How to attract a diverse entry-level talent pool with Ella McWilliam | Co-Founder & CEO, Full Fat

Want a more diverse PR talent pool? Create more opportunities for under-represented talent at an entry-level.

Whilst it is possible for talent from other industries to change careers into PR, most hiring managers want talent with an established PR skill set – even at Account Executive level. The structured nature of PR restricts the talent pool.

The simplest fix? Make PR an accessible career option for more people from the very start.

One PR agency that champions diversity and inclusivity is Full Fat – an award-winning, B Corp-certified  PR and creative comms agency based in Shoreditch. We asked Ella McWilliam – Co-Founder and CEO – for her advice on creating a more diverse entry-level talent pool. Here’s what she had to say:

1. Pay London Living Wage.

“For apprenticeships and internships, make sure you’re paying London Living Wage – or the equivalent Real Living Wage for agencies outside London. It is increasingly expensive for young people to live and work and if PR doesn’t offer fair salaries, it limits the talent pool that can commit financially to entry level roles. The real Living Wage is set by the Living Wage Foundation and is the only UK wage rate based on the cost of living.”

2. Work with an external partner that specialises in supporting underrepresented talent.

“At Full Fat, we’ve worked with lots of great organisations that connect us to brilliant young talent from underrepresented backgrounds. We worked in partnership with Brixton Finishing School to create our internship program, resulting in some fantastic talent joining our team. External partners are great for putting you on the radar of a diverse pool of entry level talent.”

3. Remove university degree requirements.

“Companies that require a university degree drastically reduce accessibility to the industry. Having a university degree used to be a common pre-requisite for PR, and whilst that is less common nowadays, PR agencies should also consider if they have unconscious bias towards talent without a university degree.

For the record, you don’t need a university degree to work at Full Fat – many of our current team don’t have one!”

4. Raise awareness of PR as a career option in schools.

““Unfortunately, PR isn’t a career that is marketed as a career for everyone – especially at a school or college level. This lack of awareness and education means a lot of people either don’t know about the career option of PR, or don’t feel like it’s an industry for them. To combat this, I highly recommend going into schools and colleges and talking to school leavers about what you do, the skills you need and the perks of working in PR!”

Found this useful? Tune into our podcast episode for more insights on how PR agencies can work to diversify their talent pool.

Click here to tune in on Spotify.

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P.S. If you’re a PR agency looking to attract top talent, we’d love to help. Email: dean@wearelatte.com or get in touch via our ‘Contact Us’ page.