Please make a selection from the options below:

Industry Findings00000Practitioners Findings00000Organizational Findings

you have selected: INDUSTRY FINDINGS

The findings for this section are listed below.

The purpose of this section of the study is to understand how multicultural public relations practitioners feel about diversity initiatives within the entire public relations industry. This section looks at the commitment of the industry to diversity, the value of both race neutral and race/ethnic specific professional organizations, and perceived reasons and barriers to joining these professional organizations. Findings are based on pre- and post-discussion groups and the on-line survey. Figures may not add up to 100% due to rounding.

Industry Commitment

The majority of the respondents (63%) feel that the PR industry is only mildly committed to taking actions in recruiting a more diverse workforce. Likewise, 61.6% say that the industry is only somewhat successful in recruiting a more diverse workforce; no one says that the industry had done very well.

The top perceived barrier to recruiting a more diverse workforce is the lack of a persuasive recruitment campaign to attract multicultural audience. Retaining multicultural PR practitioners is viewed as only somewhat successful by the majority of the respondents (58.6%), with only 1.1% viewing the industry as very successful in retaining multicultural PR practitioners.

Both the pre- and post-discussions groups say overwhelmingly that practitioners leave the public relations industry or become disenchanted because they are often put on slow moving tracks or relegated to menial tasks. Survey respondents concur, with 60.5% perceiving multicultural practitioners being put on a slow moving track in their jobs frequently or often. Likewise, 56.3% of the respondents say that frequently or often, multicultural practitioners are relegated to more menial tasks.

How committed respondents think the PR industry is in taking action to recruit a more diverse workforce?

Respondent Comments:

“Corporations and agencies need to lead the way in promoting healthy acceptance of diverse cultures. If they are charged with the task of influencing public opinion, it is important for them to conduct their affairs in a way that sets the tone and behavior for society. Both corporations and agencies need to be more inclusive.

Emerging markets of immigrants and people of color are the fastest growing markets in the world. In the end, it’s all about business, but the indirect benefit is a better society.”

“Realize that, in the name of diversity, industry may need to go outside the box of specified skills to recruit someone who is not less talented, but perhaps has different experiences and/or skills than they were seeking. More than one type of person can be successful in a job.”

“Understand the changing demographics, spending power and opinion/influence of diverse audiences. Understand the value of diversity to the profession. Understand the business advantage of diversity to their businesses/agencies and clients.”

How successful respondents think the PR industry is in RECRUITING a more diverse workforce?

Respondent Comments:

“Industry does an abominable job. The survey findings do not represent an accurate picture of diversity among be agencies.”

“My agency’s headquarters are based in Japan, so there is a more diverse workforce.”

Barriers to the PR profession’s efforts to attract diverse practitioners:

These survey responses are ranked ordered with 1 being the top barrier and 8 being the lowest barrier. When comparing the actual weights of the barriers, the higher the number, the greater the barrier is. The weights represent an aggregation of all respondents’ rank ordering of the barriers.

Respondent Comments:

“It starts with education. Many young minorities don’t know PR exists as an option. We know blue collar and professional (law, medicine); nothing in between. I learned about it during a Home Economics career aptitude survey. Many people don’t have that opportunity. Reach out to them when they are young and recruit heavily at colleges with larger populations of minorities.”

“Hire more people of color to do the outreach and begin earlier in the process.”

“Have more diversity in senior management, look outside the company for candidates with diverse backgrounds, including small, niche agencies with strong diverse leaders or solo practitioners, and convince them to join senior management.”

How successful respondents think the PR industry is in RETAINING a more diverse workforce?

To what extent are multicultural practitioners put on a slow moving track in their jobs?

To what extent are multicultural practitioners relegated to more menial tasks?

Respondent Comments:

Discussion group respondents explained that there is also a perception that if junior multicultural practitioners strongly assert themselves to move ahead, they are negatively perceived as being too aggressive, more so than when their white counterparts take the same proactive stance. “You can’t steam roll your way up,” said one professional, “or you’ll be shown the door.”

Discussion group members agreed that while multicultural practitioners are not always sure they are put on a slower track as a result of their ethnicity, they are reluctant to even raise the possibility of it happening with their employer. One professional said, “If there’s no one else who looks like you, how can you recognize if you’ve been put on a slow moving track (compared to a white practitioner)? Unless you live it, it’s hard to recognize that this is a problem.”

Public Relations Associations

Most public relations professional and trade associations have at the core of their missions advancing the public relations industry to support the associations’ members through professional development. Nearly 68% of those surveyed found race-neutral national PR organizations either valuable or very valuable. The greatest benefit for joining was networking followed by professional development.

Yet, many of the larger race-neutral organizations have difficulty recruiting and retaining diverse memberships and have majority Caucasian American members. The multicultural practitioners surveyed say that the greatest barrier to joining such organizations is that the dues are too expensive.

In contrast, more than 80% of the practitioners surveyed feel that racial or ethnic affinity professional organizations are valuable or very valuable. The top reason for joining is networking, followed by camaraderie. PRSA had the highest percent of survey respondents (52%) as members; about 18% had held offices in PRSA. The Black Public Relations Society had about 30% of the respondents as members, and about 3% were members of the Hispanic Public Relations Association.

Respondents’ Comments/Suggestions for PR Associations To Foster Diversity Initiatives:

“Partner with multicultural organizations to recruit minorities as members.”

“Find key people of color to do (membership) recruitment, and get them involved with committees. Associations need to seek them out and encourage them that their voice and input are needed.”

“Provide diversity topics/speakers for panel discussion at chapter meetings/events.”

“Encourage corporate members to sponsor diversity memberships.”

“Have more multicultural practitioners as speakers to represent the association and in visible leadership roles.”

“Give multicultural practitioners more visibility in areas where there are diverse groups of individuals (to reach out to), such as HBCU’s and college career fairs.”

“Dialog. Get engaged in the market and aggressively seek people of color to include in the diversity discussion.”

“Interact with more organizations that cater to people of color (e.g. NAACP, Urban League).”

“Create membership drives to introduce multicultural professionals to the association.”

“Promote professionalism to members through corporate seminars on diversity issues.”

“Provide networking opportunities to multicultural practitioners who are starting their own businesses”

To what extent do you feel that membership within a race-neutral national PR organization (e.g. PRSA, IABC, WICI) is professionally valuable?

Benefits of race-neutral national PR organizations (e.g. PRSA, IABC, WIC)

These survey responses are ranked ordered with 1 being the top benefit and 6 least beneficial. The actual weight of the benefits is in parenthesis, the higher the number, the greater the benefit. The weights represent an aggregation of all respondents’ rank ordering of the barriers.

To what extent do you feel that membership within a racial/ethnic PR organization (e.g. BPRS, HPRA) is professionally valuable?

Benefits of racial/ethnic PR organization (e.g. BPRS, HPRA) is professionally valuable

These survey responses are ranked ordered with 1 being the top benefit and 6 least beneficial. The actual weight of the benefits is in parenthesis, the higher the number, the greater the benefit. The weights represent an aggregation of all respondents’ rank ordering of the barriers.

Respondents’ memberships and leadership positions within professional associations