What a week it has been for reputations – the media’s, the government’s and that of big business.   Set against a backdrop of phone hacking and the ongoing Leveson Inquiry,  the week kicked off with the latest results from Edelman’s annual ‘trust barometer‘, which, whether you agree with its methodology or not, found that there’s been a huge shift in public opinion with regard to the aforementioned three institutions since this time last year.

Given that the issue of trust is key to managing reputation, we’d be surprised if there were many PR’s and professional communicators who weren’t already aware of the barometer’s key UK findings:

• that trust in the government has fallen from 43%  to 38%
• that trust in business has fallen from 44% to 38%
• that, despite a tumultuous year dominated by the ongoing hacking scandal, trust in the media has increased from 22% to 37% (Broadsheets saw a 47% increase in trust compared to tabloids which saw trust increase by just 14%, the lowest increase seen in all the media institutions. It’s also worth noting that whilst trust in social media has increased, the majority of the public, 56%, distrust it as a news source).

So, great news for the media  but it’s a shame the same can’t be said for governments and business (their respective diminished standing not helped by another ‘cash for access story‘ mid week).

However, Alex Deane,  Head of Public Affairs at Weber Shandwick, remains optimistic about the future of business and its ability to bounce back in the popularity stakes, and not just because he’s an elected  Common Councilman in the Square Mile.

“I still trust CEO’s and their judgements,” he says. “We have a ‘tall poppy syndrome’ in this country. In California, people don’t trash talk Silicon Valley like the British do the City.”

Here, we share his insights into how he would help overturn negative public perception. If you’re in the business of reputation management in whatever sector, we advise you to take note.

• Be honest: “In most cases, people are averse to open, frank, intimate and informal conversations – they’re often too concerned about risks to their reputation,” says Alex. “However, those social cues are exactly what convinces people that the speaker is being honest. Don’t be afraid of being honest in a professional capacity, it’s the foundation of trust.”

• Engage your audience: Remorseless engagement has to be the order of the day. Across all channels, across all platforms.

• Be consistent: Twitter is a good example of where businesses and organisations can do both well and badly when it comes to reputation management. By signing up to social media platforms, there’s an implicit suggestion that an organisation is wanting to engage with its audience. However, according to Alex, engagement has to be ongoing and consistent – regardless of whether the issues being discussed are positive or negative.  “If you don’t want to talk openly, proactively engaging with The Public AND engaging with criticism when offered,  then you shouldn’t engage at all.”

• Education is key: “Most British businesses are highly ethical, but are terrible about conveying that,” admits Alex.  In order for business to win over hearts and minds, business must educate the public into its values though regular, timely and transparent communication.

• The power of PR: “It may be a cliché, but crises offer opportunities as well as risks,” says Alex.  “If a business is willing to spend its way out of recession and invest in good PR, then they’ll fare better in the storm than the competition. If they survive the storm well, that in itself can be in an organisation’s best interests over the long term.”

Alex Deane is Head of Public Affairs at Weber Shandwick. He was a former chief of staff to David Cameron, as well as working in a senior position at Bell Pottinger Public Affairs.

In today’s challenging economic climate, ‘headhunting‘ (or executive search as it is also known) as a practice has never been more popular. Whilst the headhunters’ call has the capacity to flatter and unsettle in equal measure (even for the most senior and accomplished candidates) it’s in your best interests to make the most of this opportunity. The message is: if you haven’t been headhunted yet, you will be.

In almost every sector we are involved with; technology, consumer (in-house positions), corporate (in-house, again) financial PR and healthcare, headhunting is fast becoming the recruitment method of choice. (In healthcare, talented individuals are so scarce that it’s our exclusive modus operandi). It’s the most effective way of identifying and sourcing the best people for a position; it can lead to a fulfilling, long-term relationships with a recruiter who has much wider access to upcoming, unadvertised positions than could ever be realised through professional networking and; let’s face it, it can even be rather flattering.

So, when the call comes, don’t be tempted to dive under the office desk. Instead, make the most of this career-propelling opportunity and be prepared.

• Step 1:  Don’t panic!

