Bernaisesource

Today, I am also looking for someone having a familiarity and comfort with new media – blogging, social websites, viral marketing, etc.  Those qualifications may seem obvious, but choosing the right mix of skills and experience is difficult, especially with limited resources and a small staff.

Ideally, this candidate would understand the relationship between new media and old and know how to write for a blog and produce a podcast or vlog.  He or she would need to have technical skills and communications skills – and in a sign of the times, have even more familiarity with technology and more comfort with social networks than I have.  While the manager would be a junior member of the staff, I would look to him or her for advice and counsel.

Compounding the challenge is the recognition that most of the world still relies heavily on mainstream media for validation.  Most of my time is spent with traditional news sources.  You can have someone who is an expert at blogging, but when a consumer reporter calls with a question or complaint or a national news daily wants to do a profile, you can’t ignore them.

And so the question becomes whether you hire for your immediate needs or where you want your department to be in a year or so.  You also have to ensure that the skill set of a new hire fits in with those of your existing staffers who may not be as conversant with web 2.0.
 

In the end, my job function is also evolving.  I no longer just do media relations.  Corporate communications involves customer interaction, employee engagement and marketing.  These components live in the intersection of many different stakeholders, and because of new media, are much more visible to the outside world.  My new hire needs to reflect this evolution.

I suppose the easy answer is a balance of the two skill sets.  And that is probably what I will do, but if it comes down to two candidates – one with strong new media experience and one with strong mainstream skills – the answer won’t be obvious. 

I would be curious to hear from you about the choices you are making in regard to new hires.

Let me get back to you.   

Technorati Tag: New Media; Job Posting; PR; Corporate Communications;

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