The return of the counter offer
In the ‘tug-of-war’ for talent, it’s a truism that good people are hard to find. But it’s equally true that good people are harder to keep hold of. As the PR world emerges from recession faster than many other sectors and competition for ‘good people’ hots up, it’s not surprising that we’ve seen the return of the ‘counter offer’.
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?” and “Do the proposed improvements eliminate the reason you went for a new job in the first place?”
But perhaps the most important factor when considering counter offers is the longer term professional consequences. PR careers and professional reputations aren’t made in a moment, whilst a counter offer may be. Just remember that making the wrong choice could leave a potential employer with a lasting negative impression of you long after the bidding war boxing gloves have been removed.
Public sector CV’s rise by 62% post budget
The number of CV’s we’ve received from PR and Comms candidates with a public sector background has soared by a massive 62% since the emergency budget was announced, according to our latest figures.
Out of those 62%, exactly half are from candidates with an agency background, i.e. those agencies with public sector clients. Given that this time last year we received not a single CV from a public sector agency candidate, it’s clear to see where the budget cuts are beginning to bite.
The question is: where does this leave the PR / in-house communicator with a predominantly public sector background? Unemployed? Perhaps for the short term. But unemployable? We hope not. Here’s our advice.
If you’ve come from an agency with public and private sector clients and have first hand experience of servicing both, then private sector employees will be more receptive as long as you can demonstrate a proven track record of private sector successes and relevant media contacts. Bridging the two sectors will also show your adaptability and a transferable skill set, perhaps even putting you at an advantage over those with ‘pure’ private sector experience.
For those with no recent private sector PR or Comms experience, the battle to win HR hearts is undoubtedly tougher – but by no means impossible.
One of the biggest hurdles to overcome is the perception, real or imagined, that the public sector is process rather than results or profit-driven; that perhaps the pace is slower. There is a tendency, particularly during and post recession, for employers to pigeon-hole candidates into the sector they have come from. Employers are more reluctant to accept that skills and knowledge acquired in one environment are transferable and have relevance in another sector.
Being able to demonstrate that you are an ambitious self-starter, have transferable skills, and are able to apply the knowledge you’ve acquired to benefit a private sector employer is therefore imperative. Achievements that are measurable are what private sector employers will be looking for. Have you met and exceeded targets or KPI’s, for example? Having cultivated strong relationships with key media contacts is equally desirable in the private sector wish list. But most of all, particularly if going for a fast-paced, results-driven agency position, candidates must be able to show that they understand the differences between the public and private sector, what drives the market (and current market conditions) and be able to respond as immediately and as well as those with a proven private sector track record.
Changing sectors is always a challenge. In this climate of increased competition and job insecurity, where the private sector is still in recovery post-recession, being willing to consider a drop in seniority, salary or perks until you have more experience may help you appear ‘more attractive’ to a prospective employer.
Of course, there’s also another factor to consider. With top talent in short supply, employers will ALWAYS choose the ‘best hire’. Which means there are win-win opportunities for both sides; outstanding public sector candidates and open minded, flexible private sector employers.
Interview tips: How to sell yourself better
After almost 18 months of recession-induced career coma, the market is moving, particularly in PR. Financial PR, in-house Corporate Communications, Property PR and Consumer are all hiring again, with more senior positions likely to come on board in the Autumn. In Legal PR, we’re even experiencing counter offers, with pay increases of £10K being put on the table to secure the best talent. With competition hotting up (much like the weather) here’s our top ten interview tips to help you sell yourself better.
1. Prepare for the meeting. We’re not just talking about doing your homework about the role and company you’re being interviewed for, but anticipating tricky interview questions such as ‘what is your weak spot?”. By rehearsing your game plan pre-interview (why not practice in front of friends?), your interview performance will be much enhanced and you’re less likely to be floored by killer questions designed to trip you up.
2. Think of yourself as a brand – how are you going to position yourself? With so much competition for each post, how you define and project yourself, skills, dress and personality, is all important. Interviewers are more likely to remember the ‘troubleshooter with a demonstrable track record in communications success’ or the ‘team player who has increased profitability by X% over a two year period’ than the person who is unsure of what their successes actually are.
