Dennis Spring has been crunching salary figures for the PR industry since 1987, and has worked on executive search assignments for most of the top Fortune 500 companies and top
50 PR agencies in the country. In addition to knowing where the pendulum is swinging salary wise, Spring also tracks communications audits, mergers and acquisitions, client/agency
reviews and PR agency selection. As part of our special report on PR salaries, PR NEWS talked with Spring about some of the trends in PR employment three years after the media
markets melted and still no consensus on when they're going to revive.
Q. Do you see some fundamental erosion in the level of PR employment among both agencies and corporations or do you see things picking up in the months ahead? Do you think
there's more or less opportunity in PR these days?
A. There is definitely a certain amount of erosion that has taken place in both the corporate and agency sectors. On the corporate side, the erosion is due mainly to company-
wide layoffs that have affected many corporate communications departments. Agencies, on the other hand, have lost 25-40% of their business in some cases, and must lay off a
corresponding number of personnel as a result. The economy seems to be improving, so PR hiring is improving as well. We're seeing the greatest amount of hiring activity in
corporate communications departments where our clients are seeking Directors and Vice Presidents primarily. Hiring senior managers first bodes well for the PR business as a
whole. It means budgets are increasing and clients want to put the hiring managers in first before bringing in staff below. PR agency budget spending generally follows. So, PR
opportunities abound, especially in corporations. Agencies as a whole, are still struggling to maintain and grow their businesses.
Q. Despite the sluggish economy PR jobs are still being turned down because candidates don't want to relocate or think the economy is about to turn around. What gives?
A. The jobs that have been turned down recently seem to have been passed over by people who put salary as their first consideration. In my opinion, salary should be one of the
many things that a jobseeker should weigh when considering a new job offer. They should also consider growth -- both in terms of responsibility and title -- a sense of fulfillment
about the challenges of the position, learning and reporting to and working with more experienced professionals who can help you expand your knowledge base.
Q. On the flip side of the coin, companies and agencies are filling PR positions, particularly critical ones. What's changed for PR pros who are trying to find work in the
current climate?
A. Even in the worst economic times hiring continues. Jobs that are deemed critical to a company, such as Director of Crisis Communications and Vice President of Internal
Communications, continue to be filled by companies that understand the importance and impact of PR. For the most part, salaries for critical positions approximate base salaries
last held by senior jobseekers. Those huge bonuses, options and perks are usually being offered in the first year of employment to help supplement market base salaries. However,
it's Directors and above who seem to be the ones offered the extra discretionary income. The dot-com practice of including everyone in the bonus and perk pool is essentially over.
Q. Clients are requesting that candidates have at least 8-10 years solid experience to be considered for a director position and 12-15 years experience for Vice President
positions. How does that jibe with the current pool of PR candidates?
A. Our clients are being more specific about their job requirements than ever before. They realize that many practitioners were elevated rapidly, sometimes too rapidly, through
the ranks to more senior positions. Obviously, in many cases rapid promotions were warranted for the exceptionally talented people. However, to avoid wasting interview time with
people that have high titles with only a few years of experience, our clients will specify years of experience needed to be considered for a position. In other words, title is not
enough anymore. Experience is king.
Q. Are veteran PR execs in a quandary these days when it comes to the job? On one hand, companies are looking for stability and less jumping around than in the boom years. But
with salary compensation stalled throughout the business how can PR execs expect to increase their salaries if they can't get out there and test the market, despite the
obstacles?
A. Companies aren't looking kindly any longer on people with "jumpy" resumes. The perception is that many people jumped ship for a higher salary or a loftier title or both with
not much consideration for long-term prospects. When we're dealing with a client who resisted the temptation to jump on the dot-com bandwagon and "take a chance," they tend today
to look for people of like mind. This is not a blanket indictment of all who did take that chance. I'm merely pointing out that in some cases a jobseeker may be faced with the
reality that they have been passed over simply because they've had too many jobs in a short period. If this happens, explain the reasons for your departure from each job right on
the resume.
Q. How much more are companies relying on freelancers, and have compensation levels changed for independent practitioners?
A. Many companies are using the services of freelancers today to fill in for the full-time worker who they can't get the budget to hire. In fact, our business placing senior,
hourly PR people has never been better. My experience tells me that when the freelance business increases, full-time hiring will soon follow. So, the balance of the '03 year looks
slowly promising.
Dennis Spring can be reached at 212.473.0013, [email protected].