the blank: “The future of communications is _______________.”

Here’s what they said.

The future of communications is about rebuilding trust and fighting disinformation

Several survey respondents said that the future of communications will require more new and creative ways for getting each message across to audiences.

One respondent said this will best be accomplished “(t)hrough concise, engaging and innovative content to break through the noise and garner attention in an ADHD society. We have 7 seconds of our audience’s attention, and we have to find new and creative ways to grab it.”

Another said that getting the message across ultimately comes down to “repairing trust through transparency and responsibility.” But what does that look like in action?

Several said that the future of communications will require increased efforts to combat disinformation.

“The fundamental principles and values become more important as fake news becomes easier to create and distribute,” said one respondent. “People are aware of this and so will gravitate towards credible communications and credible managers/leaders. The communications professional will be at the heart of this process, using old and new tools and their deep understanding of society, issues and people.”

Working from home will require comms to harness tech

Several respondents said that, as working from home and new technology forces workforce culture to evolve, comms will be at the center of the shift as the practice’s competencies become necessary in other business functions.

“The idea that communications and marketing jobs are separate will become an outdated model as organizations begin to compress roles and departments” in a remote workforce, said one communicator, with another adding that this “closer blend between marketing and communications (will) focus on building and maintaining relationships with employees and customers.”

Most agree that the embrace of new tools and technology are what will help communicators engage these remote workforces, with one respondent saying that comms will increasingly be tasked with “(w)orking toward tools and technologies that will allow us to remain connected, engaged and focused even when we are not physically working in the same space.”

Another said that this trend has the potential to be both promising and alienating. “As we continue to advance technological communication options, we’ll be better able to reach more people in less time, but it means that we’ll rely more and more on technology and less on personal interactions.”

Embracing tech and remote work will require comms to protect culture

In the words of one respondent: “A changing, diverse and non-centralized workforce requires effective communications to maintain company culture, associate engagement and efficiency of operations.”

Indeed, this jibes with the findings from another Ragan survey, the 2022 Communications Benchmark Report. That survey of nearly 1,000 communicators found that 32% of respondents said that engaging a hybrid workforce was the biggest culture challenge of 2022, while another 17% said creating a positive culture for a remote workforce was the biggest challenge.

Another salary survey respondent said that the communicators who effectively engage employees and preserve culture will be “(a)daptive to new channels and tools, reactive to feedback and steadfast on clarity, conciseness and creativity.”

All acknowledged that company culture is changing very rapidly, issuing a charge for internal communicators. “We’ve gone from ‘redheaded stepchild’ to ‘belle of the ball’ in a short period of time and every day I feel the pressure of maintaining enough of that to at least retain a seat at the table,” they said.

“Overall, I think the future of communications is very bright,” they concluded. ­“The world is slowly figuring out that it’s a profession with both soft AND hard skills.”

Read the complete findings from the Salary & Workplace Culture Survey: 2022 Edition here.

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We’ve all taken video meetings with our cameras off. Maybe there are kids running in and out of your home office, or you didn’t sleep well the night before and are dealing with some serious eye bags. Regardless of the reason, data shows that C-suite members don’t like it when employees go camera off.

A recent study showed that 96% of executives believe remote and hybrid employees who take video meetings with their cameras off are less engaged in their work. Ninety-two percent of those execs believe that workers who are camera-off, consistently on mute in video meetings or are overall less engaged “probably don’t have a long-term future at their company.”

But other data supports the idea that having the option to turn off their own cameras during meetings can help employees feel less fatigued and reduce anxiety or depression related to staring at yourself all day.

While the desire to see your coworkers’ faces is understandable, here are a few reasons why implementing a camera-optional policy could improve overall employee wellness and satisfaction.

The true perpetrator of Zoom fatigue

Ah, Zoom fatigue, that catch-all term used to describe people’s frustration with constant video meetings that burgeoned during the early days of the pandemic.

Zoom fatigue. Been declining all week requests lately. pic.twitter.com/lB5XM7udy6

— The Nap Ministry (@TheNapMinistry) April 11, 2022

Last year, the Harvard Business Review partnered with business services company BroadPath to explore the factors that contributed to Zoom fatigue. The study found that use of front-facing cameras in video meetings was positively correlated with increased employee fatigue.

Similarly, an April 2021 study by remote work company Virtia found that more than 49% of workers reported being “exhausted” due to being on camera during meetings.

And while the volume of virtual meetings surely plays a part in employees’ remote work fatigue, it’s important to consider the impact of the on-camera factor when it comes to accessibility. Implementing a mandatory camera-on policy for video meetings can mean discriminating against your disabled and neurodivergent employees.

Disability:IN, a business disability inclusion nonprofit, often shares strategies for making the virtual workplace more accessible, which includes allowing employees to take meetings with their cameras off.

The nonprofit notes that requiring on-camera meetings could negatively affect employees who are deaf or hard of hearing, blind or low vision or those who are not neurotypical.

An infographic from Disability:IN examines the potential repercussions in more detail:

(Image via)

When your actual video background just won’t cut it

Being on camera can mean heightened awareness of your surroundings — and worrying about what your colleagues think of them.

“When you know that there is another human being who is watching and tracking you, it becomes a very evaluative experience,” Roshni Raveendhran, assistant professor of business administration at the University of Virginia, told The New York Times. “And once it is an evaluative experience, it kind of goes downhill from there.”

https://twitter.com/emmaleersmith/status/1518605592830648322

So, if your kids are running in and out of your home office or the room you’re working from is a mess, you’ll likely be at least a little stressed about what your coworkers must think of you.

Green-screen-like backgrounds and blurs can help mitigate this issue, but the tech is often glitchy and can look unprofessional.

Video meetings and self-objectification

Requiring employees to show their faces during meetings can actually encourage misogyny, too — but not in the way you might think.

In an essay published to Fast Company, psychologists Roxanne Felig and Jamie Goldenberg explain the rising phenomenon of female self-objectification during video calls.

“Because women and girls are socialized in a culture that prioritizes their appearance, they internalize the idea that they are objects,” Felig and Goldenberg write. “Consequently, women self-objectify, treating themselves as objects to be looked at.”

https://twitter.com/hannahtindle/status/1328444443205267457

Self-objectification can lead to negative consequences like facial dissatisfaction, disordered eating and even depression, they write.

In essence, spending all day on Zoom meetings with your camera on is like spending the day staring at yourself in a mirror. It’s not good for you — and it’s especially harmful to the mental health of women and girls.

If your C-suite expresses dismay at the number of black boxes on their screens during a video meeting, encourage them to think critically about why employees may have their cameras off. Creating an environment where workers feel comfortable turning off their webcams is about building trust between your C-suite members, managers and employees.

Try conducting an anonymous pulse survey of your workforce. Ask employees if they’d prefer to have the choice to be off camera during meetings, and when they think it’s appropriate for their colleagues to do the same. Ask for specific reasons that employees turn their cameras off. Once you collect and analyze that data, bring it to your C-suite (along with this article) to help support your argument one way or the other.

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Public relations companies need to retire the phrase “work-life balance.” Instead, this antiquated concept should just be considered “balance” — or better yet, “work-life separation.”

Why? Work and life are way too intertwined now.

The phrase “work-life balance” implies there’s a 50/50 split. Clearly, that’s not the case, especially in an industry like PR where we deal with demanding clients and bosses in different time zones throughout our work.

The pandemic and the need to work from home only reinforced this.

The Economist Impact and WeWork recently published the results of a survey of 700 business leaders and 4,000 employees for its Work-life Balance Barometer which found that while remote work boosted business leaders’ work-life balance during the first 18 months of the pandemic, its effects have been less positive for less senior employees. According to the report, more than 4 in 10 junior and mid-level employees reported that “enforced remote working worsened” their work-life balance.

The report offered several possible explanations for this, including that people felt they had less flexibility, little support with remote office equipment, and “a desire to go into the office to socialize with colleagues and maintain separation between their personal and professional lives.”

