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Tag: hiring

  • Anil Nair on 6 things to keep in mind when hiring at mid-level in an advertising agency

    The Anchor: 6 things to remember when hiring mid-levels in an agency

    By Anil Nair

     

    I believe that these qualities are required at any level in our profession. While at senior level one would look at few more qualities and at junior there would be some less expectation, but largely these qualities are what I look for in an advertising professional.

     

    #1 Imagination: There has to be an ability to look beyond the obvious. Imagination is not just required for creatives but it’s a requirement for the industry. Our job poses challenges every day and if one is content to follow the prescribed method then there can be no growth. One has to have a rich and interesting imagination to build compelling communication.

     

    #2 Hunger: It is not just hunger to scale to the next level in the hierarchy. There has to be hunger for knowledge, insight and for better work. When a person believes that his appetite is satiated, that’s practically the end of his career. There has to be hunger to take things to the next level in all aspects of life.

     

    #3 Perspective: This is a rare quality among many people today. There is a tendency to follow things as they are given. Being perceptive helps in thinking beyond the obvious which is a requirement for everyone, be it creative, servicing or planning. This will be an important tool to help in growing the business.

     

    #4 Clarity: Whatever the point of view, if one has coherence in thought it will take a mid-level person to greater strengths. They are involved in building a communication platform for the client and there is a need to have logic and clarity in thinking to help the clients do better.

     

    #5 Emotional stability: By this I mean there has to be strength of character and ability to handle situation under duress. There is pressure from the person you report to, people whom you look up to and people who report in to you. I have seen many people crack under pressure and many times good talent become an emotional wreck. Again this is a rare quality and difficult to find in today’s times.

     

    #6 Anticipation skill: In this profession, if you do things now it will only lead to crushing you. You need to keep an eye on the ‘next’ and this can be developed by way of knowledge and interactivity with the industry. This is a complex world with cut-throat competition and the need is for the ability to anticipate and be prepared to face it.

     

    Anil Nair is the Chief Executive Officer and Managing Partner of Law & Kenneth.

  • : Business outlook of PR industry in 2011 stays positive, while retaining existing talent and robust hiring remains a challenge

    PRCAI 2011 Report Unveils ‘Talent Crunch’

    By A Correspondent

    The Public Relations Consultants Association of India (PRCAI), in their first ever report on the public relations consultancy sector, has reported a positive business outlook for the PR industry in 2011. More than half the PR industry expects an achievement of 15-20 per cent revenue growth, despite majority of respondents being conservative with their revenue forecast indicating the underlying degree of competition and uncertainty of retaining existing clients.

    The report further outlines that with economic growth becoming broad-based, tier II & tier III cities will become relevant for most PR firms in India. In fact, nearly 55 per cent of the respondents acknowledged hinterland as an important area of growth in terms of business in the selected categories of premium products.

    Mr Sharif D Rangnekar, President, PRCAI said, ”While industry is looking towards expanding horizons, PR firms in India are finding it difficult to fill vacant positions despite the recovery in job markets due to a talent mismatch and lack of requisite skill-sets. Nearly 80 per cent people believe that the Indian education system is not geared up to cater to the PR industry needs.

    Similar to other industries, the hiring mood has been positive and showed an upward trend for the Indian PR sector. In spite of the dampening global economic reports, the industry is witnessing a tremendous spurt in the recruitment drive. Nearly 30 per cent respondents had been thinking of giving salary hike in the range of 20-30 per cent.”

    Hiring is the top priority for PR industry at the moment and improving the writing skills of the PR executives is the focal point of training for most companies. Basics like meeting client’s expectation and increasing efficiency come second. Talent management has emerged as the biggest impediment towards growth in the PR industry.