Best PR Cultures
Common communication and marketing strategies (whether consulting or in-house functions) include serving clients for a profit, creating strategic messages delivered through technology-driven channels, engaging with audiences for promotional or reputational purposes, influencing audiences (with personality and communication content) to achieve desired actions.
The best places to work in PR say they offer programs like flexible work times and spaces, onsite wellness and fitness, gym memberships, professional development, camaraderie, standing desks, outdoor work spaces, and other perks as evidence of their positive workplaces.
But these artifacts are only the surface. These are not your corporate culture, they only REFLECT your corporate culture. Corporate culture is deep. To understand it takes specialized expertise, time and commitment.
PR Week Best Places to Work article
2017
Based on decades of experience and involvement with PR Week’s Best Places to Work and Diversity Distinction programs, Jaya K. Bohlmann offers this partial list of qualities of ideal PR cultures.
1. Access to leaders
2. Transparent communication internally
3. Unlimited opportunities to train and develop on the job
4. Emphasis on people first, marketplace second (clients are part of your marketplace)
5. Recognize that people are humans, not commodities
6. Managers who are continually trained to effectively manage multiple generations of workers
7. Diversity of age, gender, race, ethnicity, cultural background, training, education, worldview, and INCLUSION of the differences into a holistic team
8. Leaders who are continually trained to be culture officers
9. Willingness to invest financially in people and culture
10. Accountability to people and culture in tangible ways (salary, bonuses)