Professional headhunters will do everything they can to make you feel comfortable and are well aware that you may be in an open office and unable to talk freely.  If a headhunter calls, they’ll request your telephone number or e-mail address so that you can talk at a more convenient, mutually agreeable time. If you are in a position to take the call, listen first, be inquisitive second. Establish why the headhunter is calling and what they want before presenting your case and requirements.

• Step 2: Be flattered

We only ever headhunt when we are looking for a candidate to fill an active or up-coming position. You will have been identified, through networking or industry word-of-mouth, as a quality, high-calibre candidate. Be flattered rather than freaked out – it’s not every day you are recognised for your talents.

• Step 3: Make the most of this opportunity

Although headhunting is becoming much more common-place than it was as little as three years ago, you may only receive a few of these calls in your entire career.  Even if you are not looking for a job now, don’t dismiss the call out of hand. Instead, try and impress the headhunter as you would a prospective interviewer. If you make a good impression, the headhunter will keep you in mind for future opportunities when you very well may want to move on. Against a backdrop of mergers, restructures and acquisitions, that time may be sooner than you think…

• Step 4: Headhunters operate at every level, across all sectors

It’s a myth that headhunting only takes place at senior levels. In healthcare, for example, the market space is so select that headhunters are retained to recruit junior positions right through to director level. However, according to Charles Cowan, our specialist healthcare consultant, whilst senior candidates will probably have been contacted by a headhunter before, and know how to handle the call to their best advantage, the same can’t be said of juniors. His advice? Anticipate the call in advance so you won’t be flustered when the opportunity presents itself.

• Step 5: Confidentiality

Just as a headhunter will treat this call as highly confidential,  they are also unlikely to divulge the name of the recruiting client in the initial stages, i.e. the first telephone call. Remember that as much as the headhunter has been tasked with identifying talent, they have also been put in a position of trust by the recruiting client.

So, you’ve had the call – what next? Meet with the head hunter face to face. It is important for anyone representing you to understand your skills set and career aspirations thoroughly. A headhunter can also be an excellent adviser and source of information, as well as someone you trust. And, as basic as it may sound, communication is key. Being open, honest and upfront helps to get the most out of a headhunter. If you are planning to move to Australia in 6 months or have no desire to work for a company they suggest, don’t be afraid to let them know!

Last week, the first Government–funded, industry-wide PR apprenticeship scheme was unveiled.

With youth unemployment at its highest ever level and soaring university fees potentially stemming the flow of future talent, it’s not surprising that the move has been so well received.

It’s not just bright young things wanting to secure their first foot on a notoriously difficult-to-access career ladder who have welcomed the news, but leading figures in the PR industry.

According to a PRCA survey of almost one hundred agency bosses, 94% of agency MD’s said they wanted an apprenticeship scheme for the PR industry, whilst 92% would consider employing an apprentice. PRCA chief executive, Francis Ingham, says,” The PR industry contributes £7.5bn per year to the UK economy. It’s about time we had an apprenticeship scheme to ensure a steady stream of high caliber candidates.”

Around £1.2m has been set aside to provide on-the-job training, qualifications and work experience to 600 young non-graduates from diverse backgrounds over a three-year period, the scheme to be run by the PRCA in partnership with Pearson in Practice. The partnership will spend the next year working with PR employers and practitioners to develop a programme that will meet both the needs of ‘employer’ and ‘employee’.

Although the scheme will undoubtedly help hundreds of non-graduates in the industry, let’s not forget that, mindful of the shrinking pool of candidates that rising tuition fees will inevitably create, there are already significant numbers of forward-thinking agencies and organisations with robust apprenticeship schemes in place.

Earlier this year, Shine Communications launched an apprentice-style scheme offering school leavers an alternative route into the industry by offering a two-year in-house and on-the-job training programme. Candidates were also required to complete the CIPR Advanced Certificate in Public Relations.

Hill and Knowlton have been running an internship programme for at least the past six years, with many of those completing the scheme moving up to Junior Account Executive level and in some cases Senior Account Executives and Account Managers. Czarina Charles, Talent Acquisition Manager, says, “It’s a great way to indentify junior talent for the business in an economical and efficient way” adding that, “intern help to support the teams deliver projects and campaigns which come up at short notice.”

