PR talent is on the move but it’s an employee market

Employers should focus on market proposition, vision, the split between home and office, and employee benefits.

The talent market in public relations in the UK is tough. There’s a shortage of junior and mid-level practitioners. Candidates aren’t moving unless there’s significant upside.

The situation is proving to be particularly acute for employers that are growing or scaling a business.

Anyone that was made redundant or furloughed at the outset of the pandemic in March and April 2020, had found employment by Spring 2021.

The market slowed down over the summer, but organisations learning to operate alongside COVID-19, and the relaxation of social distancing has brought renewed impetus for the sector.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) data tells the story of an economy close to full employment. COVID-19, Brexit and seasonal impacts have created the perfect storm.

Unemployment in May to July 2021 was 1.5 million according to ONS employment data published in September.  Vacancies and jobs in the UK for June to August 2021 rose to a record 1,034,000.

Employers in the public relations sector haven’t caught up with how quickly and how far the market has shifted in favour of the employee according to Ijeoma Erengwa, a senior recruitment consultant at Reuben Sinclair.

“The summer is always quiet. However, responses to job advertisements and direct approaches have picked up, but candidates are only moving for more responsibility and recognition,” said Ijeoma.

A strong employer proposition is critical. Proposition, vision, the split between home and office, and employee benefits are all important factors.

“People have reevaluated their lives in the last 18 months. Employers need to be able to sell themselves to employees. It’s an acute issue for agencies that don’t have a clear proposition,” said Ijeoma.

The situation is compounded by employers not recruiting at junior levels in 2020. The economic downturn combined with the challenge of onboarding and training alongside working from home meant entry level recruitment was limited.

Salaries remained static in 2020 but are now being pushed upwards.

“If a candidate has two job offers at £35,000, one of the offers will increase to £38,000,” said Ijeoma.

This is also reflected by ONS data. Growth in average total pay, including bonuses, was 8.3% in the three months of May to July 2021.

A future management challenge is that role and salary inflation may lead to the market overheating and candidates being promoted beyond their capabilities.

If you’ve two years’ experience, or more, and are considering your next challenge in public relations, now would be a good time to look at the market.

If you’re an employer that is hiring, invest in your proposition and relook at salary bands, so that your role is as attractive as possible to employees.

Reuben Sinclair is a Wadds Inc. client.