Working in an office created a physical barrier between the “workplace” and our homes, so there was no doubt about when we should be working. When going to work only requires the opening of a laptop, the burden is on each individual to establish balance.

It’s why I suggest radical separation to my employees. The mandate was simple: Do not start work until it’s time to start work. Even a glance at your Slack or email creates a connection to your brain — one that’s hard to break to return to whatever you do in the morning. And when you’re done with work, leave your computer — and maybe even your phone — on your desk.

But PR managers and supervisors need to step-up and help employees create those boundaries, something we haven’t had to do until COVID. I’ve seen a lot of talk at PR firms, but not a lot of action.

Another interesting point The Economist report made: “The future of work can no longer have a ‘one size fits all’ approach.” For PR firms, that means listening to your employees and not making generic, companywide policies that look good on paper but don’t really provide the space and relief employees actually need.

One initiative Ditto took was to eliminate all our weekly meetings and make Thursday a client meeting day. We still have a stand-up on Friday, but now employees have more time in the day to get their work done and don’t feel compelled to extend their workdays because they have been buried in meetings all day. I have heard from too many people in PR, “I’m in meetings all day, and I can’t even start to get my work done until the afternoon.”

PR leaders must give employees the time to do their work during work hours.

Timothy D. Golden, a professor at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, outlined some tips in an article published in Organizational Dynamics:

• Maintaining a separate and dedicated workspace within the home, preferably in a separate room with a door that closes
• Blocking out household noises
• Avoiding work-related activities within the family space
• Logging off after work hours and turning off your work phone and computer
• Starting and ending your work day at consistent and regular times

Given we spend more time at work than anywhere else, we have to establish ways to manage our days and not be exhausted at the end of the week. And while creating separation sets a healthy boundary, we shouldn’t forget about the “life” part of the equation.

Public relations professionals at every level need to balance that work boundary with things that bring them joy and happiness. And the easiest way to do that is to proactively put positivity and happiness in your week. Schedule a walk in the middle of the day. Set aside an hour at the end of the day to read. Do a quick 15-minute stretch. Take your entire lunch hour and unplug.

But — and this is the most important part — if you don’t prioritize your own happiness and health and actively take these breaks, your day will always fill up with work. And you will find yourself exhausted at the end of the week.

Trey Ditto is the founder & CEO of DittoPR.

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Thirty-four percent of knowledge workers, those whose jobs center around thinking through tasks,  are back in the office full-time and they aren’t having a good time, according to a new survey from Future Forum. Of more than 10,000 knowledge workers surveyed across the world, fully in-person workers reported significantly lower work environment satisfaction, higher stress levels and worse work-life balance than those who are still hybrid or fully remote.

But those trends don’t hold true when we look purely at the executive ranks.

Only 19% of executives head into the office every day, the survey found, compared to 35% of non-executives — even though 21% of both executives and non-executives say they want to be in the office five days a week.

And despite having jobs that are usually considered more stressful, executives reported much less stress than other workers the study. Non-executives report about twice as much stress, and are 40% less happy with their work-life balance than their bosses.

This is a problem.

“Employees have clearly proven that they can get the job done while having flexibility in their work lives,” says Deborah Lovich, a managing director and senior partner at Boston Consulting Group. “If executives roll back this flexibility—or put off key decisions on the options that employees will have going forward—they’re setting themselves up for a wave of departures.”

Indeed, uncertainty can lead to attrition. The survey reports that workers who say their employers are not “transparent about their future-of-work plans” are more than three times as likely to say they will “definitely” look for a new job in the next year.

Communicating clear in-office expectations

The findings here serve as a wakeup call, not only for executives, but for the communicators who craft executive messages outlining  the expectations around where and when everyone will work.

The first and most obvious note is that every employee should be subject to the rules. While executives may have more travel, if they’re in town and they expect workers to be in the office, they should be there too. Leading from the front is critical to showing that the entire organization is working toward these goals.

As a comms pro, you can help support this work by sharing photos of executives in the office to your intranet or social media channels. Weave positive stories about being at the office into executive communications to show that they’re walking the talk and putting in the same time and effort as everyone else.

Second, craft clear guidance detailing what you expect from your workers. The last two years have been difficult and full of constantly shifting expectations; everyone understands that sometimes things change with little notice. This is all the more reason why you should have as much of a plan for the future as you can, communicating those expectations and the reasons behind them to let employees know there is intention behind your decisions. Workers today won’t just accept “because I said so.” Build the case for a return to office or set parameters around how hybrid will work.

Setting standards, communicating them transparently and holding everyone accountable to them will always remain a good communications strategy — whatever change may come

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If I had a nickel for every time someone asked me what I’m looking for in a post-grad job, I’d already have enough saved to retire! Jokes aside, the laundry list of “next steps” looming over soon-to-be graduates’ shoulders can feel incredibly overwhelming. I often wish someone would tell me where to move, what companies to apply to and guide me through the transition from college to “adulting.”

But alas, that isn’t an option.

Instead, I find myself sifting through job listings, trying to remind myself that it is okay to not know exactly what I want to do within the communications space for the rest of my life. I have plenty of time to figure that out.

But that doesn’t mean I’m not looking through job opportunities with a fine-tooth comb. One of the first things I do when I find a job opening, in addition to making sure it aligns with my skills and interests, is research the company, its culture and its values. Even if the job description sounds fantastic, if the company doesn’t align with my personal values or have evidence of a larger purpose, I quickly move on.

And I know I’m not alone in this mindset. Gen Z (born between 1997 and 2015) is the first generation to prioritize purpose over salary, according to a WeSpire survey,  and more than half of millennials (born between 1981 and 1996) won’t even accept a job if the employer doesn’t have a strong corporate social responsibility (CSR) policy. Harvard Business Review reports that 86% of young employees are willing to compromise on title and compensation in order to work somewhere that aligns with their values and mission.

So, what does this mean for communications employers?

Purpose-driven employees who feel good about their organizations’ values and beliefs are 47% more likely to promote their companies and employers, according to a LinkedIn survey of its members.

Young communications professionals like me are looking for their employers to help them fulfill a greater purpose in life. Purpose-driven companies attract top young talent, and these companies also experience higher employee retention rates and increased company profitability and longevity. Purpose-driven companies have 40% higher levels of employee retention than competitors.

Hiring and retaining young employees also helps create a multi-generational workplace, which provides a multitude of benefits such as increased empathy, diverse collaboration and the opportunity for reverse mentoring. Younger generations can help a workplace adapt to ways the world is changing.

Millennials will make up 75% of the workforce by 2025, and Gen Z will make up close to 30% by 2024. Both generations are looking for companies where their work amounts to more than a quarterly profit goal.

Looking within and creating a movement that matters to your team is a great way to increase the value of your company and its offerings to employees. A company’s purpose should be intrinsically tied to the company and its team, meaning it should be authentic and aspirational. And once your purpose is established, it’s crucial to ensure that all actions align with it. Young PR and other professionals are looking for behavior that aligns with purpose, and want you take that into consideration with every decision you make.

If you do, top talent and young professionals alike will take note. And if words and actions regarding a company’s purpose aren’t quite matching up, young professionals will absolutely let the world know.

If you aren’t already, work to build trust with all of your stakeholders, effectively communicate your company’s mission and purpose, lead with empathy and commit to being as transparent as possible. Talking about purpose is a great start, but until words are backed by action, many young professionals won’t view the company as authentic or truly purpose-driven.

It’s not enough anymore to just have a purpose. It’s important, like the Page Principles say, to “prove it with action.” In order to attract and retain new top talent, the next generation of comms pros would like to continue to see companies prioritize purpose, as it will continue to be important to them.

Erin Lewis is the 2021-2022 vice president of events and fundraising for PRSSA National. Graduating in May 2022, she is majoring in public relations with a minor in event management and a certificate in international communication at the University of Florida. Connect with her on LinkedIn.

