Hiring is tough. As an agency owner, the talent recruitment process is one of the harder parts of my job. Finding people who fit our needs — both culturally and skills-wise — is no easy task. But, I’ve learned that hiring young, aspiring, ambitious PR pros right out of college, or with a couple years experience, is a smart way to train on the way we do PR, without having to break the bad habits people inevitably pick up at other agencies. This “hire young” philosophy is why we’ve put so much emphasis the last year or so on building strong relationships with the PRSSA chapters around Ohio. After a recent visit from Ohio University, I asked standout senior Kelsey Miller to share the student’s perspective on why agency tours are so valuable. If you’re an agency, I hope you, too, will consider opening your doors to student groups. It provides an incredible learning opportunity for them, and helps you identify potential recruits to add to your talent pipeline. Now, here’s Kelsey …
OU PRSSA’s chapter visiting Geben!
From a business standpoint, having college students visit your agency for a networking trip can be a nuisance. It’s disruptive to the typical workflow and can cut in on billable time depending on the structure of the agency. There’s also the potential of it being weird. What are we going to say to them? What would they want to learn about? What if they aren’t engaged? Although these are valid concerns, agency visits matter to students.
I am a senior in college and have been going on networking trips since I was a sophomore. I can’t speak for all college students that value agency visits, so I created a survey. Between my experiences and my findings, I found four consistent patterns of why these trips are invaluable to students.
Agency visits help us connect with professionals. This may seem obvious, but we rarely get the opportunity to talk to someone that works in our field other than professors. The most interaction students have with professionals is through networking trips. The quieter students are most likely overwhelmed or introverted, which isn’t always a bad thing in our industry. Don’t take offense; we think you’re all rock stars.
We start feeling more comfortable talking to professionals, too. Since you’re all rock stars, the idea of talking to you is intimidating. “I love hearing about professionals’ transition from students to adult life,” one survey respondent said. Visits help us recover from being star struck and realize you’re relatable and are there to help.
We love learning about your culture. The most overwhelming response to my survey was the opportunity to learn about the agency’s culture. One survey response expressed how different it is to hear about a company’s culture from their website versus visiting the space. As millennials, we demand good culture at our place of employment and aren’t afraid to leave if we don’t feel fulfilled. Serious students will take time to research your website and get a feel for your values, so networking trips will put you and your colleagues to the test.
We learn about ourselves. While we’re getting a feel for your agency’s culture, size and clients, we are also figuring out what we could see ourselves doing after graduation. Even if we learn that your agency isn’t for us, you are still doing us a service.
Agency visits may take time away from your work, but it is a big opportunity for starry-eyed students. So reach out to your alma mater and old student organizations. You might be surprised how happy they are to hear from you. Lend yourself to students that you see with potential. A good mentor gives us the confidence we need to find our passions and where we belong in this industry…. or so UCSF says. Who knows, you might find yourself a reverse mentor, too!
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Kelsey Miller is an @OhioU Bobcat, aspiring PR pro and Seinfeld specialist. Fan of building genuine relationships, matcha tea, staying hydrated and leg day at the nearest gym.