Don’t let the PR talents of mothers go to waste, says Alan Twigg, MD of Light Brigade PR

For an industry I hear regularly bemoaning a painful skills shortage I find it extremely ironic that PR does not recognise that the answer is sitting right in front of its face and it is either too naïve, short-sighted, lazy or scared to do anything about it.

Be careful if you repeat this now, but it’s … working mums!

Statistics concerning the gender split in PR claim that it is 65 per cent in favour of the fairer sex. And in plenty of agencies I know, it is far higher than that. One thing is for sure, it is an industry utterly held together by the talent, commitment and application of women PROs.

Yet the ratios change at the top of our leading agencies in favour of the suited, square and multi-tasking males. Is that because men make better bosses? No, that’s bullshit. The reality is that we often lose able talent from our industry because they leave to have children and then the “full-time or no-time” attitude of many a PR boss means they have no choice, but to look for more flexible pastures. The tragedy, however, is that we rarely let them back in to our own industry in any meaningful way – unless they are prepared not to mention the “c” word …because they have another commitment, because they will not be sitting at their desk from dawn to dusk.

There is a truth about the working mum with a PR job. She knows how to use a BlackBerry, she knows how to multitask and she is driven (through personal and professional pride) to deliver as good a job as she did before she had kids, but time and time again we are losing this talent to disparate freelance roles because our industry expects women to earn their stripes before they are allowed to work a four-day week. Is this a parole hearing? When did flexible working become time off for good behaviour?

So who’s really missing out – these talented women who sit frustrated on the sidelines while the meaningful jobs pass them by, or the agencies who won’t entertain a part-timer, but who bemoan the lack of talent in PR these days?

Have you thought how much Class A talent is out there and would love to come back in to the game, but we won’t let them? Having started an agency back in November with big ambitions I have been looking for quality talent. Yet there is barely a recruitment consultant who would give a hope in hell to a women looking for three or four days a week, or who needs to start late or leave slightly earlier to do the school run. I paraphrase, but the reports back from the talent I get, go like this: “No one will take you seriously working three or four days a week. It just won’t work!”

It would also appear that we are not running our agencies with enough flexibility or confidence. I already employ two talented mums who have frankly amazing consumer experience who no one would have flagged up to me – we found each other. They are bright, committed, wise with a potent work ethic and are keen to pass on their knowledge to the younger ones. That’s where our skill shortage should be sorted out ….people like this mentoring and showing what client service and understanding are about.

It’s time for the industry to grow up – be confident, be flexible, see staff for their talent and what they bring to the business, not for how many hours they are able to sit at a desk for. I am, and my business is benefiting from it already