The job hunt in communications is anything but straightforward. Emily Andrews discusses diversity, gender equality and recruitment

It may appear that communications recruiters, both in-house and agency, have access to an endless supply of potential candidates via online platforms such as LinkedIn, but the reality is that there is a shortage of quality talent available. This widely acknowledged deficit could be attributed to a reduced hiring mid-recession, says, Tessa Foot, consultant at The Works. Despite the number of people looking for work – graduates in particular, but also people looking to move into comms – it is often difficult to secure the available roles. In this post-recession era there is a particular need to address the issues affecting recruitment in comms, for recruiters to revise outmoded strategies in order to source the best future talent and for candidates to make sure they have the relevant skills and experience.

Amanda Fone, founder and managing partner at f1 recruitment llp, says the biggest change that affected the industry over the past six months was the shift towards a candidate-led market. A shortage of talent has resulted in the remainder of skilled and experienced communications professionals being in high demand. Therefore, it is this candidate who now has the control when it comes to the hiring process.

Throughout the recession, and more often since the normalisation of online job applications, candidates have often been treated poorly during the recruitment process. Many feel as if they are distributing CVs into a virtual black hole and, if they are lucky enough to get through to the interview stage but don’t get the job, they rarely receive feedback. This inattention to job applicants ignores the fact that these candidates are also consumers. The f1 recruitment blog says that more than half of candidates who have a bad job application or interview experience are likely to stop buying a company’s goods and services and 80% are likely to share their frustrations with their friends on social media. Fone says, “The really slick companies understand that the person applying for a job is also a consumer and they expect the same standard of service as they would if they were buying goods or services. They don’t expect to be treated in a lesser way because they are applying for a job.”

She continues, “You must be honest with people, and if you can’t help them you must tell them, and you must get back to people, because this is people’s lives, this is their careers. We all need to sharpen up our act and make sure that we are treating people with respect and in a timely fashion.” Both in-house and agency recruiters that rise to this challenge may find that they are successful in the war for talent.

Another challenge that prevails in communications roles is a lack of flexibility. Colette Brown, co-founder of Prospect Resourcing Ltd, says, “If you fancy more of a flexible working pattern, it’s much harder to achieve in comms. Therefore, people either go down a contract/freelance path or leave and do something else.” Those who are most likely to require greater flexibility, in terms of office hours, are working mums, making this issue a major topic in the discussion surrounding gender equality. Communications, PR in particular, is an industry dominated by women, but as roles increase in seniority the number of women employed decreases. February’s CIPR State of the Profession survey revealed that men earn, on average, £12,390 more than women and that senior PR roles see men paid significantly more than women in the same roles. Maternity leave is a key factor and the long and often unsociable office hours required in communications roles inevitably jar with childcare duties. Fone says flexible hours, and sometimes, remote working, could be the answer, “The challenge is: it’s really difficult to find work for women for three days a week.

We’re really quite primitive in this country in our attitude to remote and flexible working. It’s very, very rare that we have a client that is able to accommodate talented women or men who, for whatever reason, cannot work 4 or 5 days a week.”Diversity in communications roles is an increasing concern, for an industry in which understanding the way people interact is key, a body of staff that accurately represents the public as a whole will be most effective. There are several effective programmes, including those run by the CIPR and the PRCA, that are designed to tackle diversity, but the communications industry as a whole is still largely white and middle class.

The predominant factor preventing diversity among entry level candidates is simply a lack of knowledge about what jobs are available to them in the communications sector. Schools, colleges and career services don’t have the relevant information available to them in order to educate young people from all backgrounds about communications – not due to a lack of interest or enthusiasm, but a lack of education. Ann Pilkington, owner of PR Academy Ltd. says, “We ran a public relations foundation award within a school and they were so bright and very media savvy, but there’s not necessarily an awareness of the different roles that there are in communications.”

The solution to this lack of knowledge is simple, argues, Fone, “If every communications professional went out to talk to their local further education college, state school and their own favourite university about their own career, you would start to get traction. It’s not complicated. We just need to get every communications professoinal in the market out into their local community to talk about what they do.”

She adds, “If we want our profession to be represented, if we want greater diversity, we have to open up the channels.” Following that, she adds is payment of the minimum wage, coverage of travel costs and other relevant career support Schemes that engage young people and then enable them to take part in work experience will bring new talent into the industry. The responsibility to make this a reality lies with recruiters, agencies, and in-house comms teams alike.For people moving into comms from other professions, or for those returning after a break from the industry, it can be daunting. There is a range of courses and qualifications available to provide necessary skills and confidence. There’s also a need for candidates with transferable skills such as leadership and project management. Pilkington says, “Very often, what employers are looking for are broader skills. There’s a lot of competition, but I think employers appreciate the usual things, they appreciate tenacity and a well-presented approach, a well-thought-through approach to a role.”

Julia Meighan, CEO of VMA Group, adds, “On the whole candidates need to be degree educated in this increasingly competitive market. In addition, they need excellent written and verbal communication skills and ultimately good listening skills. It doesn’t matter what the degree is. I think some of the things people should have are attention to detail and a good attitude.”

By facilitating new talent and making constructive adaptations for experienced communicators, the communications industry will find it has access to a richer and more diverse pool of talent. Potential candidates will benefit from specialised qualifications and demonstrable transferable skills, as well as that essential quality: an ability to adapt. Meighan says, “Communications professionals that haven’t kept themselves up-to-date in terms of development and training will find they’re going to be far less attractive as candidates.”