Jessie Milligan - jm238117@ohio.edu
In today’s social media age PR companies must ensure that they are not only hiring responsible CEOs, but that the staff companies hire also have a strong sense of moral righteousness and feel a duty to the public. When there is such a large amount of distrust in mass media and there are constant threats and attacks to these companies from both the government and the public, a company that ensures that each and every one of their staff has these qualities is a company that will most likely garner and keep the trust and respect of the public. The public is much more likely to trust a singular person than a large company, if each member of your staff is constantly rewarded for maintaining these qualities the public will trust the people on the staff rather than the corporation.
Typically in businesses that maintain the usual American model, there is a boss or a CEO and their subordinates follow what the bosses believe to be the best decision. The staff in this model does not truly have a say in the matter, nor are they encouraged to disagree. However, for PR this model does not work for the type of work that they do. PR deals with a large amount of people in the public, if one person was to make the decision then they would not be taking into account the entire scope of their reach. In PR, there needs to be a certain amount of discussion and disagreement to ensure that each and every decision is thought through and the risks and rewards of each and every action are adequately assessed.
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| usa.inquirer.net |
Another very important topic for companies to discuss with their employees is whistle-blowing. Although most of the public rarely thinks about whistle-blowing, it is an incredibly important strategy to ensure that all companies are held responsible for their actions. Whistle-blowing is a form of self-regulation in which staff within the company “blow the whistle” on their bosses or an entire corporation, and it happens when something corrupt is going on within the company. All companies should encourage their staff to partake in this activity, but it is especially important within a PR setting as it can help maintain the public’s trust in your message. Ways that a company can encourage whistle-blowing are by ensuring that they hire staff who feel a great sense of duty to the public and by expressing that the staff will not face negative consequences as a result of whistle-blowing.
As well as ensuring that companies employee ethical staff, they must also ensure that their leadership teams are ethical beings as well. Leaders in PR companies must value their employees ideas and give them the tools that they need to reach the companies goals. For instance, instead of blaming an employee for not getting the results the company desires, asking that employee what the company can do to ensure the employee has what they need to reach not only their highest potential, but also ensure the results the company desires. Companies who encourage their employees to ask for help and guidance, as well as actively work to foster an environment where employees are allowed to openly discuss decisions made within the company, are often the ones who seem more trust-worthy to the public.
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