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Comms pros know that offering their employees upskilling programs is a tried-and-true way to increase worker retention and improve company culture. A recent survey shows that nearly 80% of employees would be more likely to stay at a company that offered data literacy training.

But if the employees leading the learning and development (L&D) charge at your organization are spread too thin, you risk hurting key internal programs like upskilling, as well as diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) strategy and implicit bias trainings.

L&D pros are under pressure to perform

As defined by the Association for Talent Development, L&D is “a function within an organization that is responsible for empowering employees’ growth and developing their knowledge, skills, and capabilities to drive better business performance.”

A new report from LinkedIn shows that as L&D pros are taking on more projects than ever, they have less time to spend on their own professional development. According to LinkedIn, L&D leaders spent 23% less time learning than their peers did in 2021, and 35% less time than their HR colleagues.

And L&D pros are feeling pressure to equip employees with the skills they need to succeed: 49% of respondents said their executives were concerned that employees don’t have the right skills to execute business strategies.

(Image via)

How comms pros can help — and why they should care

Here’s the deal—the upskillers need upskilling. If L&D pros don’t have the time and bandwidth to dedicate to their own professional development, crucial communications goals will likely suffer.

It’s in the best interest of corporate communicators to use existing internal resources to support their L&D colleagues. Assisting L&D leaders with their strategy is a win-win: Collaboration builds trust and goodwill, and a strong L&D program helps to meet key comms goals like retention, employee engagement and DE&I metrics.

For example, comms pros can partner with L&D on internal surveys to dissect employees’ upskilling and development preferences. This can help L&D pros spend more time on topics that are important to workers, rather than trying to cover a wide swath of focus areas.

Measurement is another area in which corporate communicators can offer guidance. Just 5% of L&D pros said they had made it to a point where they were ready to assess the efficacy of their upskilling and reskilling programs — a process that is comparable to measuring the efficacy of internal messaging campaigns.

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It’s also important as comms pros to make sure that L&D leaders have the time and opportunities to learn themselves. This could take the form of an L&D retreat, lunch-and-learns, or providing access to L&D-specific development programs that leaders can complete at their own pace.

Comms pros, what is your team doing to help your L&D colleagues meet their goals?

The post Those tasked with upskilling your workforce are burning out appeared first on PR Daily.

April marks National Volunteer Month, an ideal time for internal communications leaders to consider launching or enhancing an employee volunteer program. Corporate volunteer programs offer countless benefits – aiding in employee recruitment and retention efforts,  reputation management, upskilling training, and demonstrating alignment with your company’s ESG initiatives.

Together, these benefits boost your workplace culture and employee happiness—especially as giving and volunteering have been proven to increase endorphins.

In fact, 93 percent of employees who volunteer are happier with their employer. During these turbulent times with disengaged employees, high turnover and rising mental health challenges, volunteering can be a powerful tool to accomplish company goals.

Since generations X, Y and  Z expect their employer to give back to the community, creating new volunteering and social impact programs can engage and activate a multigenerational workforce—no matter where they work.

Unify your dispersed workforce with virtual volunteering.

With employees spread around the globe in remote, hybrid and on-site working environments, volunteering helps build cohesion and teamwork while increasing engagement and rapport. Virtual volunteering increased significantly during the pandemic and remains a powerful way to bring disparate teams together.

Examples of virtual volunteering include creating coloring or activity pages, participating in letter-writing campaigns to veterans, tutoring, collecting items to donate, conducting resume reviews or mock interviews, pro bono skills-based volunteering (consulting, graphic design, writing, etc.) and much more.

Engage your employees in the office to make being onsite matter more.

If employees are called back to the office, make it count. Volunteering alongside your coworkers can double as a memorable, meaningful teambuilding activity, whether assembling kits or packing meals, serving at a shelter or food bank, building a home, or planting trees to beautify a park or public space.

Opportunities are limitless. For example, CHC: Creating Healthier Communities offers customized onsite and virtual volunteer projects aligned to a company’s priorities, turnkey pitch in packages, a toolkit for volunteering on the spot, a year-round employee engagement guide full of ideas and more.

Tap into employee volunteering provides impactful stories and content.

Communicators who support their company’s employee volunteer programs can generate a treasure trove of content, including feel-good stories and volunteer spotlights that recognize individual employees, teams, and departments.

You can capture these stories and repurpose them to advance your ESG efforts, position the company as a choice employer and enhance DE&I initiatives.

Recipient community organizations and nonprofits are usually delighted to amplify your reach by sharing your stories through their channels, further positioning your organization as a good corporate citizen and enhancing your reputation.

Ensure success with strong communications.

Your skills as a communicator enhace every successful volunteer program. From gathering volunteer feedback to generating assets and measuring impact, communicators can craft the narrative that connects employee volunteer efforts to larger organizational goals.

By co-owning a cross-functional communications strategy around your volunteer programs with HR, ESG and community relations teams, you can help advance your company’s volunteer efforts and encourage company policies such as paid time off to volunteer, matching grants on employee volunteer hours, team projects, and more.

You can also empower employees to take ownership of volunteer projects on their own. Offer your workforce opportunities to build teams and pursue their passions by tapping into employee resource groups and encouraging them to plan impactful activities aligned to their interests.

Amanda Ponzar is the chief communications & strategy officer at CHC: Creating Healthier Communities. Connect with her on LinkedIn. 

The post How comms pros can take the lead on workplace volunteer programs appeared first on PR Daily.

Think about your favorite shirt to wear to the office (or on your daily Zoom calls). What color is it?

Does it make you feel powerful, confident? Perhaps you like this shirt because you feel it makes you appear approachable and friendly.

Interior designers use color in a similar way, to make spaces feel inviting, clean, exciting or calming. And color theory, defined as “the collection of rules and guidelines which designers use to communicate with users through appealing color schemes in visual interfaces,” is becoming increasingly important in designing offices and other workspaces.

Color theory at work

According to architecture and design firm Hammel, Green and Abrahamson’s (HGA) guide on using color theory in workplace design, being intentional about which colors you deploy in each space can encourage deeper social connections, improve  learning and foster more collaboration.

“Workplace strategy is developed in association to a company’s culture, symbolism, and personality,” the post reads. “The rules of colors and combinations can be applied to workplace design and provide a full spectrum of options, each having an important impact on people and their perceptions.”

HGA’s guidelines suggest using primary colors (red, blue, yellow) for “heads-down workspaces” like focus rooms or individual workstations; secondary colors (green, orange, purple) for smaller collaborative spaces like group workstations; and tertiary colors (red-orange, yellow-orange, yellow-green, blue-green, blue-violet and red-violet) for larger collaborative spaces like conference rooms or staff lounges.

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The relationship between color and workplace design

Color psychology is also present in the design of most workplaces. And as many companies incentivize their workers to return to the office, some are considering redesigning their workspaces to be more inviting.

“Companies looking to improve their businesses should seek opportunities that incorporate nature as part of their color palette—whether that’s through movable pods, indoor planters, green walls, or increasing access to sunlight and the sky,” writes architect Irene Lok for Fast Company. “It’s also important to consider the activities and specific needs that will take place within any given space.”

Lok notes that good workplace design prioritizes color associations, or how colors make us feel, rather than the purely visual appeal of colors.

Udo Schliemann, principal creative director with environmental graphic design firm Entro, writes in a piece for Work Design Magazine that color can also be used to make workplaces more accessible.

“This is especially pertinent in wayfinding and signage, where high color contrasts must be chosen carefully to ensure the maximum amount of visibility for users, especially those that have impaired vision,” he writes.

How workplace design affects employee experience

As employees ponder their return to the office, designing inviting workspaces isn’t an à la carte option for certain companies — it’s an essential part of the employee experience.

Sam Souccar, senior vice president of creative with hospitality company Restaurant Associates, says companies looking to mold their updated workplaces to better fit the wants and needs of employees should look to the data.