In healthcare, too, there are some shining examples of agencies who, as well as wanting to encourage more graduates into healthcare comms as a potential career through offering apprenticeship schemes, understand that in the current economic climate, such schemes are essential to the future of talent acquisition.

Anna Parfitt, HD Director at Virgo Health says that their provision of a 40 week work placement programme and a one week placement scheme has, “provided opportunities for team members to coach students and essential people skills,” as well giving undergraduates “invaluable hands-on experience for individuals eager to work in the industry.”

Competition for placements is understandably fierce but for those lucky enough to secure a work placement or apprenticeship scheme (either as part of their University course or as a replacement) the rewards are truly rich – for everyone.

In January, PR Week reported that the flurry of industry M&A around the turn of the year could finally see ‘large scale consolidation in a fragmented UK PR industry’.

Twelve months on, driven by clients’ growing desire for integrated, one-stop-shops as much as squeezed margins post recession, it seems like their predictions have been proved right.  Amongst some of the biggest mergers we’ve seen in 2011; Tavistock acquiring Conduit and Four Communications buying BGB amongst them, that of Pelham and Bell Pottinger stands out as one of the industry’s success stories.

It may be early days but already MD  James Henderson says the move has been ‘enormously successful’,  citing a phenomenal six-fold increase in profitability, strongly suggesting that PBP will buck the sobering trend that befalls the majority of M & A’s – failure within the first three years.

Speaking to him this week, it quickly became apparent that selling the many benefits of the merger (being able to compete at the top end, having a breadth of offering, being able to access larger opportunities and boost salaries through performance related pay amongst others) to the incumbent Pelham and Bell Pottinger staff was key to a smooth transition. “It’s ironic,” he says, “that internal communications isn’t always something PR agencies get right!” Important, too, was structure, with BP staff moving in with Pelham for a four month period to promote and facilitate team integration and culture building in Pelham’s own space before moving the team to BP’s Holborn HQ. Whilst the company is known for its strong work ethic, James candidly admits that ‘playing hard’, with drinks evenings and social gatherings, also helped to oil the wheels.

Hugely increased, target-busting profitability hasn’t been the only measure of success though. What makes this merger remarkable is that staff movement has been minimal, in fact less than expected in an average year.

Given that PR is a people business where intellectual property is the main commodity, making a merger work involves much more than getting the numbers right. It seems that James Henderson hasn’t just helped to put PBP on the course to much greater profitability, he’s pulled off arguably something even more challenging: winning over the hearts and minds of his staff.

We are always on the lookout for great networkers to join the works but, like PR, recruitment has a mixed reputation.  We thought we would give you an insight into why we love our jobs.

1. The role is a superb mix of relationship building, using all your resources and managing expectations
2. It’s great if have an enquiring mind and enjoy finding out about people
3. From banking to consumer brands, we meet fantastic people every day and get an insight into their world
4. It’s highly satisfying – you get out what you put in – and if you are driven you can build a great business
5. We love working as a team but you also have loads of autonomy and ownership
6. Constant change – no two days are the same and it’s challenging
7. It’s great to help build businesses and support people through their careers
8. We enjoy giving advice every day on anything from salaries to interview technique
9. We thrive on the challenge of matching people to opportunities and vice versa,  so you end up being a demon interviewer and become adept at reading people
10. It’s fun too!

Interview traps can be hard to spot but we’d be amazed if even in the shortest of careers you hadn’t come across this ubiquitous interview hurdle: “Why do you want to leave your present employer?”

Whatever your true feelings about the company you are wanting to exit, under no circumstances should you wander in to the realms of rant, however tempting it may be.  As a professional communicator charged with upholding corporate reputations, how you regard a current employer at interview will inform your potential future employers about what you may say about them – and their clients.

