Be Honest, Drive Change, Man Up - Dealing With Tech PR’s Perennial People Problem

I was recently a judge of `Employer of the Year` category of the UK National Business Awards.  That entailed spending a long day hearing ten successive presentations from a shortlist of firms derived from all sectors of the economy and all parts of the country justifying why each deserved the prestigious award. 

By the evening I could not be anything other than hugely  impressed with the way all the businesses were being run.  Particularly the way that they demonstrated that engaging and enthusing their employees was central to their business success.  

How different, then, to find that recent research conducted by recruitment consultancy Zenopa in the UK has identified that tech PR agencies are facing a mass exit of executive talent in the coming years unless they start listening to what really matters to their employees and act upon it.

Of those surveyed, just 25 per cent stated that they saw themselves in agency tech PR in five years’ time. The remaining 75 per cent were either unsure (50 per cent) or said that they will leave (25 per cent). Only a third predict themselves being employed in an agency in five years’ time, although 63 per cent believe they will still be in PR.

Culture and personal development

The study which surveyed 158 young tech PR professionals working in agencies highlights that PR employers are still failing to understand, and act on, what employees are seeking both in terms of company culture and personal development.

In this respect, 46 per cent of those surveyed craved a `family feel` to their working environment with a further 39 per cent preferring working in a `creative environment`.  Just 12 per cent wanted to work in a results-driven environment. One wonders in the latter case if they understand the relationship between giving the clients what they want – results – and the cheque that lands in their account at the end of the months.  That’s Generation Y for you, I suppose.

Anyway, overall, 41 per cent claim are working in a culture that doesn’t fulfil them.

Facing a talent drought

Of course now that we have exited the recession and business is back on track for a lot of tech PR agencies. Yet again, though, their owners are facing a very serious talent drought that, long term, will impact their ability to service accounts let alone build successful businesses and certainly, ultimately, exit by sale or MBO.

The fact that three quarters of their employees either won’t commit or don’t see themselves working for a tech agency in five years’ time should be of great concern to agency management and investors. Not least too the clients tearing their hair out at the revolving roster of  faces that seems to appear at every client review.  

Nevertheless, a culture that people want to work in isn’t a `nice-to-have`, it is a business fundamental that allows and firm to attract and retain the best people. After all, an agency is simply a management framework for good people to do great work. Unsurprisingly, for candidates looking to move, the survey revealed agency culture is number one on the list of things that they’re looking for in new employer.

Mind the gap

Scarcely believable in what should be a consulting business, it’s not just in creating a satisfactory working environment where agencies are falling short but in personal development of employees too.

The survey also found that 85 per cent of respondents feel it is important that they are included in formulating their agency’s business plan and strategy, yet only 67 per cent feel that this is actually happening. 96 per cent stated that it was important to them that they worked in a company where their business ideas were listened to and taken into consideration, but just 79 per cent feel this happens in practice.

89 per cent see value in a structured competency and appraisal system, but just 64 per cent state that such an approach is a reality in their agency.  This is something I find particularly amazing in this day and age having implemented such a system twenty years ago.

This wastage of potential talent is breath taking. 82 per cent of those surveyed would like to be given additional responsibilities outside of their ‘normal’ role in order to gain new skills, but one in five (18 per cent) state that this isn’t happening at their current agency

Lastly, 80 per cent feel it is important that the agency’s values and vision is incorporated into their daily work ethic, yet this is only perceived as happening in 65 per cent of cases

Wake up call

Clearly getting employee buy-in to the company strategy and direction is fundamental and yet clearly as an industry, tech PR is failing to engage staff per se, never mind in the bigger picture.


But should anyone be surprised that people want to work in an agency where they are clearly valued, a career path is mapped out for them and where they are exposed to new challenges and opportunities?   Business 101, really.
 

The standard agency fare of boasting about `duvet days`, having an office that looks like a teenage architect’s bedroom or throwing endless boozy socials isn’t the way to recruit the best minds in the business and keep them there.

Hopefully this study will act as a wakeup call and encourage tech PR agencies and tech divisions of generalist agencies to up their game. And as Steve Earl, managing director, Europe at Zeno Group succinctly tweeted after attending a breakfast seminar held to discuss the results `Priorities as I see them: be honest, drive change, man up.`

Wise words.  And if that's going to make the difference, then that works for me.