If you're a hiring manager, it probably won't shock you to hear that job-hopping has become a way of life in the PR biz. A survey of 614 PR practitioners in the U. S. by the
recruitment firm Heyman Associates finds that 45% of employees expect to change gigs as a means of advancing their careers and bolstering their pay. But money isn't the only
motivator. More than 98% of survey respondents identified culture/work environment as the most critical consideration in switching jobs; the same number said the attitude and
personality of the manager to whom they'd report played a key role in career decisions. "To retain staff, the solution for most companies may not be to automatically increase
salary levels," observes William Heyman, president and CEO of the eponymous firm. A bigger draw? Performance-based bonus programs.
The study, conducted by measurement guru Walt Lindenmann (who retired from Ketchum last year) categorized respondents as "PR enthusiasts," "skeptics," "company-loyal,"
"slightly insecure," and "self-assured." Nearly all respondents in the enthusiast group (23.5% of the total sample) said that performance-based bonus systems would play an
important role in their decision to change jobs. More than 98% of the insecure crowd (14% of the total sample) said the same, as did 95% of skeptics (26% of the sample) and 96%
of self-assured practitioners (17% of the sample).
The verdict: the industry definitely ain't lazy - just fickle and competitive. (Heyman Associates, 212/784-2704)