4 wants Gen Zs have in their PR career

What were you looking for when you started out in the PR and marketing game – experience? Obviously.
Days like no other? That’s a given.

But today’s consultants are craving more than that. Across the past decade I’ve seen seismic shifts, and the change in the employee experience has been among the largest. Our industry’s future leaders expect more – and we should be excited to offer just that.

The want: Intentional inclusivity

In markets like Singapore, we have a multicultural society with a multitude of diversities. As an Asia business hub serving APAC and Southeast Asia, while our clients expect on-the-ground expertise and guidance, increasingly they’re wanting real time local intel from people who reflect a variety of audiences. At the same time, new hires are coming to us wanting to bring their most authentic selves to work, not only because they see their careers as an extension of their own lifestyles and interests – but because they see the growth benefits in learning from the lives of other teammates.

Compared to a decade before, I see this new generation of PRs coming into the industry from different socio-economic backgrounds and educational routes, resulting in alternative exposures, and learning and development styles. This naturally shapes how we grow as businesses and industries.

Create an environment and ecosystem that allows this to flourish: when you’re intentionally inclusive, with diverse teams learning and growing from each other, the best work and culture naturally happens.

The want: Active rejection of the traditional ‘hustle’ culture

Success doesn’t equate to working all hours, lavishing presenteeism. Unfortunately, that’s what many PR and marketing professionals experienced while growing their careers. Hopefully I don’t need to explain that doesn’t reflect productivity.

Today’s new starters expect a system change. In our always-on sector, there’s a greater emphasis on structures being in place to ensure sustainable delivery. It’s all too easy for leaders to talk the talk of work-life balance – any company can read off the same script of ‘best practice’ positioning.

Here’s what you need to be doing: when questioned on this critical part of working culture, tell them exactly how you are ensuring it for your people, what safeguards are in place to ensure it’s happening, and examples and results of the impact.

The want: Personalised accountability

While stretching comfort zones is no new concept, we’re seeing junior staff craving ownership increasingly earlier in their careers. I’m a true believer in everyone being invited to the table – the best idea can come from the person with the least experience. As leaders, it’s our responsibility to give our future leaders opportunities in a safe structure where they’re navigated as and when needed.

Instead of simply having goals to climb the next rung of the agency ladder, I see Gen Z staff looking for new challenges as frequently as every three months – so that each quarter brings with it something they can be really proud of. That pride can come from projects and ownerships of differing natures, and exists regardless of size or assumed value, if it brings about positive effect to our agency, industry and people.

Encourage your team to seek out and have control over projects that are intrinsically reflective of themselves and thus the future of PR –  that’s when the magic happens! This grows entirely new career trees – branching out into areas relevant to tomorrow, versus snapping those branches off to craft career ladders of old.

The want: Creativity in everyday life

I can’t help but cringe if I hear the words “I’m just not a creative person”. Luckily, I hear that less and less in recent times.

While specifically creative roles carry immense value, creativity isn’t limited to particular segments of a plan. I see a greater appreciation of creativity’s various forms – whether that’s the usual suspects of visual, conceptual, audio and so on, but also creativity in problem solving, in fresh ways of reading data. It surrounds us; we’re all consumers of creativity in culture.

Search out opportunities for creativity in every role in your organisation. Our people (a fifth being Gen Z) value our belief that it is at the heart of company culture and hold us accountable at keeping it accessible to all and practiced regularly. That was the inspiration of our DeVries Creative Incubator where any member of staff can apply to get agency funding for their ideas.

After all, creativity is cultivated.

The writer is Rafidah Rashid, managing director of DeVries Global Singapore.