HR

PR Agency leaders: Paid leave isn’t about you

By Kate Snyder, APR

In the past year, team members at our eight-person PR agency welcomed two – count ‘em, two – babies to the world. Which means in the span of 12 months, the Piper & Gold family survived two maternity leaves, including my own. 

I was convinced that, as an agency owner, it would be impossible to take more than two weeks off after having a baby. I thought, if I can just get the first two weeks, then I can start checking emails, maybe taking a phone call here or there. I wasn’t sure if I’d want more time out of the office or if I’d be ready to head back, but I didn’t believe I had options, so it didn’t really matter.

Firing PR Agency Employees: Best Practices From 11 Agency Leaders

Firing employees is the hardest thing we, as PR professionals have to do. You've tried to make things work, you've coached them and shifted roles, but they simply aren't fitting in or working out. You want to let them go, but you need to be sure clients have been handled properly, and you are concerned about team morale. 

How quickly should you move once you've made the decision? What kind of severance package do you offer and how do you communicate to the team and clients? 

We asked 11 PR agency leaders what they recommend - what is their process?

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A Guide: Professional Development and Career Tracks for PR Agencies

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Julie Curtin, executive vice president of Development Counsellors International, an economic development marketing firm based in New York City, with offices in Denver, Los Angeles, and Toronto contributed today's article on career development tracks at agencies and how to implement them. 

At DCI, we believe in the continual professional growth and development of our staff. To that end, we have outlined guidelines of the basic skill sets expected of each position and I'm happy to share with you, my CAPRSA colleagues, to use as a template for your own agencies.