“Research has shown that employees seek purpose, social interconnection, recognition, flexibility and opportunities for growth,” says Souccar. “There’s a renewed expectation for their personal sense of purpose to align with that of their employer. They are motivated by the feeling of being part of a collaborative team where they can feel at ease bringing their authentic self.”

What do those values mean to workplace designers? Souccar says it’s about giving company values tangible attributes.

“Whether it’s an inspiring lobby experience,  time-saving amenities, strain-reducing lighting, ergonomically-correct work stations, stress-reducing biophilia, or inviting social hubs, space design can significantly impact the physical translation of the company values and the morale and productivity of its workforce,” he says.

Who owns workplace design?

Identifying where your company falls short in the design of its workspaces is the first step, but narrowing down who should be responsible for design strategy moving forward is key to a successful interior revamp.

In most organizations, workplace design would likely fall under the purview of whichever department oversees employee experience. But it speaks to a larger issue at hand for many companies: Who owns employee experience? Is it human resources? Internal comms? Or perhaps it’s a new department altogether?

Gallup defines employee experience as “the sum of all interactions an employee has with an employer, from prerecruitment to post-exit.” Given this definition, it’s likely that most employee experience strategies involve some level of cross-departmental collaboration.

Souccar notes the multifaceted nature of employee experience, writing, “The new employee experience is one of belonging where tailored, authentic experiences can amplify a sense of purpose, energize engagement, and propel performance.” Sounds like this responsibility could fall to any number of people in an organization.

Color your workforce engaged

If your company could benefit from a workplace revamp, color is often the easiest place to start.

Consider working with your HR department and an interior designer to create a palette that speaks to what your employees want — if they report being stressed out or frenzied, consider muted blues and neutral beige to help create a soothing environment. If your workers say they lack inspiration, try pops of yellow or orange.

A few cans of paint (and maybe some office plants) can work wonders on an otherwise bland space.

Souccar identifies four emerging workplace redesign trends that could be easily implemented with some creative thinking:

• Protection to connection. This concept leans into the comforts of home and family. Souccar suggests using easily cleanable surfaces and reimagined common spaces to emphasize collaboration and ease of use. Colors often used in kitchens or living spaces at home would work in this setting.
• Integrated digital experiences. This concept speaks to our newly heightened awareness of the spread of germs and illness following the pandemic. Mobile ordering for in-office dining and automated check-ins and wellness screenings are two examples of this. Blues and whites would further emphasize cleanliness with this trend.
• Flexibility is key. Here, employees would have extended access to outdoor green spaces, adaptable seating and thoughtful digital signage, making moving around the workspace as easy as possible. Green evokes thoughts of nature and idyllic peace — use it to bring the outside in with this trend.
• “At one’s fingertips.” Convenience is the name of the game for this trend, characterized by convenient, 24/7 access to work spaces and equipment, seamless amenities and wellbeing experiences. With so much going on in this trend, stick to muted colors like warm grays.

If workplace redesign is part of your company’s return-to-office strategy, make sure you highlight the changes to returning workers and potential new hires. Commitment to your employees’ comfort in the office could mean the difference between a plummeting retention rate and employees who look forward to coming in to work every day.

The post How you can use color theory to create better workplaces appeared first on PR Daily.

How are you thinking about the office in 2022?

After years of pandemic, and amid a push from many to return to the workplace, it’s a big decision for PR agency leaders. Do we invest in that expensive group space in Manhattan or San Francisco? Do we adopt a virtual work model, with employees logging into to Zoom calls from across the country — or even around the world?

For Bliss Group, the office is still an essential piece of the puzzle. And that’s part of why the PR group is investing in new office space at 230 Park Avenue.

We spoke with Bliss’ CEO Bob Pearson about the new space and why he sees the investment as essential for his organization.

PR Daily: What do you hope visitors will feel when they come to your office space at 230 Park Avenue (The Helmsley Building)?

Pearson: It’s a time to imagine what’s possible. And it’s a cool place to work, whether you are a team member or a client.

PR Daily:  Any specific changes to make the space safer for employees/visitors with COVID concerns? 

Pearson: Yes, this is the advantage of renovating an existing site. We will have the most up to date air filtering and we can design our space to meet the needs of 2022 and beyond.

Our design team, Two Furnishings, is ensuring our desks are sizeable enough to account for social distancing, as an example. Additionally, we will have a private entrance lobby for employees and visitors when entering the building.

PR Daily: When is your office opening (or when did it open)?

Pearson: We are on schedule to move in by the end of the year.  Can’t wait!

PR Daily: What’s your favorite part of your new space?

Pearson: This will be the 5th or 6th move in Manhattan I have been involved in. What I’ve learned is that what we all care about the most are two big things: One is making it as easy as we can to get to work.  The second is once you are at work, is it an enjoyable place that you want to hang out in?

Being next to Grand Central and renovating this iconic space clearly check those boxes.

PR Daily: How often will employees work in the new office? Every day? A few days a week?

Pearson: We have two simple guidelines.  Are our actions creating more value for clients and are we accelerating and improving the career development of our team members?  If we can answer yes to both, we’re in great shape.  What this translates to today is a flexible hybrid model that recommends team members work in-office 2-3 days a week.

If you ask me about the future (beyond 2023), the most honest answer is “we don’t know,” but we’ll always go back to our two questions to answer and guide us.

PR Daily: What do you see as the future of the PR office?

Pearson: Ideas, insights, issues, stories. The future looks like the present, just with more technology. We will always be at our best when we collaborate and create solutions that just weren’t possible alone. In terms of our own future, we strive be known as a place where team members will look back years from now and think “that was a great place to learn, grow and accelerate my career.”

If we accomplish this goal, the ceiling heights or type of desks we get pale in comparison.

The post Here’s how one PR agency is investing in the future of the office appeared first on PR Daily.

Hello, communicators:

Substack’s VP of comms faced backlash this week after tweeting that Twitter employees should think twice before applying to the jobs with Substack:

Substack is hiring!

If you’re a Twitter employee who’s considering resigning because you’re worried about Elon Musk pushing for less regulated speech… please do not come work here.

— Lulu Cheng Meservey (@lulumeservey) April 5, 2022

Lulu Cheng Meservey’s tweet prompted criticism of the take — and of Substack as a whole.

https://twitter.com/seankent/status/1511431758801260545

https://twitter.com/DrEricDing/status/1511525811454623747

As a communications professional, what kind of message does this send? You could just advertise your openings without insulting people, who do not see the situation in the same way that you do. This isn't in the spirit of debate that you're stating you support.

— Summer Brennan (@summerbrennan) April 5, 2022

While tying your job hiring posts to topical news can increase the reach of your message, the results aren’t always favorable. It’s OK to be unapologetic in the defense of your organization’s values, but oversimplifying current events to fit your narrative will backfire.

Here are today’s other top stories:

Pinterest to ban climate misinformation

Social media platform Pinterest announced this morning it will ban and work to remove content containing climate misinformation — including user content and paid advertisements.

“Our new policy makes Pinterest the only major digital platform to have clearly defined guidelines against false or misleading climate change information, including conspiracy theories, across content and ads,” the news release reads.

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The company’s updated community guidelines include specific guidance on what constitutes climate change content and misinformation.

Additionally, Pinterest announced a new program for Pinterest creators — a content series about eco-friendly practices like “thrifting tips, upcycling clothes and minimizing food waste.”

Pinterest’s news release also includes quotes from leaders at a climate advocacy group and a responsible advertising coalition.

Why it matters: Pinterest’s eco-friendly campaign is tied to Earth Day, which falls on April 22. The move shows the company is serious about its commitments to environmental issues, and the input from outside voices legitimizes Pinterest’s efforts. It’s an example of taking both policy action and promoting content that aligns with a company’s value statements.

MEASURED THOUGHTS

New research from Morning Consult shows most American adults think autonomous vehicles are less safe than traditional vehicles.

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Sixty-six percent of poll respondents said they think self-driving vehicles are “not at all” or “not much” safer than traditional ones.

