Looking to hire the very best PR and social talent in 2023?
Looking to hire into your PR & Social team in 2023? Keep these top tips in mind to secure the very best PR & Social candidates!
It’s no secret that the agency-side PR and social media market is candidate scarce. The ‘war for talent’ has long been a topic for conversation amongst recruiters, hiring managers and in publications such as PRWeek.
This was inevitably heightened after the COVID-19 pandemic, as many agencies had put a pause on hiring juniors, which created a skills gap and particular shortage of employees who would be working around Account Manager level now - we all know that brilliant PR AM candidates are absolute unicorns!
Additionally, work life balance became a greater priority, which seemed to make in-house roles more appealing.
Finally, post-pandemic remote working options have allowed more candidates to seek roles further afield, many of which are based in London – drawing candidates in with high London salaries!
Spoiler alert, I’m not going to tell you anything revolutionary or ground-breaking in this article. What I am going to do is highlight three of the main things I’m seeing and hearing over and over again, across thousands of conversations with candidates.
So, what can you do to overcome these challenges and win over the best talent in the PR & social market?
Salaries, benefits, culture and company conscience
If you’re wanting to hire the very best talent, you’re going to have to pay for it and make sure your benefits are on point – particularly in the current market. As candidates usually receive multiple interviews and job offers, they’re really looking at the whole package. If you’re unsure how your salary bandings or benefits stack up against your competitors, get in touch for a free copy of our salary survey today! Flexible, hybrid working and regular socials are all expected, so what else are you doing to stand out?
One of the number one things that candidates want to find out is more information on company culture, so I’d recommend really pushing this out across your website and social channels as much as possible - shouting about your vision, values and any positive initiatives you’re working on. Ask us about recruitment packs, we work with clients to put together. They detail all the above and are given to potential candidates and we can absolutely say with confidence, are invaluable!
Interview processes
Interviews are no longer one-sided and intimidation tactics certainly won’t work. Great candidates are often interviewing with 3-4 companies at one time, so they’re able to be picky and compare the ‘vibe’ they got from each interview. This may seem obvious, but first impressions are crucial for both sides. So, give them a real insight into your company culture, benefits and anything else you can offer – make sure you’re trying to WOW them, just as they’re trying to impress you!
You’d be surprised by the number of candidates who are put off a role which they could have been great for, all because they got a ‘bad vibe’ from the interview or interviewer. A friendly face and conversational interview style can go a very long way in this market! For more advice around the interview process, why not check out this blog we've also written: "Interviews...what not to ask" .
Finally, whilst there are many benefits to setting interview tasks for PR & social media roles, please bear in mind that most candidates are working full-time, and an unnecessarily long task could certainly put them off if they have other interviews which are looking promising. I’m always here to offer free advice if you’re not sure how your interview process compares to that of others in your industry. Please don’t hesitate to get in touch if you’d like any more information.
Moving quick!
The war for PR and social talent has already started strong this year. So, if you are genuinely looking for the best the market has to offer, you need to be in a position to move very quickly to avoid entering into a bidding war for the candidate or missing out on them all together. Most agency-side candidates aren’t prepared to wait a couple of weeks for feedback on their CV, then a couple more for a first stage interview – the best candidates will have been snapped up far before you’ve even had the chance to speak to them! Make sure that when you’re ready to hire, you’re ready to give the time needed to craft and post a job ad, sieve through the CVs and get through the interview process without delay, giving candidates feedback wherever possible.
I’m well aware that time is of the essence, so if you can’t manage the entire recruitment lifecycle yourself, I’d definitely recommend outsourcing this to a recruiter. We’ll take care of all the sourcing and pre-screening, so you’re only reviewing the best and most relevant candidates for your role, rather than spending hours on end reading through irrelevant CVs. We’ll liaise with the candidate to arrange interview times which suit your busy diary and keep you in the loop if candidates have other offers/interviews and you may want to move things forward!
I hope you found this blog helpful and remember that we’re always here to help you recruit, BUT we’re also here to offer lots of free advice and support. So, if you’re looking to level up your PR & Social Media team in 2023, please feel free to get in touch – I’d love to help!