What practical steps can the PR industry take to address DEI?

Recently, I was asked by PR Week for my predictions for 2022. I said I wanted to see even more focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). It’s the role of communication specialists to reflect society. To do that, you need diversity of thought. That means attracting and retaining people from different ethnic backgrounds, social classes, all genders, and people with mental and physical disabilities into leadership positions.

Why we need more DEI in PR

The PRCA’s 2021 industry census found that 87% of practitioners describe themselves as white, largely in line with the 85% average population of England and Wales. However, the census also highlighted that PR is not doing enough to enable greater social mobility and diversity in our industry. The study also found that nearly three quarters (74%) of PR professionals have a degree, nearly twice the national average in the UK workforce (42%).

In short, the PR industry is out of sync with the society it is supposed to reflect. We need to change that.

How I got my first break in PR

I graduated with a degree in Management with Chinese studies from the University of Nottingham. I followed this up with 18 months of teaching English in China. I’d seen little about PR as an option; only advertising and marketing agencies at career fairs. As such, I had a narrow view of communications back then. For me, PR sits between the two disciplines, combining high-level strategic, creative thinking with commercial acumen. This appealed to me, given I had a business-focused degree. I started researching the PR Week Top 150 agencies when I came back from my teaching stint in China. In terms of my background, having Chinese heritage and being able to communicate with Chinese businesses and media has been an asset, especially as China has grown in prominence during my career.

I managed to secure a couple of internships in London. This was when I first encountered what many people experience when trying to get their foot on the ladder - my placements were unpaid. I would have to pay for the commute from Surrey, where I was living with my parents, into London myself. Luckily, both agencies agreed to cover my travel and lunch expenses, but for many, the sheer barrier to entry of an unpaid internship can be off-putting. It means that the PR industry misses out on a wide range of talent.

Practical steps PR can take to redress the imbalance

The PR industry can do plenty of things to increase the appeal of a PR career and the uptake of talent from communities that are currently underrepresented.

Paid internships: Paying interns is key to lowering the barrier to entry for people of all backgrounds. PR agencies should actively look to appeal to as diverse a field as possible.

Mentoring: Mentoring is absolutely crucial to developing young talent. When I think back over my career, I have been inspired by a couple of people in particular – Verity Dephoff who shaped my management style early in my career, and Tom Nutt for his sincere advice and support. When line managing, I like to think of people’s long-term career goals and to play a role in helping achieve them.

Training: Sensitivity training has been growing in the PR industry, especially since the Black Lives Matter movement highlighted the need for education around historical – and ongoing – systemic social injustices. This must continue. At Grayling, we’ve been running various programmes internally. For example, our Advantage Grayling 4 All inclusivity working group has put in place blind CVs, unconscious bias and inclusive leadership training, as well as inviting a diverse range of speakers in the last year to discuss their own experiences.

Education: PR is such a varied and vibrant career choice where you really get to learn on the job and get stuck right in from day one. The challenge is inspiring young people from a cross-section of society to consider communications as a profession.

Grayling recognises the need to be even more representative of the society we communicate with for our clients. This is why we’ve been engaging with The Careers & Enterprise Company to connect with local schools across our network with the aim of raising the profile of communications as an exciting career choice.

PR is a people business, and someone’s background should not hinder to them from succeeding in PR.

If you’d like to learn more about Grayling, please contact me.

Joey Ng, Director, Grayling