Hiring the Right People

Introduction

Hiring in a PR agency is not simply about adding another pair of hands. Every hire affects client trust, media relationships, writing quality, campaign speed, and the pressure placed on the rest of the team. A weak account executive can miss a journalist deadline, send an inaccurate briefing, or force the founder to rewrite every client update. A strong hire can manage a press office, earn useful coverage, and protect the agency's reputation.

The Talent Funnel treats hiring like a PR campaign funnel. You attract a broad group of possible candidates, filter for the skills and behavior your agency needs, then train the strongest people to deliver work at your standard. This approach reduces rushed hiring, saves senior staff time, and helps you build a team that can serve clients without constant founder rescue.

Concept

The Talent Funnel has three main parts: Hiring, Training, and the Repellent Job Ad. Together, these stages help you attract suitable candidates, test their real ability, and prepare them for agency work.

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Hiring

Hiring begins with a clear picture of the role. Define the client work the person will own, the decisions they can make, the tools they must use, and the pressure they will face. A PR account manager may need to write media pitches, build press lists, run client calls, track coverage, and handle a fast response during a crisis. These requirements should appear in the role description and interview process.

Do not judge candidates only by agency names on their CV. Ask for evidence. A candidate might explain how they turned a complex product announcement into a simple story, persuaded a difficult journalist to take a briefing, or recovered a campaign after a spokesperson became unavailable. Use a scorecard with categories such as writing, media judgment, client communication, organization, and commercial awareness. Give each category a clear rating so one impressive conversation does not hide a serious weakness.

For example, if you are hiring a junior account executive, ask them to review a short client announcement and suggest three relevant media angles. You are testing news judgment, writing clarity, and the ability to think beyond copying a press release.

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Training

Hiring does not end when the contract is signed. New PR staff need a structured path into live client work. During the first few weeks, teach them your account plans, media database rules, approval process, reporting format, tone of voice, and standards for checking facts. Show them how your agency uses tools such as Muck Rack, Cision, CoverageBook, Google Drive, Slack, or a project management system.

Training should move from observation to supervised ownership. A new hire might first sit in on a client call, then draft meeting notes, then prepare a media list for review, and finally lead a small pitch or weekly account update. Assign a named manager and set weekly check-ins for the first 90 days. This exposes problems early instead of discovering them after a client complains.

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The Repellent Job Ad

A repellent job ad discourages people who are not suited to the real work. It does not insult applicants or create unnecessary barriers. It gives an honest view of the role, including tight deadlines, detailed revisions, client feedback, occasional reactive work, and the need to build relationships without being pushy.

Add a small, relevant instruction to test attention to detail. For example, ask applicants to place the phrase “newsworthy first” in the subject line and submit a five-sentence response explaining why a sample story might interest a specific journalist. This filters out people who apply without reading and gives you useful evidence before an interview.

Conclusion

The Talent Funnel helps a PR agency hire for real client work rather than polished interview performance. Write a truthful job ad, test practical skills, use a consistent scorecard, and train new people through supervised responsibility. When the process is clear, the agency attracts better candidates and gives them a fair chance to succeed. The result is a team that can protect client relationships, deliver strong campaigns, and grow without every decision returning to the founder.