Additionally, the share of Americans who do think self-driving cars are safer than traditional vehicles has dropped over the past few years.

Morning Consult’s Lisa Whalen writes:

Accidents involving self-driving vehicles have an enormous impact on consumer perceptions of, and buzz around, autonomous technology, keeping trust levels low. Only 9% of U.S. adults trust self-driving technology “a lot,” and 43% of baby boomers don’t trust it at all. While millennials are the most trusting generation (18% say they trust autonomous vehicles a lot), there is ample room to win more trust with this segment. As more autonomous vehicle testing is deployed across the country with successful results, trust levels should gradually improve.

It’s a reminder to PR pros that negative media coverage can quickly erode trust in a product or service — and trust is much harder to win back once it is lost.

Read more from Morning Consult here.

TAKE OUR SURVEY

We want to hear from our community about how their thinking has changed on media relations and its value inside their organization. If you work in communications, please take our short survey to help us chart the value of media relations for 2022.

The survey will take less than 10 minutes to complete and participants will be entered in a drawing for a $100 credit toward a Ragan event. All individual responses will be kept confidential.

Results from the survey will be shared at PR Daily’s Media Relations and Measurement Conference in New York City on May 11.

Google’s DeepMind responds to sexual misconduct allegations

Artificial intelligence company DeepMind says it prioritizes employee safety and recognizes that its internal sexual misconduct investigation process is “difficult,” but did not address allegations that it intentionally delayed the process.

DeepMind provided this statement to The Verge:

“DeepMind takes all allegations of workplace misconduct extremely seriously and we place our employees’ safety at the core of any actions we take,” [DeepMind’s interim head of comms Laura Anderson] said. “The allegations were investigated thoroughly, and the individual who was investigated for misconduct was dismissed without any severance payments… We’re sorry that our former employee experienced what they did and we recognise that they found the process difficult.”

A former DeepMind employee (known as “Julia”) posted an open letter to Medium this week, alleging that the company didn’t respond quickly enough to her complaint about a coworker who sent her “numerous sexual propositions and inappropriate messages, including some that described past sexual violence against women and threats of self-harm.”

The Verge reports:

Julia got in contact with the company’s HR and grievance team as early as August 2019 to outline her interactions with the senior researcher, and she raised a formal complaint in December 2019. The researcher in question reportedly wasn’t dismissed until October 2020. He faced no suspension and was even given a company award while HR was processing Julia’s complaint, leaving Julia fearing for her — and her other female colleagues’ — safety.

What it means: Rather than denying any wrongdoing during the complaint process, DeepMind’s statement simply sidesteps the issue. The company used its statement to apologize to Julia regarding the harassment she experienced — but offers no meaningful mea culpa about the investigation process which delayed action for months.

It’s a good reminder to PR pros that not addressing allegations head-on can have the opposite intended effect, bringing more attention to the crisis at hand and prompting more questions from observers.

The post Pinterest bans climate misinformation, Google’s DeepMind addresses its sexual misconduct process and Americans question safety of self-driving cars appeared first on PR Daily.

Increasing employee retention often means getting out ahead of problems that might cause workers to leave. So, how can companies determine what employees like — and dislike — most about their workplaces?

According to a new report from Morning Consult, modern workers fall into one of five archetypes, from most to least common:

• Traditionalists: “A job is just a job,” is these workers’ motto, with many reporting high job satisfaction and a strong preference for in-person work. Traditionalists are most likely to work hourly jobs.
• Transactionalists: These employees skew younger, and of the five types have the highest percentage of Gen Z workers. Transactionalists report lower job satisfaction and tend to not prioritize career growth. They are least likely to have work benefits (including health care) and are often employed part time.
• Aspirationalists: These are the workers who are driven by career purpose, finding high levels of job satisfaction and who feel most fulfilled by work. Aspirationalists “live to work” and are most likely to be millennials with dependents.
• Minimalists: Employees in this category don’t expect a lot from their jobs. While they don’t often prioritize their work, minimalists are relatively satisfied with their jobs. They also skew male and are most likely to be remote or hybrid, as well as salaried.
• Lifestylists: These workers have the strongest preference for remote jobs and see work as a means to support their personal priorities. Lifestylists skew female and are less likely to have dependents.

According to Charlotte Principato, a financial services analyst with Morning Consult, determining which categories your employees fall into is the key to worker satisfaction.

“You can’t just craft one sort of message and assume it’s going to resonate with everyone,” she says. “And you can’t even assume it’s going to resonate with a majority of employees.”

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Among other assumptions to avoid is the idea that everyone is satisfied with how their job fits into their personal lives.

“I think if more employers broadened the aperture to say, ‘Let’s understand our employees as people first and employees second,’ you’d naturally create a better understanding and be able to better offer what they need,” Principato notes.

Assuming that all of your employees come to work for the same reasons is a surefire way to undermine your internal comms strategy.

Principato suggests using pulse surveys to directly ask employees a traditionally awkward question: If you were to leave this job for another one, what would it be for?

“It’s not just important to ask your employees how well you’re doing at something, it’s important to ask them what they’re looking for in another [employer] that might make them leave,” she says.

Comms pros, have you considered how your employees’ work and personal priorities differ from your assumptions? How does this inform your messaging strategy? Let us know in the comments, please.

The post What kind of employees do you have? Consider these 5 types. appeared first on PR Daily.

How are you finding resilience and inspiration in your work in 2022?

For motivation, Sabrina Browne starts each morning with a prayer meditation — and gets regular inspiration from her mother. It’s a key part of how she thinks about her approach to her work, and how she finds resilience against the backdrop of so much change and challenge over the past two years.

Browne shared with us about her daily routine, some of her best career advice and more in our recent chat for our Day in the Life series. Here’s what she had to say:

1. What’s your favorite part of your morning routine?

Browne: Since the beginning of the pandemic, I’ve started every morning with a prayer meditation and it has been life-changing. I use an app called Encounter, and it sends you daily meditations for free directly to your inbox or you can use the app.

Meditation has allowed me to start my day with more balance and approach all of my client work with a renewed focus and attention to detail. I highly recommend it for anyone looking to try something new or shake up their morning routine.

2. Who’s the most important person you talk to every day?

Browne: The most important people I talk to everyday are my parents, Nimneh and Massa.

Each day, mom will send us a motivational card or prayer card in our family group chat, and it really sets the tone for the day ahead. Today’s card said, “Don’t wait for a perfect morning, just take your morning and make it perfect.”

3. What’s the biggest challenge you’ve faced in your career?

Browne: The biggest challenge I’ve faced in my career is navigating the role of a caregiver while also being a client leader. Life can come at you fast, and recently I’ve learned how important it is to check-in with your loved ones and really see how they are doing personally, mentally and physically.

Illness takes shapes in many forms and the pandemic has reinforced the importance of taking care of myself and being there for my family. I’m fortunate to work at an agency, BCW, where I can maintain a flexible work schedule that allows me to support my family and ensure I give the best to my teams, clients and culture at large.

4. What’s your best book or podcast recommendation for PR colleagues?

Browne: “Principles” by Ray Dalio, one of the world’s most successful investors and entrepreneurs. In this book, Dalio shares the unconventional principles that he’s developed, refined and used over the past 40 years to create unique results in both life and business — and which any person or organization can adopt to help achieve their goals. I share this book with all of my teams and direct reports, as it has been life changing for me and the way I approach my client work.

Dalio states how “Everyone has weaknesses and they are generally revealed in the patterns of mistakes they make. The fastest path to success starts with knowing what your weaknesses are and staring hard at them.” Through “Principles,” I’ve learned to identify my own weaknesses, connect the dots behind my mistakes, and learn how to fail forward to continue driving success in my career.

5. What’s your favorite tool you use regularly for your work?

Browne: Muck Rack, without a doubt!

A large portion of my role as a vice president in BCW’s Corporate Affairs practice is to develop media strategies and execute media tactics for our Fortune 500 clients, and Muck Rack allows me to do this seamlessly. From identifying new media contacts to developing media lists, creating coverage reports and competitor analyses, the platforms’ various features eliminate the burden of having to research everything yourself.