3. Talk about your input and your results, rather than hiding behind the smokescreen of ‘we’.
4. Be specific and have details/examples to hand. What are you proud of? What have you achieved? How have you contributed? Interviewers love facts, figures and statistics so they can be confident they’ve hired someone who’ll positively influence the wider company’s profitablity and bottom line.
5. Remember that there is a balance between modesty and being overly confident. You’re being interviewed for cultural fit, being part of a wider team and organisation, not world domination.
6. Be genuine. If you don’t know the answer to something, say so, perhaps turning a negative into a positive by saying “I don’t have the experience to answer that question but what I do know is….”. Honesty is always the best policy no matter how great your acting ability.
7. Be aware that social media is desired – even if you don’t do it, make sure you understand it.
8. Be mindful. An hour is usually allocated for a meeting. Refrain from telling them your life story. Instead, be succinct, to the point and use that hour to your best advantage. If you don’t, someone else will…
9. Have questions prepared – there is always something you can ask. What are the company plans for the future? What is the office culture like?. Questions are a good way of demonstrating a real interest in the business. Remember, you’re interviewing them / the company almost as much as they are interviewing you.
10. Be aware of the skills that employers are interested in now, such as new business, emerging trends or markets or digital skills. If you’re not sure of what they are – do your homework!
Rising Star: Christian Mahne
Not everyone would describe being pelted by stones and tear gas as a career highlight but there again, Christian Mahne, Director and Head of Lansons Live, the consultancy’s Direct Communications arm, is not ‘everyone’.
For a start, there’s his unusual career progression which has seen him swap stockbroking for (Board-level) PR, with a decade of journalism (and afformentioned tear gas / stones) in between, something he aptly describes as a very ‘unique sandwich’.
Stones? Tick! Sandwiches? Tick! High flyer in leading PR and Public Affairs consultancy? Tick! Dr Evil? Tick (yes, really). Read on to find out why this month’s profile truly deserves the title ‘rising star’. Be educated. Be informed. Be entertained. We were…
Name: Christian Mahne
Position: Director and Head of Lansons Live
Company: Lansons Communications (http://www.lansons.com/)
Can you summarise your career path to date?
Two years stockbroking, ten years journalism, two years public relations. It’s a unique sandwich which gives me a different perspective on communications.
Describe your role:
I run Lansons Live, the Direct Communications arm of Lansons. We are all about disintermediated communications, putting clients and customers together through content, with no-one in between. We have a studio and production facility in the basement and do a great deal of original production (live programming, edited films etc.) for our clients’ internal and external audiences.
What’s been your career highlight to date?
Getting on the Board at Lansons has been a wonderful highlight and recognition of the value and importance of content driven strategies in the new PR world.
Getting pelted with stones and tear gas while stuck in no man’s land between both sides while covering the G8 summit protest in Prague a few years ago comes a close second.
And greatest challenge?
Anything on the cutting edge can be hard to get signed off because of the uncertainty associated with new things. In risk-averse times budget holders understandably want to be certain of the outcomes before committing. Luckily being right at the forefront of developments enables us to provide added value consultancy and our clients know they can rely on our advice.
And your ambition?
Oh, my ambitions are limitless. Austin Powers’ nemesis Dr. Evil has nothing on me – “The world is mine… the world is mine…”
What advice can you offer to other comms professionals who want to get ahead in the current climate?
Don’t underestimate the power of original thought. Copying the last successful idea will only get you so far! The approach to public relations consultancy is undergoing a revolution with new direct communications channels opening up between brands and their audiences. It’s an exciting new environment where the rules haven’t been written and there are no maps yet. So, fuse your gut instincts with existing industry knowledge and generate true innovation. Just look at Dali, whoever would have thought about putting a lobster on a telephone, but it kind of works doesn’t it? (http://www.tate.org.uk/servlet/ViewWork?workid=2988)
The other important thing, play the long game. You’re not in a race with your cohort to achieve greatness. The road to success is littered with the carcasses of people who ran out without looking first.
How do you feel about what you have achieved so far in your career?
People need different things at different times in their life. When I started out in journalism I just wanted to see myself on television. Now I get a buzz from understanding communication in its entirety. I was zoomed in but the big picture is actually the more interesting one.
The more I’ve done, the more my perspective has widened. You can’t learn good judgement; it just comes through experience, so get as much breadth in your life as you can.
What recent current affairs issue are you most interested in, and why?
