'Young professionals need perseverance and commitment now more than ever to succeed’

It is essential for organisations to not only train young professionals but also manage them appropriately. Millennials and GenZs have always put their time and energy into their work, and in return, they look for appreciation so that they can be sure of their fruitful contribution to work. With the advent of artificial intelligence, young professionals are turning towards AI for mentorship and guidance.

These professionals also thrive in an environment that fosters collaboration and adaptability and enables them to drive meaningful change.

Today, exchange4media’s PR and Corp Comm team spoke to Noopur Sharma, Partner-Director, Consumer Lifestyle, PR Pundit. She agrees that in today’s world, the focus is on technology and digitisation, but she also believes that traditional nuances in the industry should not be ignored and should be honed to be a true PR professional.

Excerpts:  

The PR industry welcomes young people from various backgrounds. They are seen to be enterprising and innovative, but what factors do the current generation lack?

By 2025, Gen Z will make up 27 per cent of the global workforce, according to the World Economic Forum and for our PR industry, a growing mix of Gen Z-ers being the new force is no exception. While there is the vigour of the younger generation that we see, with no fear of failing and willing to rewrite the rules, there is certainly a need to value the profession to level up.

Factors that needs work leads with the lack of a proactive spirit at work. As reported by Gallup, Gen Z is definitely disengaged with work and in the context of PR, we see that most of the younger talent stick to the briefs and rarely make an effort to value add.  

They most often lose interest early on and lack the patience required to learn a skill, especially soft skills that are not tech-dependent and crucial skills needed in the PR profession. 

And definitely, they need perseverance more now than ever and commitment to succeed. There is too much focus on long-term goals and my advice would be to begin with short-term goals and progress. 

Factors like pay challenges make it difficult for companies to retain talent. How is this being addressed?  

Like all industries, human resourcing is a huge roadblock that agencies often face. With resources coming from different education and experience backgrounds, the expectations on work life balance, compensation expectations vary. Beyond the salary structure, there is a need to ensure that each organisation has a policy framework that attracts Gen Z right. These vary from tangibles like flexible work, leave policy, upskilling opportunities to intrinsic benefits nurturing an inclusive culture, unbiased work environment and organisation ethics. 

Are there any other industry challenges causing hindrances for the professionals?  

We see people from different disciplines coming into this profession at a young age. So, it sometimes is perceived as a profession of just opportunities more than the first preference for a professional choice. Training and upskilling is important to make them ready for the profession. While there is emphasis on technology and digitalisation, traditional nuances cannot be ignored in our industry and need to be honed for being a true PR professional.  

How is artificial intelligence contributing as a mentor to help young guns adapt to the industry norms? 

Artificial intelligence is transforming many industries, and public relations cannot be left out. With AI as a strong ally, PR is poised for even more disruption and transformation in the years to come.  

We do expect to see a greater use of AI in PR, particularly in areas such as data analysis, media monitoring and sentiment analysis. With AI, PR professionals can analyse large amounts of data quickly and efficiently, allowing them to make better-informed decisions and develop more effective PR strategies. From content creation to personalisation and tracking media coverage more efficiently, we are expected to embrace AI to create innovative content tailored for a digitally focused target audience. Combining AI with human expertise, we are moving towards a new era of communication enabling young professionals to connect, innovate and think smartly.

What are the other policies of the agencies taken into consideration for mentorship programmes?  

At PR Pundit our culture has always been people first. We understand our people are the most valuable asset; they are our differentiators; and this guides our investment in company culture and in providing opportunities for developing talent. Our mentorship program aims to help ensure both, their personal and professional development.  

We host regular training sessions to enable managers (mentors) with the tools and techniques to be an effective advocate and guide for mentees. We have dedicated managers helping the young talent pool reach their professional goals. Together, mentor-managers and mentees discuss progress toward growth objectives and best practices to navigate challenges along the way.  

Timely feedback and assessment wherein managers have set KPIs to check on teammates regularly to further champion and celebrate accomplishments, while also sharing constructive feedback on opportunities and progress. Quality face-to-face time with leadership is also included to empower them to share ideas, recommendations and goals.