PR In Canada

The going was good for employers seeking to hire communications people in 2009. I reviewed more resumes from professionals at all levels of experience than I’d seen in a lifetime. One weekend in March, I cried into my bowl of Cheerios as I sorted through 300 cover letters and job histories of qualified communicators desperate to find work. At my company, NATIONAL Public Relations, we weren’t on a hiring binge, but we did have the luxury of choosing the best of the best for any positions that were available.

What goes down, though, must inevitably come back up. Employers beware:  once the economy rebounds, choice resumes could be few and far between. Is your organization ready to spring into action or is the communications department stripped bare, with few people left standing? Are those who are left in the best position to lead the communications charge for the organization?

In my opinion, when the rubber hits the road in 2010, only those organizations that have planned well for the recovery and aligned the right communications people with strategic business objectives will be in a position to win. All others will be left behind.

At NATIONAL, we are seeing increasing demand from clients to conduct communications department reviews, design or re-tool job functions, and train and recruit communications professionals. When the right people with the right skills are in place, the job gets done more efficiently. Duplication of services or resources, or mismatched skill sets that are not in line with departmental requirements, garners poor results and unmotivated staff. In response to this growing demand, we’ve launched a new service offering aimed at helping organizations recruit and manage the right communications people.

The importance of talent management is echoed in the Harvard Business Review’s Definitive Guide to Recruiting in Good Times and Bad. Published in 2009, the authors contend that proactive, regular analysis of existing and future talent requirements ensures that talent management drives better business performance.
In today’s economy, organizations are seeking high-value, cost-effective and wise communications counsel. To get the best results, you need the best team.

Sandra Upeslacis is the Manager of Talent Retention and Acquisition at NATIONAL Public Relations, Canada’s largest public relations firm with more than 325 employees in nine offices across Canada, in London and New York. www.national.ca . Email, supeslacis@national.ca.

Categories: Career Management
Tags: Career Management, NATIONAL PR, Sandra Upeslacis