Do

• Stress the positives of the company (there must have been a reason you joined them in the first place) and why they were a good company to work for
• Tell them about any training or work-related experience you’ve gained
• When addressing the reasons why you want to move on, make them skills, ambition and values related, perhaps stressing that you are looking for a new challenge and what that means to you.  Remember to relate what you are saying to the role and the company you are applying for, matching the advertised job description with the skills that you can provide.
• Take advantage of pre-interview coaching, a service that we provide to our candidates

Don’t

• Be tempted to rant about internal (and confidential) politics. The interviewer will gauge your discretion on behalf of the company / agency and its clients.
• Mention personality clashes – the interviewer may see YOU as the agent provocateur
• Use salary increases as the sole reason you want to move – this will not be viewed as sufficient motivation

It’s a rule of thumb that when it comes to being asked about present employers that, “if you can’t think of anything nice to say then don’t say it at all.”

Nothing is guaranteed to strike more fear into the heart of the candidate as those that relate to competency, which in an interview situation are commonly disguised as ‘the scenario question’.

You know the ones. Open ended “tell me about a situation where you have….” questions. They’re questions, usually posed or forwarded by savvy HR managers, and are designed to show core competencies rather than technical knowledge. And there’s the rub. Whilst they may seem rather innocuous, they’re intended to demonstrate how you performed (or didn’t perform) in a crisis or challenging situation. For the unprepared candidate, the capacity for trip ups is huge – even for the most experienced PR professional.

However, by anticipating any of the questions below (or variations on a theme), and having the answers up your sleeve, the scenario or competency question can actually be a power for good: a platform from which a candidate can show themselves off in the best light.

It may seem obvious advice, but listen to the question – really listen, and, using the examples you’ve prepared pre-interview, answer accordingly. Don’t rush. Take your time to answer. But by breaking the open ended question down into four components: ‘aim’, ‘execution’, ‘results’ and ‘evaluation’, the competency based question can actually provide you with some structure to what could other-wise be a very open ended question.

Here are a few examples in our ‘rogues gallery’ of scenario questions. As with every interview question, being able to provide measurable statistics or markers with regards to evaluation will earn you valuable brownie points in the eyes of the interviewer. Think ahead and think SMART.

• Describe a situation where you have renegotiated an increase in fees with a client. How did you justify this?

• Describe an example of how you influenced senior management to implement one of your own ideas. How did you validate that this idea could improve business performance?

• Describe how your team has developed through your leadership. How did they change?

• Describe a situation where you have given negative feedback to someone more junior than you and someone more senior than you.

• Describe a situation where there was very little possibility to motivate a team you managed, perhaps no pay rises for over a year, or no bonuses for example. How did you overcome these challenges – and how do you know those measures worked?

• Describe a situation that you have dealt with where there was an underperforming member in your team.

• What is the biggest ‘crisis’ situation you’ve dealt with and how did you tackle it? What were the specific challenges you had to overcome, internally and externally? What went well? With the benefit of hindsight, what could you have done better?

Whether you love them or loathe them, one thing is certain: competency based questions WILL get asked. You just have to be ready for them.

Working in communications, those doing the hiring (particularly PR and Marcomms agencies) are better than many other industries at knowing how to elicit information without straying on the wrong side of anti-discrimination law. We’d also like to stress that rogue interview questions ARE only being asked by a naughty few. But, as our candidate feedback demonstrates, there remains a significant proportion of interview questions that aren’t so much designed to help a candidate shine at interview as leave them wondering just what they would be if they were biscuit (we kid you not).

In the next few weeks, we’re going to be helping you to handle the most tricky interview questions so that whatever you’re faced with, you’ll be able to show yourselves off in the best light.

First up, interview question offender number 1:

“Do you have, or are you planning to have children in the near future?”

The good news about this potential can-of-worms question is clear: your interviewer is breaching sex discrimination legislation and you are in no way obliged to answer this.

Our suggestion would be to smile, raise an eyebrow, perhaps, and counter by saying, “You’re not allowed to ask me that, are you?” We feel this strikes a balance between cutting off the line of questioning without ruining your rapport.

Job done, right? Well, not necessarily. You see there’s a whole world of difference between those interviewers who are genuinely out-of-step with appropriate interview questions and their legality and those mavericks who ‘feel the fear and do it anyway’: rogue employers who are savvy about discrimination but perhaps not about ethics, so will try to elicit the answer by other means, the scoundrels! We’re talking the wolf in sheep’s clothing of interview tactics. For them, the question may be dressed up as:

“Tell me about your partner / background”, in the hope that you may lead them right up the path to nursery furnishings.

