As healthcare, utilities and environmental issues generate new business for public affairs agencies and new challenges for corporate communicators, the competition is getting fierce to recruit more PR soldiers who have earned their stripes in high-profile government relations work.
Agencies that have had success at landing top government press talent say the most important trump cards are having the capability to match these prospects with the same kinds of issues they are already passionate about and developing a professional rapport with them before recruitment discussions begin.
When recruitment discussions do begin, however, the key is chemistry.
Before APCO Associates brought on board Scott Lindsay, former legislative aid to Congresswoman Jennifer Dunn (R-Wash.) last month, they had to have candid discussions about how the transition from public to private sector work would be made.
During the six months of negotiations, the agency did a conflict-of-interest check, by surveying Lindsay's thoughts and concerns about APCO's clients. The firm also had him meet with several agency departments, including strategic communications, issues management and government relations, says Deborah Sliz, an APCO SVP in the Washington, D.C., office.
The 'Glam' Factor
Although recruiting government PR pros to your ranks does boost credibility with the media and with clients, this prestige shouldn't be confused with achieving the "glam" factor, says Kristen Grimm Wolf, general manager of Washington-based Fenton Communications.
Wolf is referring to the rare and unrealistic tendency to assume that big names in government PR can wield major public affairs influence on certain issues once they've left the public sector. In the lobbying arena, there are strict guidelines on how soon government press professionals can lobby their prior government contacts.
In the public affairs arena, the waver guidelines are a little grayer. But even in public affairs, work is governed by ethics guidelines usually strictly adhered to.
Most reputable public affairs agencies, for instance, are sticklers for allowing the government relations people they hire to remain committed to their personal positions on key issues.
Fenton, which has a public interest communications focus, recently hired Scott Sutherland, a press secretary to former U.S. Secretary of Labor Robert Reich and Cari Rudd, a director of special projects for Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle.
During negotiations the agency hashed out with its new recruits their positions on environmental, economic and healthcare issues. Sutherland, who has battled the banking industry on behalf of 74 million nonprofit credit union members as a communications director for the Credit Union National Association, was a natural to head up a Fenton team on economic and social justice issues, says Wolf.
Rudd's generalist background on a variety of human rights issues and entrepreneurial endeavors made her a shoo-in to head up an agency account team that handles a wide range of public, private and nonprofit clients with interests in health, education and the environment.
Competitive Compensation
While agency philosophy, culture and communication strategies are top priorities for these candidates when they are considering a particular firm, competitive compensation packages are essential to sealing the deal. It's tough to give a private-sector salary average for former government press pros when they make the switch to an agency but it is often a lurcrative move. Some key players can expect to double their salaries, says Sliz.
In addition to its competitive compensation packages, Burson-Marstellar uses its vast information resources, including 40 years of best practices and proprietary research, as an attractive bargaining chip, says Cynthia Hudson, chairman of BM's public affairs practice and managing director of the Washington, D.C. office.
Last month BM hired Amye Weiss as director of the public affairs practice. Weiss was deputy assistant to President Clinton and deputy press secretary at the White House, serving as spokesperson for education, healthcare, crime and other issues.
BM uses a political campaign approach as its public affairs model, meaning its key strategies involve market research, grassroots initiatives and coalition building. Before discussions of compensation are broached, it's important to highlight this agency approach, says Hudson. Another BM advantage is the number of government press people the agency has attracted from the White House.
Last year, BM hired more than a dozen press people from the Hill. Weiss, for instance, became familiar with BM's culture through her professional network of former colleagues who now work at the agency. This went a long way in making her feel comfortable about making the agency transition, says Hudson.
Overall, the agency courting process takes at least six months to determine the best fit for a government PR professional. During that time, it's essential for the agency to do its homework.
- Develop a professional rapport with the candidate before recruitment discussions begin.
- Highlight your agency's position on pivotal issues and determine the comfort level of the candidate on those issues.
- Be candid about client expectations and start to brainstorm on the agency's growth opportunities. Government press people like to see how they can affect the bottom line and how their creative ideas can be promoted.
- Be competitive with compensation packages, but always present them within the context of the agency's resources, expertise on key issues and corporate culture.
(Burson-Marsteller, Cynthia Hudson, 202/530-0400; APCO Associates, Deborah Sliz, 202/778-1000; Fenton, Kristen Wolf, 202/822-5200)