6. Are you in an office/remote or both? What do you like (or dislike) about your current setup?

Browne: I am currently hybrid and I love it! I am usually in the office Tuesdays – Thursdays, and then Monday and Fridays I work from home. In BCW’s hybrid setup, employees come in eight days a month, with the flexibility to choose which eight days they want.

Through this hybrid plan, employees have a new level of agency and ownership over their careers. It’s been received positively to date and I’m looking forward to seeing (and meeting!) more of my coworkers in the coming weeks.

7. What’s one trick you use to promote well-being, make yourself feel good at work?

 Browne: I practice positive affirmations each day before I go into the office. Affirmations help me eliminate self-doubt and imposter syndrome, and I always share these with my direct teams and my IAT teams, which are inter-agency teams that work together on a client account.

Every morning, I say to myself “You are capable. You are beautiful. You are deserving of everything the world has to offer.” Those three phrases have become my go-tos in 2022, and as the year continues, they will likely evolve depending on where I am personally and professionally.

8. What’s the best advice any one has ever given you in your career?

Browne: The best advice I’ve ever been given in my career is from my dad, Nimneh, who has taught me to never be afraid of failure, learn from it and you will come back stronger.

Second, to strengthen my mind. In the past I used to deal with major anxiety by internalizing it, which wasn’t fair to my family members and loved ones. Through support from my dad, prayer and a commitment to self-care, I now have my anxiety under control and a healthier mindset. There are good days and bad days, of course, but each day I choose to find the joy in the journey.

The post BCW’s Sabrina Browne on balancing being a family caregiver and client leader appeared first on PR Daily.

A well-articulated company purpose can be understood and communicated by every member of the workforce— whether they sit in the C-Suite or stand on the frontline. This February, purpose expert Ashley M. Grice spoke during a TED Institute event in partnership with BCG about how employees in all tiers of a business play critical roles in championing their organization’s purpose.

Grice began by describing an early-morning Delta flight, when she pocketed a pack of almonds given out during food service. While chatting with a flight attendant, Grice said she would not have time to eat lunch that day. Upon exiting the plane, the flight attendant handed Grice a bag of 30 almond packs. In the bag was a note thanking Grice for showing the flight crew kindness. It read, in part, “a little kindness goes a long way.”

“This little note on this little napkin was purpose in action, specifically that airline’s purpose, and I know because I’d helped to articulate it over 15 years before,” said Grice, explaining how she helped Delta redefine its purpose in 2003 as part of a strategic transformation after 9/11.

“It may be that (the flight attendant) never saw that purpose line rearticulated, but no matter —she didn’t need to, because purpose was alive and well at Delta,” Grice said. “It had become muscle memory. It had become culture norm.”

Why purpose is different from your mission and your vision

Grice stressed that a company’s purpose was different from its mission — what it does every day — or its vision, which refers to where it is headed.

“Mission and vision will change with changes in leadership, corporate contacts, competitive landscape, merger and acquisition,” she said. They are temporary and can change every three to five years.

“But purpose is your ‘why’ — it is found at the intersection of who you are at your very best and the role in the world that you are meant to play.”

Communicating purpose should be uncomfortable

While many studies connect purpose to business value, Grice acknowledged how efforts to increase performance, employee engagement, retention and higher levels of productivity come back to a belief that those companies are communicating their purpose authentically. An organization’s purpose is commonly considered as authentic when it is rooted in an ethos, relevant to all audiences and consistent with your values.

The post How to spread purpose from the frontline to the CEO appeared first on PR Daily.

For companies and agencies looking to beat the “Great Resignation,” it’s time to look at the numbers.

Workers with a college education, which covers the vast majority of PR pros, are seeing real benefits to job hopping, according to data from Pew Research.

Sixty-six percent of those who quit a job in 2021 say they are earning more money now, compared with just 16% who say they now make less. Sixty-three percent report more opportunities for career advancement in their new job and 48% report more flexibility.

For agency and department leaders who are desperate to hold onto top workers, it’s impossible to ignore that the market for workers has changed. Employees can demand higher salaries and more benefits. But the exact offering that will make a difference for an employee will vary depending on the individual.

Stacey Zolt Hara is a comms leader who has herself joined the movement and switched jobs. Hara is leaving her comms role at Visa to join online learning platform Udemy as senior vice president of corporate communications.

She has her own phrase for the big changes sweeping the workplace in the wake of the pandemic: a “Great Reframing for employees.”

Her advice for employers is to ceaselessly reevaluate their relationship with their workers.

“Managers need to constantly be looking at the contract they have between employer and employee,” says Hara. “What is the employee coming to contribute and what are they coming to learn?”

She says it’s crucial to make sure as an employer that you are investing in that employee over and over and over again — “helping them to be getting out as much as they’re putting in.”

Hear more of Hara’s tips for upskilling and retaining comms talent by reading the full article, available as part of our PR Daily Leadership Network membership. Not a member? Sign up today.

The post PR leaders must constantly revisit relationships with employees appeared first on PR Daily.

Aspiring PR pros often search for ways to build their résumés, become standout students and land that perfect internship during college or employment following graduation. The most important thing for a student to do is find a mentor they can trust and rely on.

According to Forbes, 76% of people think mentors are important, but only 37% of them have one. Before entering the workforce, it is essential to find a trusted professional who wants to help you grow and succeed.

For public relations students, mentors can provide insight into what is to come, helping them to make such decisions as whether they would be happier at an agency or in-house, if grad school is right for them, and whether they should work for a few years before pursuing secondary education, among others.

The greatest challenge when it comes to mentorship for students is actually finding a mentor, as it can be a great leap of faith to reach out and create courageous connections. One way to do this is through PRSA’s Mentor Connect program, which helps PRSA and PRSSA members form mentoring relationships with each other.

The bottom line: We want to connect with you and learn from you. Here are four opportunities when your guidance and insight can help us as we continue to pursue our path to become PR professionals:

1. As one of 100-plus students in a lecture hall, it can be hard to build the courage to speak up. If and when a student schedules time to meet with you one-on-one, consider asking them about their goals and what steps they might take to achieve them. Students crave engagement, and providing them with information and your expertise can be an invaluable resource throughout their college careers.

2. The same can hold true for interns working at agencies or in-house. For many this is their first full-time work experience, and a friendly face or casual conversation can help bolster self-confidence and make them feel they truly are part of the team.

3. PRSA recommends finding someone who writes blog posts or articles in trade journals, studying their work and taking their published advice to heart. Strong writing is often a crucial tool for PR pros, so when students take the time to read and comment on or ask questions about your work, we’d love to hear from you. If you’re open to responding, a little encouragement can go a long way.

4. Students will often seek out contact information for those with whom they are eager to connect. If someone reaches out to you on LinkedIn or through another online forum, your first instinct might be to not engage, but a positive response can result in a sense of accomplishment and reassurance that will stay with that student.

Mentorship can come in many different forms and situations. Students are hungry for knowledge, looking for ways to grow within the industry and expand their networks. There’s no such thing as too much help, and we look forward to as much as you’re willing to give us.

Kimberly Hurd is a senior public relations student at the University of Florida. She’s a member of the UF Chapter of PRSSA and the PRSSA National Publications Subcommittee. Aside from PR, she sings in UF’s all-female a cappella group, The Sedoctaves. Connect with Kimberly on LinkedIn.

The post What up-and-coming PR pros are looking for from mentors appeared first on PR Daily.

The Great Resignation is squeezing companies across sectors and industries as they seek to recruit and retain the talent they need to sustain growth and deliver value. PR is no different: Agencies find themselves in fierce competition for a shrinking pipeline of communicators, struggling to retain new hires and fighting to keep their best performers.

Surviving and thriving in this environment is not just about adding staff. It’s about understanding the reality that when people quit, the team members who stay find their workloads reaching unsustainable levels.