Again, these type of questions are interview no-no’s. There’s no law against finding out what makes an interviewee tick, but steer your interviewer to more neutral territory – and remember, the law is behind you. An interviewer shouldn’t be asking personal questions to try and determine whether you are married, or about your culture and (non-career) history, either. By all means provide information that will demonstrate that you are fit for task, but there’s no imperative to furnish it with insights gained from your personal life.

Click here for further information about discrimination in the recruitment process.  If your interviewer continues to pursue avenues they shouldn’t, then they could be facing an Employment Tribunal, or action from the Equality and Human Rights Commission.

We find that’s usually enough to quiet even the most persistent interview offenders…

On the whole, PR professionals seem a rather satisfied bunch when it comes to their careers, with 80% believing themselves to be ‘OK’ to ‘very happy’ in their current role and slightly more in-house professionals rating themselves as ‘generally happy’ compared to agency employees. Encouraging news indeed, particularly given the waves of redundancies and pay freezes of recent years.

That said, although just over a quarter (28%) of PRs are actively looking for another position, a whopping 60% would consider a ‘perfect’ role if approached. If that isn’t a stark warning for employers to look after their existing talent, we don’t know what is. Financial PR agencies should also be warned: of all the sectors, the difference between agency and their in-house counterparts was the most striking. Those employed by financial PR agencies were the most keen to move on with 44% ‘actively looking’ for other roles, whilst only 15% of those employed in in-house positions confessed they were looking for greener pastures.

When asked what were the principal reasons to move on, over a quarter (26%) of our respondents cited not being challenged in their current position as the most likely reason, followed by unsatisfactory pay (18%) and poor leadership (9%). However, the reasons for moving on depend largely on seniority, with 22.5% of juniors citing unsatisfactory pay as their principal reason for wanting to leave compared to 30% of seniors who cited being ‘no longer challenged’ as their main motivating factor in looking elsewhere.

And, whilst financial PRs might be the best rewarded when it comes to the monthly pay packet, it’s those in the Tech/Digital and Social Media sector (whose salaries are, generally speaking, on a par with those in corporate comms or healthcare) who are the ‘happiest’ in their careers according to our industry-wide poll. Those working in corporate PR agencies reported as being the least happy, although 73% of those polled still considered themselves to be OK to very happy.

There were also some results which confirm what we’ve known for the past two years, such as the desire for agency staff to secure an in-house position, perhaps because they’ve been overservicing whilst being under-resourced during and post recession.  The in-house comms role is still regarded as the Golden Egg, professionally speaking.

In addition, it is clear that the more senior your role, the happier you are. ADs to MDs in an agency and PR managers to Head of Comms in-house are happier than those in mid-level (AMs in an agency/PR officers in-house) and junior roles (AEs in an agency/PR executives in-house).

Seniority is also a factor in how aware an employee is of their company’s values and how engaged they feel with their employer as a result, with a strong suggestion that improvements in internal communications are necessary to build awareness and better engage junior and mid-level staff.  90 % of those polled were aware of their company’s values and how it impacted on their motivation yet a far greater proportion of senior staff classed themselves as being ‘very aware’ of and ‘very motivated’ by their company’s values (73% and 52.5% respectively) compared to junior and mid level workers (45% and 29% respectively).

As for the future of the economy and how it will impact on your sector, it seems that although the financial markets are in tailspin and the direction of George Osborne’s economic policy under ever-increasing scrutiny (even by members of his own party), most PR professionals are optimistic about the UK’s economic future, with only 17% believing the situation will worsen in the next 6 months. However, breaking the results down into sectors, we found that corporate and technology were the most optimistic, with a third reporting that they expected the economic situation to improve over the next six months, whilst those working in the financial services sector were more pessimistic, with over a quarter (27%) expecting the economic situation to worsen in the same period.

Read on to find out more about our exclusive results…

How happy are you in your role at the moment?

