5 Public Relations Trends for Human Resources Providers

The pandemic significantly impacted the human resources industry as many businesses shifted to remote or hybrid working models.

In order to maintain their status in organizations, HR professionals need to focus on how to deliver the best employee experience for their clients.

HR leaders should consider how public relations mesh with the principles of human resources and how they can use some of the top PR trends to craft the best services.

This article guides HR managers, service providers, and leaders on how to include the top public relations trends within their workflows.

Key Elements of the PR Industry

The PR industry is extremely strategic – for HR professionals, it is important to know the five elements of a successful PR strategy or campaign before including PR trends into their business.

• Know your target audience: Understanding the target audience is a key element of any PR campaign.
• Set goals: All PR strategies should have an end goal.
• Craft a message: Your message should be tailored to your target audience and fit your main goal.
• Know your competition: Complete competitor research to see what other service providers are doing in your industry.
• Stay relevant: Make sure you’re top of mind with your target audience and the public by investing in strategies like social media and focusing on newer industry trends.

HR professionals should follow these key elements while including their specialized thought leadership into any PR-related work.

Additional Reading: ‘A Beginner’s Guide to Remote Staffing’

Why is Public Relations Important to the HR Industry?

As the world adapts to remote working, there is a clear intersection between human resources and public relations.

From an HR perspective, public relations is heavily involved in talent acquisition and retention. A brand's image is also created through PR strategies, which is ideally part of any HR strategy.

As there is greater openness in the business sector, relations between the PR industry and HR industry will continue to grow as approaches change to professional lives.

To keep up with public appearances, PR and HR leaders must think strategically about dealing with competitors and retaining their top talent.

Top PR Trends for the HR Industry

1. Promoting multi-platform delivery when recruiting
2. Focusing on employee growth for company image
3. Finding new avenues for communication
4. Focus on flexibility
5. Invest in influencer marketing

1. Promoting Multi-Platform Delivery

A simple job post used to be enough, but the rapid advancement of technology has resulted in more people online.

HR management teams looking to recruit top talent for their businesses must establish a diverse communication plan internally and externally.

Outside of posting on LinkedIn and other job boards, HR professionals can send weekly newsletters, offer referral programs, and showcase recruitment efforts.

HR teams should be creative in how they promote their work environment - share pictures of the team on social media, send out major company announcements to media outlets and maintain open communication to attract top talent while showcasing your company’s brand image.

2. Focusing on Employee Growth for Company Image

Professional development goes beyond an SEO-related course for budding content writers – HR professionals should provide outlets for teammates to grow their life experiences along with their employee experiences.

As the world has shifted, it is important that companies keep up with the times. HR professionals should promote and provide benefits for their teams like mental health support. They should also provide resources like books, webinars, and podcasts to help benefit their team.

Your company should make your stance clear on societal and political issues that impact your employees. HR professionals should also focus on initiatives like DEI to acquire diverse talent and make employees feel more welcomed in the space.

It is also important to showcase these events or initiatives on social media.

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Potential employees are attracted by offerings that help them professionally and personally. Make sure your public relations campaign focuses on that side of your business.

Read this: ‘4 Benefits of Corporate PR’

3. Finding New Avenues for Communication

A skill that’s imperative to both the HR and PR departments at your company is communication.

Your message to potential employees and current teammates should always be easy to understand and concise.

Think about which outlets work best for your target base.

Is it primarily social media updates or email blasts? Should your team have a recurrent team meeting to address concerns to the broader team?

It is also good to think about how you receive feedback from your team.

Comparably is an internet company that’s dedicated to creating transparent and rewarding workplaces.

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The company seeks to provide accurate and comprehensive data from employees to help HR professionals understand their true value and where the company needs to improve.

Each year, they also have awards based on this feedback, which businesses can use to promote the accolades to broader audiences through press releases and social media.

4. Focus on Flexibility

Don’t be afraid of giving your employees too much – it will only make them happier.

According to a recent Gartner survey, organizations that offer flexibility for their employees see over 50% as high performers.

Give your team flexibility when it comes to work hours or location. If a team member goes to visit family on the opposite coast and wants to work within a set amount of hours, give them that flexibility.

Their output and outlook will more than show for it.

5. Invest in Influencer Marketing

Influencers matter, so find a way to create small partnerships that can benefit your company.

Do some research into the field of HR – there are influencers for everything nowadays, and see if you can create fun content with their input.

You will show your commitment and expertise to your current team members and potential talent by delivering an intelligent and creative campaign.

As social media channels use analytics for posts, public relations professionals can use those to their advantage when promoting your business.

HR Professionals Should Continue Communication Efforts in their PR Marketing Strategy

Business leaders know that communications strategies change over time. But human resources and public relations teams' value can make that process seamless.

HR professionals should invest in the following PR trends to retain talent, attract new employees, and create an enjoyable work environment.

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Additional Reading:

• Internal Branding: 5 Strategies to Motivate Employees
• 5 Types of Influencers for Social Media Success
• Staffing and HR Trends for Small Businesses in 2022