As a young, African woman studying Communications & Media Studies, it was very difficult to find a PR trailblazer who looked like me to look up to. Public relations actually looks like a white-dominated industry from the outside looking in and I had my doubts about getting opportunities to pursue a career in this. 

The reality is, public relations truly is a white-dominated field. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than 85% of the PR industry is composed of white employees. An underwhelming 8% are African-American, with even lower rates for Hispanic or Asian Americans. These statistics are a clear indication that the industry is in desperate need of diversity because this shouldn’t be the norm. 

Public relations as an industry

This industry is focused on public perception, forming narratives, fixing reputations, and controlling the media. The specific roles within the PR industry are best suited for teams that have diverse backgrounds and qualifications to bring unique perspectives to the table. 

It’s beneficial for PR agencies to have employees that are diverse, whether that means having people of different sexualities, races, or even religious identities. Diversity is an added benefit that can propel a company’s efforts forward. 

It’s especially important for the leadership team of a PR agency to have diverse C-suite workers who are there to bring real solutions to industry-wide issues. Unfortunately, 93% of top leaders of PR agencies are white. This staggering number is an indication that there are systemic policies in place that hinder POC employees from rising through the ranks and getting leadership roles in their PR agencies. 

How you can make a difference

Hey, it’s easy for me to write 20,000 words worth of statistics and data to explain to you how badly the PR industry needs diversity. But it’s more productive to think of ways that we can work together to make a difference. 

I’m the Head of PR at Pearl Lemon, where 60% of our employees are POC and their racial identities don’t hinder their career progression in any way. I work in a PR agency that is diverse and inclusive. It’s possible for people like us to do something and try to create more opportunities for diverse individuals to join this lucrative field.

My experience and research have shown me that improving diversity in a company is both attainable and sustainable. Here are some of the things you can do in your PR agency to improve diversity:

• Adjust your recruitment policies

Diversity within a company is impacted by the decisions that hiring managers and leaders make when they are recruiting new employees. It’s important to sit down with your leaders and identify the areas in which you can improve so that your recruitment process provides more opportunities for underrepresented people. 

When you’re intentional about including different types of people in your team, then you will see the results. 

• Promote and encourage upward mobility for POC employees

The statistics show that 90% of PR leaders are white. This means that there needs to be an extra, deliberate push to promote and help POC employees obtain higher positions in PR agencies. This doesn’t mean that you promote them solely based on their race, but that you give them more opportunities to rise through the ranks. 

When your PR agency has both white and non-white leaders, and both men and women, then you have a much higher chance of attracting diverse employees. It can be off-putting for some underrepresented groups to apply to work for you when they know that only one demographic of people gets promoted. 

• Require your leaders to take cultural sensitivity training

Unless your leadership team is prepared to welcome diversity into the company, then your efforts are futile. They can learn a lot from cultural sensitivity training that will teach them about intercultural competence and how to unlearn many of their personal biases. 

When you do this, you’re well on your way to creating an environment that makes people feel comfortable to be themselves without fear of discrimination. It’s difficult to penalize leaders who are discriminatory when the company is unclear about its cultural sensitivity policies. These policies also mean nothing without proper training. 

Key Takeaways

Notice that the strategies listed above have nothing to do with your social media or public image. The strategies that make the difference start internally. Make an effort to fix the diversity within your company by looking at your recruitment policies, your leadership team, and then you will be able to have a more inclusive workplace. Don’t spend so much time posting black squares on Instagram and spend more time and energy looking out for the underrepresented groups within your agency. 

Pearl M. Kasirye is the Head of PR at Pearl Lemon PR where she works with an international team of people and manages a global clientele. She is an avid writer and researcher who is very passionate about diversity and inclusion. She’s been featured on publications like Business Insider, BBC, DiversityQ, and the American Diversity Report.