Right now, the BA strike actually. For three reasons, one – I’m flying with them soon (or not as the case may be). Second, it’s about as high a stakes game of reputational poker as a brand can play and I’m interested to see their strategy and thirdly, I love aviation and learned to fly while I was based in Australia.
What challenges are you facing in your current position?
I work in a hot area. Lots of competitors, lots of bright people with great ideas. The challenge is to bridge the old and the new. Successfully combining the latest tools and techniques with the proven essentials of communication, unchanged for decades. Ultimately, it’s about helping clients tell compelling stories, or as Lord Reith (first Director General of the BBC) put it so well: “educate, inform, entertain”
Do you have an unusual, impressive or inspirational career path? Are you able to offer sage career advice to other communications professionals? If so, we’d love to hear from you! To nominate a colleague or be featured as the next ‘rising star’ yourself, contact us at: sarah@the-works.co.uk or tel. 020 7559 6690.
The Great Public Sector Exodus?
Whether propelled by looming public sector cuts and redundancies or just the unsettling prospect of change, enquiries from communications professionals from local councils and central government are flooding in ahead of the upcoming election. We have seen a 60% increase in applications over March compared to February.
Pay Rises – should you be asking for one?
With a recovering economy and financial reviews at the major agencies either completed or underway, increasing numbers of candidates, frustrated by the stagnation that typified the recesssion, believe they deserve that long-awaited pay rise. Now.
In the past two months alone, we’ve had candidates – all talented individuals with great track records – submit ambitious, punchy salary requests either to move jobs or put the pressure on current employers. We’re not talking £2 – 3k, but £7k increases. More than one person has asked for a £20 – £25k pay hike at manager level.
Whilst we understand that the challenges of recent years has put the kybosh on promotion plans or new positions and can fully appreciate the desire to ‘return to business’ asap, expecting a salary rise of any substance may be premature.
Why? Because although many sectors are at last emerging from the economic equivalent of a cash coma, the recovery is still in its infancy and employers remain understandably cautious. A recent survey of 250 PRO’s, for example, found that only digital and consumer practioners in agency jobs have seen their salaries increase in the past year.
Post recession, it’s (still) all about patience. But take heart, advises Sarah Leembruggen, The Works, Managing Partner, “it’s not a question of if salary rises will return, but when.”
PR industry ‘coping better’ with recession
A trio of recent surveys seem to indicate that the PR industry is coping better with the (now-ex) recession than other marketing sectors, as reported in PR Week.
The latest IPA / BDO Bellwether survey revealed that whilst overall marketing spend fell by 7.2% during Q4 2009, the ‘all other’ category, into which PR fits, saw just a 4% budget decline. Budget cuts were also the slowest since Q1 2008.
Kingston Smith W1’s Financial Performance of Marketing Services Companies Annual Survey also expected PR agencies to survive the recession better than other marketing sectors.
The Public Relations Consultants Association (PRCA) Trends Barometer for the last quarter in 2009 reports that 62.5% of respondents (from the top 40 agencies) reported feeling more optimistic for their consultancies, while 43.7% saw client budget increase during the quarter.
PR’s most influential media platform: You’ll be surprised…
What’s the most influential media platform in 2009? The internet? TV? Newspapers and magazines? Nope, guess again…
According to a poll of 1,000 opinion leaders which included CEOs, Whitehall secretaries, media execs and leading figures in the public sector, radio – specifically, BBC Radio 4’s ‘Today’ programme – has more influence than any other media platform on corporate reputation. Television was second, followed by print, leaving online (shock, horror) in fourth place.
The ‘Thought Leadership Index 2009′ provides interesting reading for any PR involved in reputation management. Yep, that’s all of us, then.
For more information click on
http://prweek.com/uk/News/MostDiscussed/969367/TLG-Thought-Leadership-Index-says-radio-most-influential-medium/
Do you live in a PR hotspot?
Does where you live determine what you do or does what you do determine where you live? Whatever the answer, of the thousands of candidates on our database, it seems that when it comes to PR, South West London is where it’s at!
Taking the lead, a whopping 66% of Technology PRs have plumped for the PR hotspot as the place to live. Consumer and financial PRs, meanwhile, are propping up the bars and coffee shops in Battersea and Clapham alongside their internal comms fellows, whilst Corporate PRs seem to have plumped for the Sloaney Pony, Parsons Green. (more…)
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