Between limited resources and client expectations, it’s increasingly clear across the PR industry that something has to give.

How we got here

PR pros thrive on pressure and competition. The industry has long demanded more and better output faster, and for most agencies, a culture of excellence is a point of pride. Every comment, every pitch, every client email must be polished and proofed until it meets the highest standard of quality.

Rising through the ranks of an agency traditionally requires mastering a ladder of skills. Junior staff start with mastering the simple—for example, writing a client email without edits from a manager—before graduating to more complex tasks like crafting content and strategy.

In theory, this approach helps develop talent and provide a clear and accessible upward trajectory. In practice, diverse skills and experiences mean those who struggle to stay on a regimented path advance more slowly, and leadership teams lose out on valuable perspectives. Moreover, amid limited bandwidth, the need to prioritize high-value activities comes into conflict with the rigid standards many of us were taught early in our careers.

Another side effect of the emphasis on perfection—or at least the appearance of it—is that clients have little visibility into everything that goes into producing results.

A successful proactive pitch, for example, entails hours of research, writing, outreach, follow-ups, phone calls and more follow-ups—just to get a reporter to say yes to an interview. Then comes coordinating calendars, drafting briefing documents, prepping the client, staffing the interview, monitoring for coverage and reporting back to the client. A minimum of 20 hours, all told, for even the chance of a coveted feature piece.

From the client perspective, however, all that work boils down to a few perfectly crafted emails. Of course, their expectations of what we can do in the time allotted to us can become unachievably high.

The case for imperfection

I love nothing more than getting to tell a client that we secured a critical piece of coverage, one that delivers their message and supports their long-term goals.

But sometimes, I wish they knew more about how we got that coverage. I wish I could give them the truth of the hundreds of calls and emails, and the research and relationships that went into a sentence-long quote in a key publication. I wish they understood that our job is hard, and it’s harder when we’re not on the same page about what success can realistically look like.

Neither side must capitulate entirely. Clients can still expect results, and PR agencies can still strive to deliver them. However, to build a sustainable partnership, each side must learn to be more flexible.

In the wake of the Great Resignation, clients who can temper their expectations and approach their relationships with PR teams with greater awareness will position themselves to reap more consistent, sustainable results.

What does that awareness look like? Before sending an email, ask yourself if it’s worth the time required to draft a response, or if it can wait until a weekly call. When your PR team tells you your strategy might not garner the results you want, trust their expertise. If you ask for something outside the scope of work, know that it will likely push other activities that could yield better outcomes.

On the agency side, we need to get better at letting clients see our limitations, even when we succeed. For example, delivering a long list of coverage after a major push is a clear victory in the short term. In the long term, if it’s a victory won at the expense of other accounts that requires teams to work after hours, setting an unrealistic standard might lead to problems down the road.

Internally, we must accept that when a team is short-staffed, a culture of excellence quickly devolves into a culture of burnout. Until the talent shortage eases, busy employees, especially junior staff, will make mistakes. They’ll prioritize activities that yield results and move onto other tasks once they meet the bar for any one client.

As we work to rebuild our capacity and deepen our benches, clinging to perfection is no longer an option. Learning to let go will not weaken our teams—it will make them happier, healthier and more resilient.

Katharine Viles is a senior account executive at Sage Communications.

The post Amid the Great Resignation, PR agencies must redefine what excellence looks like appeared first on PR Daily.

In my career as an executive recruiter and coach, I’ve never seen a candidate-led market quite like the one we’re experiencing today.

Candidates are calling the shots about when, where and how they go to work. Many “knowledge workers” have proven that all they really need to be productive is a laptop, earbuds and strong Wi-Fi. The ability to theoretically live and work from almost anywhere in the world is a beautiful silver lining for many.

But remote work is not without its complications—particularly when the home office includes sharing time and space with partners, children and pets. Flexibility comes with tradeoffs, and without boundaries working from home can morph quickly into living at work. What’s frequently overlooked is that being in an industry or having the type of job where remote work is even an option is a privilege—one that during the past two years has begun to be perceived as a right.

When coupled with an incredibly tight labor market, the expectation of a flexible, commute-optional workplace has created a uniquely complex hiring environment that employers are struggling to navigate. For the first time (maybe ever) I’ve seen clients—iconic brands and companies that most would clamor to work for—having trouble finding and securing top talent.

How should employers who need to ramp up hiring juggle the needs of their business with a talent pool that is spoiled for choice and increasingly sees their jobs as needing to fit around their personal lives? My advice is to lean into the three Cs: compensation, culture and career.

Selling your brand story

As communicators, we know that an employer’s brand is more important than ever in attracting top-tier talent. Before their first interview, smart candidates have already researched your company on multiple online platforms and have formed an opinion about who you are as both an industry player and as an employer. They’ve studied what current and former employees say and have formed an opinion about three areas in particular:

• Compensation: Do you pay well, or at least fairly? Are there long-term compensation schemes and/or benefits that set your company apart? How can you broaden and diversify your compensation approach to go beyond salary numbers and unlock the underlying story about value and equity?
• Culture: Do people seem to enjoy working there, or is it a revolving door? Are there boomerang hires—people that leave and later return to the organization? Does the company offer hybrid work schedules, staggered hours or Summer Fridays? All of these are indicators of the corporate culture and send a powerful signal to candidates about what it might be like to work for you.
• Career path: What do employees, past and present, say about opportunities to move across the organization, and advance in their careers? Is there a deep bench of people who have been there more than five years, and have been promoted to more senior roles over time? To what kinds of roles have people in the job you’re considering later moved to? What can your company signal to candidates that shows that the role you’re discussing is not simply a job, but the beginning of a rewarding professional journey?

These three Cs are important to keep in mind in your efforts to attract and retain the best talent, both in how you shape the external corporate narrative and how you communicate one-on-one with candidates. Recently, I saw the difference firsthand when the team at MVP Executive Search was recruiting for two sales leaders at different companies:

• Company A offered an attractive compensation package, great culture, lots of upward mobility and a hybrid work environment. They were willing to allow this executive to live anywhere with the caveat that they would spend one week per month at HQ. The recruiters wrapped up the search within three months, and our candidate is happy and thriving in his new role.
• Company B’s spec was far more rigid. Compensation was on the low end for the role. The culture was good but there wasn’t a clear path toward future promotion and the company was adamant that this sales leader be present in the office five days a week. As you can imagine, given the competitive marketplace, this was a very challenging search. In the end, it took more than eight months to fill the role.

Candidates are calling the shots these days, and the opportunity costs to businesses of being understaffed are continuing to grow. Communications leaders can play an important role in creating stronger, more differentiated narratives around compensation, culture and career. As primary factors driving candidate interest, they can make or break your company’s chances in the race to attract and hire the right people—and do it faster and more effectively than the competition.

Mary Olson-Menzel is the founder and CEO of MVP Executive Search & Coaching and co-founder of Spark Insight Coaching.

Deborah Marquardt is an award-winning marketing communications leader and strategic advisor for global brands in beauty, fine jewelry and media.

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How do you celebrate the wins—both big and small—of your team? In a virtual or hybrid work world, it’s a little harder to get everyone together for a party.

It’s crucial to find ways to take a victory lap now and again, to boost morale and help people feel recognized and valued. Lisette Paras, CEO and founder of Gravitate PR, recommends a #kudos Slack channel to share the love and highlight team success.

Lisette Paras

We caught up with Paras recently for our Day in the Life series and she shared several tips, including her favorite podcasts, top workplace tools and lessons learned from an eventful career in the PR industry:

1. What’s your favorite part of your morning routine?

Paras: Going for an hour-long walk with my dog. Even though I’m in San Francisco and Gravitate PR has clients based in Europe or the East Coast, I try to make sure I have routines that aren’t focused on immediately throwing myself into work in the morning.

2. Who’s the most important person you talk to every day?

Paras: My husband. We complement each other in the best way possible. He’s my biggest supporter and also someone who keeps things in perspective for me when I’m anxious or need to talk through a problem.