• 80% of all PR professionals are ‘OK’ to ‘very happy’ in their current role.
• Slightly more in-house professionals rate themselves as generally happy than agency employees (84% to 76%)
• Within agency practice, Tech/Digital/Social media are the happiest, with 85% being ‘OK’ to ‘very happy’. Corporate agencies are the least happy, although 73% are ‘OK’ to ‘very happy’.
• Those in more senior roles (ADs to MDs in an agency and PR managers to Head of Comms in-house) are happier than those in mid-level (AMs in an agency/PR officers in-house) and junior roles (AEs in an agency/PR executives in-house).

If you are looking for a move – what is the prime reason?

• The overall most common reason for wanting to leave is no longer feeling challenged, cited by 26% of respondents. The next most popular reason was unsatisfactory pay, at 18%. Poor leadership was then cited by 9%.
• 19% of agency employees want to move in-house, whereas just 1% of in-house workers want to move to an agency.
• The top reason for juniors and mid-level employees wanting to move was dissatisfaction with pay, cited by 22.5%. Of seniors, 30% said that they were no longer challenged.

If you would consider a move, when would you like this to be?

• 28% are actively looking for new roles; however, 60% aren’t actively looking but would consider a ‘perfect’ role if approached.
• Financial PR agency employees are most keen to move on: 44% are actively looking. At the other extreme, only 15% of in-house professional services PR employees are looking for a new job.

How aware are you of your company values and goals? How engaged do you feel with your employer and its goals?

• 90% of PR workers are aware of their companies’ values and goals, with a similar amount actively caring about them and motivated to contribute.
• A far greater proportion of senior staff was ‘very aware’ and ‘very motivated’ (73% and 52.5% respectively) than junior/mid-level workers (45% and 29% respectively).

How would you rate your company’s performance within your market at the moment out of 10? How would you rate your own performance at the moment out of 10?

• Those in Tech/Digital/Social media agencies rated their own companies’ performance the highest, with a mean rating of 8/10. In-house financial services employees were the most critical but still gave an average rating of 7/10.
• In-house employees in sectors other than professional/financial services rated their own performance the highest, at 8/10.)

How do you expect the economy to be 6 months from now?

• Overall, only 17% of PR professionals thought that the economy would be worse in 6 months’ time.
• Those in corporate and technology PR agencies were the most optimistic; a third expect the economic situation to improve in the next 6 months. Those working in-house in professional services businesses were the most pessimistic, with 27% predicting the economy to worsen in the same period of time.

Which agency springs to mind first as the hot shot PR agency of the moment?

These are the consultancies that came in first place –

Full Service – Edelman
Financial – FD
Corporate – Blue Rubicon
Consumer – Freud
Technology – Hotwire
Healthcare – Virgo
Public Affairs – APCO

And return it has! Four months ago, counter offers were most likely to occur between legal communications teams but with more private sector agencies winning business, the phenomenon has now spread across the board to include corporate PR, particularly in the financial services sector.

We’re not just talking counter offers between a current employer (understandably wanting to retain talented staff they’ve trained and invested in) and another potential employer, but bidding wars between three or four employers all keen to secure the best hire.

Without doubt, the main driving force behind this round of counter offers is money. Talented individuals, frustrated by the recession-enforced career inertia of the past two years are now chancing their arm at interview(s) primarily to boost their salary.

Arguably, some of the candidates we’ve seen who have ‘won big’ at counter offer are those who were genuinely underpaid. One agency candidate even doubled their salary whilst eventually staying with the original employer. Doubling salaries may be exceptional, but it’s been our candidates’ recent experience that significant pay hikes are a factor again.

However, as flattering as a counter offer is employers and candidates should proceed with caution.

National surveys of employees consistently show that of those who accept counter offers, 50 to 80% voluntarily leave their employer within six months of accepting the deal largely because of un-kept promises and the reasons other than salary why they were looking to leave haven’t gone away.

To ensure you don’t become one of those statistics, it’s worth asking yourself the following questions: “Will your loyalty be in question by remaining in the job, especially if future redundancies are likely?” “Is the counter offer just a stalling tactic to avoid short-term inconvenience or a genuine desire to progress you career?” “Will this preclude next year’s bonus?” but most importantly of all, “Do the proposed improvements eliminate the reason you went for a new job in the first place?”

Finally, you also need to think about not burning your bridges.  If you turn down a job offer then you may not be considered for a role at that company in the future as it may be viewed that you messed them around.