Judith Cushman & Associates

Retained Executive Search in Communications

Presented by Judy Cushman at the PRSA Orlando Chapter Luncheon, February 18, 2003: 

The Market, Trends and Planning for Career

Growth in a Changed World

Where We Are

Economic Factors:

The layers of the Slowdown and the Psychological Factors

The impact of 9/11 as a paradigm shift--what it has meant to us personally, to our society, to the workplace and to our responsibility as communications professionals. The current picture and forecasting when the economic picture will change. 

Our Values:

Seeking Fundamental Needs for Safety, Comfort, Security, Stability

Market shifts--investing in homes, family needs, avoiding risk, seeking balance in activities and choosing long term investments versus short term gratification. Conservatism in attitude, overall.

People are distracted, concerned and their attention span is incredibly short while retaining less information. How does one communicate during those times?

In the face of this shift in values, business has failed to behave credibly and undermined the confidence so essential in these times. IR is a business function in transition and is in demand at an intensity that is exhausting and challenging.

Addressing needs, fears and concerns in the workplace is a communications challenge that has hardly been addressed.

There is a dual challenge for communications professionals--on a personal level--how to achieve balance and somehow meet workplace needs, which are constant and draining. The equation is wrong and we are not having fun.

The Recovery

When will it happen and what will be the impact on our profession?

Where (industry, specialization)?

What expertise will be needed to help organizations move through these issues?

What industry segments are continuing to hold their own in their need for PR/Communications?

Agencies & Corporations

Agencies are making strategic hires and planning for growth in specific practice areas. Technology practices are no longer the driver in large, diversified firms (and for the time being, a challenge.) In technology focused agencies staffs have been trimmed, we’ve hit bottom and now we are seeing key hires, generally at the more senior levels.

Corporations are hiring first to fill in gaps on staffs (not agencies); this is different from other cycles.

• The recession has resulted in deep cuts or jobs have gone unfilled in companies. Due to the nature of the work, in house staff is needed. As we shift away from “good news” and new product introductions, to critical issues and positioning strategies, in-house knowledge is required.

• Agencies are paying the price for not delivering in boom times. Corporations are very careful about dollars spent on outside resources, having been burned.

My Contention is the Content of Work is Changing

We need more sophisticated PR, Communications, IR. Branding and Marcom work. Multi functional expertise is essential.

Corporations are seeing this function as much more critical and setting a high standard for acceptable performance. These are issues of fundamental concern, e.g. IR (S-OX), Governance, Ethics as corporate policy

Linking Branding (including corporate advertising), External Communications, Internal, Community and Government, Public Affairs, IR, and consumer/customer outreach. (How challenging is it to find the leadership capable of heading up such a broad function?)

The Reality of the Job Market:

Observations from a Real World Search

Competition is keen. The compression of the workforce creates confusion--everyone is looking and everyone is applying for everything. The fundamental mistake is saying, “I am a perfect fit... I am excellent...” in response to an ad. Doing your homework -- preparing, thinking, knowing, explaining, is good preparation for career analysis and for writing a resume -- either way it is a necessary step about being strategic regarding career choices.

Filling a VP, PR post. The level of candidates is excellent and there are a variety of choices that a hiring organization can make. I am constantly surprised by how little is understood about PR people and what they do by a hiring manager who is outside the field. S/he does need help in understanding talents and options.

Keeping Pace with Changing Compensations Levels

Ranges have changed… they have dropped by 25% -- examples -- VPs, Directors, Managers, Account Executives, Agency Directors, Marcom Managers

Summary

The challenges we are facing: there will be people who leave the field, who relocate and who will be underemployed. There are important jobs open and people filling them but the shakeout is real. The key to success is relevance and connecting with organizational values and goals.

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