While many PR job changes during the early '90s were the result of downsizing and layoffs, the human resources picture has changed significantly today. The movement of talent is currently being driven by the PR professional's desire for better opportunities in the best PR job market in memory. However, it would be a mistake to conclude that turnover is dramatically higher than it used to be.
"My sense is that it's not a particularly volatile market...A lot of people are happy, and staying in their jobs," says John Fry of PR recruiting firm The Fry Group, New York.
That's also the judgement of recruiter Carol Ball of Carol Ball & Co., Wilton, Conn. She says the pace of job turnover is only "a little bit faster" than two or three years ago. Although overall churn has not reached epidemic proportions, the labor market is more dynamic among agencies than in the corporate sector.
Equity Positions: Glue that Binds
Stock options appear to be the biggest reason both agency and corporate PR professionals stay with organizations for the longhaul. Conversely, the absence of any shared equity program can be a solid predictor of talent flight, says Betsy Berkhemer-Credaire, president of Los Angeles retainer search firm Berkhemer/Clayton, Inc.
"PR professionals assume the grass is greener somewhere where they can get a lot of stock options," she explains. Indeed, many agencies "just can't compete" with the stock-option-laden packages available with many top corporate positions, she adds.
The premium that PR people are placing on equity options is one reason she believes even agencies are offering equity to top talent.
Lifestyle Balance Is A Driver
PR executives may have tolerated long hours when jobs were harder to find in the early 1990s, but this no longer appears to be the case. Executives now are unwilling to put in 14-16 hour days routinely, or to work most weekends, according to Berkhemer-Credaire. "The agency or corporation who expects people to work on the weekends is doomed," she says. Indeed, both PR agencies and corporations seem to recognize this cultural shift, says Fry, who points out that telecommuting and other flex options are easier to find "than ever before."
PR pros who are dissatisfied with compensation, workload or other facets of their jobs should not find it difficult to make a change: "If you are a top-flight communications professional in almost any area, you are in demand," says DesRosier.
(Fry, 212/557-0011; Ball, 203/762-1752; Marshall, 310/456-0666; Berkhemer-Credaire, 213/621-2300)