Public relations fails to engage the women working within it


Women working in public relations are significantly less
engaged and less satisfied with their jobs, new research has found.
The Report Card on PR Leaders, produced by the US-based Plank
Center for Leadership in Public Relations in partnership with Heyman
Associates, found that just half of American women working in communications find
their jobs engaging, compared to 62 per cent of men.
The picture worsened for those who were not in leadership
positions. Fewer than half felt engaged, of whom ten per cent reported being
actively disengaged with their profession.
Likewise, more men are happy with their public relations jobs
than women, with 66 per cent of men saying they are satisfied or very satisfied
compared to just 58 per cent of women. Public relations professionals who work
in agencies were also found to be more satisfied than those working in-house or
for non-profit organisations.
Trust in organisations was found to be an issue, receiving
the lowest grade of the five areas examined. Respondents generally trusted
their company’s ability to compete successfully and achieve its goals, but were
less confident in its ability to keep promises and consider employees when
making important decisions.
Women also rated all factors to do with their workplace’s culture
lower than men. Shared decision-making practices, the presence of two-way
communications and diversity were identified as problem areas by all
respondents, although workplace culture generally was rated more highly by
agency professionals. Overall, respondents rated their chief executive’s
understanding and valuation of public relations highly, but rated that of their
other leaders lower.
The Report Card also highlighted a gap between the
perceptions of company leaders and those that work beneath them. Leaders gave
themselves an A- for performance whilst followers gave them a C+. Leaders
received high marks for ethical orientation and involvement in strategic
decision-making, but lower marks for their vision, relationship-building skills
and team leadership capabilities. These grades remain unchanged from those
given in 2015, when the report was first published.