3. What’s the biggest challenge you’ve faced in your career?

Paras: Starting and running a business.

Looking back, starting the agency about 5 years ago after moving to the U.S. from Australia not having a huge network was a big step for me, but I had friends, family and colleagues supporting and believing in me, which in itself was a huge motivator. Since then, I’m sure we’ve faced a lot of similar challenges to many other businesses: grappling with COVID, hiring, engaging our team, innovating, etc.

But I think the lessons I’ve had along the way—and continuing to put everything in perspective—has really helped in approaching every scenario in the best way I can, with my team.

4. What’s your best book or podcast recommendation for PR colleagues?

Paras: I started to listen to podcasts again recently and have three that I tune in to regularly:

• HBR IdeaCast – a weekly podcast focused on business and management
• NPR’s How I Built This with Guy Raz – inspiring stories from successful entrepreneurs and the bumps they experienced along the way
• The Intelligence from The Economist – as someone with an international relations degree and who was born/raised outside of the U.S., I like to know what’s happening around the world and think it’s really important for comms professionals to know as well, as the world continues to become smaller and more interconnected

5. What’s your favorite tool you use regularly for your work?

Paras: Monday.com has really helped our teams stay on top of tasks, be accountable to deadlines, and get rid of a lot of the chatter on Slack.

Slack is still great for quick questions and banter.

6. Are you in an office/remote or both? What do you like (or dislike) about your current setup?

Paras: A bit of both to mix things up when possible. When our team does see each other in person, it’s very deliberate—e.g., for our annual kickoff meeting. At home, I am still working from the kitchen, and it should probably make more effort to create a more aesthetically pleasing setup!

7. What’s one trick you use to promote well-being, make yourself feel good at work?

Paras: Coming together as a team each week to share our achievements and learnings from the last week. We have a #kudos channel as well on Slack where people can give each other virtual props for a job well done.

As a team, it’s a boost to not only celebrate wins and accomplishments, but also discuss instances when things have gone a bit awry and what we can all learn from such situations.

8. What’s the best advice anyone has ever given you in your career?

Paras: Focus on what you can control. In our industry, there’s a lot of things that we have no command over—such as whether an article will be published, or whether the startup we’ve partnered with to drive a highly-visible campaign will succeed.

Ultimately, there’s no point stressing about something where the outcome couldn’t have changed. What’s important is to know that you’ve truly done your best work and achieved as much as you can to make an initiative successful.

The post How a #kudos Slack channel helps Gravitate PR celebrate the team appeared first on PR Daily.

Maybe you’re spinning social media into its own department, away from the sheltering wings of a larger department. Or maybe you’re re-imagining your existing team and building something that’s perfectly suited for your needs rather than cobbled together over years of evolving needs and technologies. Whatever the case, starting from scratch gives you an opportunity to assemble a social media dream team.

In Ragan’s recent Social Media Conference, Elizabeth Solomon, VP at Fleishman Hillard, and David Johnston, head of social media for the Department of Defense, presented “Building & Leading a Social Media A-Team” with practical tips for getting the most out of your new crew.

The first phase is building the concept of your team.

1. Self-evaluation

A team is only as strong as its leader. That’s why the first step is looking critically at yourself.

“We can have the most amazing people in the world working for us, but if we aren’t working to advocate for them, they may not stick around, or they may not be able to reach their full potential,” Solomon says.

Ask those you trust about your strengths and weaknesses as a leader and identify areas to improve. And be honest about your own bandwidth to lead a team: are you best served as a direct manager or a second-line supervisor?

2. Situational evaluation

Once you know where you are, it’s time to look at where your social media team will be placed.

“Does the team sit in a sales department or a customer service center?” Johnston asks. “Because where a team is placed will have a huge impact on the responsibilities, the day-to-day operations and the overall environment in which your team will operate.”

That placement will also determine what kind of attention will be placed on them from above. Is the team expected to quietly get work done or is there a desire for bold innovators who will make waves? Knowing this beforehand can save heartache later.

Finally, it’s time to start looking at what resources you’ll be able to devote to the team. Will you have a large team of specialists, or will you have a leaner crew of generalists? What are their functions and responsibilities?

3. Landscape evaluation

It’s time to zoom the camera out and get the big picture. In almost any organization, that means looking at your customer. “At the end of the day, the customers are really the most important part of what you’re doing,” Solomon says.

Centering your customer allows you to complete the next steps: Determining goals and figuring out how you’ll reach them. You may need to seek clarity from high in the organization about broader objectives, and then determine how to ladder your team’s goals up to help reach those, Solomon says.

The full list of tips, including how to grow and maintain your team, is available for PR Leadership Network members. Not a member yet? Sign up today.

The post A step-by-step guide to building a social media team from scratch appeared first on PR Daily.

Many assume the stereotypical PR person is outgoing, social and on their third cup of coffee by opening bell. While that may be the case for many PR folks, there’s a hidden group out there just as hungry, thoughtful and intelligent, but a little more reserved and cautious before speaking up.

As someone who has been called an ambivert, here are some tips that I’ve learned over the past year that have helped me stand out without having to be the loudest one in the room.

1. Come with questions.

Take the “pressure” off yourself and write down questions before interacting with a client or teammate. Whether it’s clarification on strategy, a thought leadership angle or the logistics of an announcement, preparing is crucial, especially for introverts who may get nervous responding on the spot. By turning your thoughts into questions, you can engage and demonstrate proactivity without standing on a soapbox.

2. Speak through sharing articles.

Along with results, clients grade PR pros on expertise and industry knowledge. We’re the ear to the ground that they don’t have time for. Sharing relevant articles, whether a competitor announcement or thought leadership piece, shows that you’re proactively connecting the dots. For the introvert, allowing media coverage to speak for itself frees you from the pressure of having to make firm recommendations about strategy before you’ve gotten a sense of your client’s openness to an idea.

3. Be available.

Whether you’re an introvert or extrovert, you will be a visible and viable member of your team by simply making yourself available. If research needs to get done or a rapid response pitch needs to be written ASAP, responding within 15 minutes (even with the occasional “I’m swamped”) will help your team know you’re on the ball, and ready to jump in.

4. Lean into your strengths.

For my fellow introverted colleague Andre Russell, it’s all about jumping on opportunities that you feel comfortable with. Maybe getting on the phone with a reporter isn’t your cup of tea, but sending an email to an event organizer is no problem. Look for those opportunities in your comfort zone and proactively volunteer, so your team knows to go to you when similar situations arise.

Personally, I’m more than happy to connect one-on-one with my peers and brainstorm projects, talk through edits or discuss strategy, so I always mention that before taking on a new task.

5. Set aside recovery time.

Even if someone appears incredibly confident and comfortable talking with people, it takes a lot of energy for a naturally introverted person to do it. While extroverts get their energy from interacting with people, introverts and ambiverts are depleting their energy in those situations, which is why my colleague Katherine Grubaugh emphasizes the importance of winding down after a Zoom-heavy day.

“As an introvert, it doesn’t mean that I’m incapable of talking to strangers or presenting in front of executives, but when I have a meetings (read: socializing) heavy day, I make plans to stay at home that evening and curl up with a book or a show, and my cat. I can’t double-up on socializing during my work day, and going out for a drink after work. It’s too much. I need to recharge with quiet time to be able to come back tomorrow and engage with folks again.”

So, know your social limits and set up some “me time” to balance yourself. I personally love to center myself by exercising and taking my mind off of work in the evening.

No matter what you scored on your Meyers Briggs test, by its nature PR work will take you out of your comfort zone. While the pandemic may have been a blessing in disguise for introverted PR pros, by normalizing remote work and decreasing the amount of in-person interaction, it won’t last forever. Media dinners, in-person coffee meetings and other networking events are destined for a comeback, so it’s important to flex those extroverted muscles for when the time comes.

Mike Bradley is an account executive with Method Communications.

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