SALARY AND JOB SATISFACTION SURVEY

SALARY AND JOB SATISFACTION SURVEY

‘S

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARYWant to make good money in PR—and have a good time doing it?

Work for a public company or a government agency. According to our first-ever PR Daily Salary and Job

Satisfaction Survey, these organizations offer you the best chance for good money and good raises,

ample benefits, and high job satisfaction.

Here’s more good news from the survey: In spite of a still-wobbly economy, the majority of PR

professionals across the board received salary increases in 2012, ranging from cost-of-living increases of

2–3 percent to a healthier 10 percent. And many PR pros expect to get pay raises in 2013. Professionals

at public companies were most likely to get a pay hike (81 percent) compared with those at nonprofits

(75 percent), and those at PR agencies (69 percent).

However, the 2,764 respondents we surveyed online—communicators, marketers, and corporate and

agency PR professionals at all levels of their careers—made it clear that they’re out for more than the

paycheck. They want to do more challenging and strategic work for their companies and clients, instead

of getting saddled with endless administrative tasks. They want the freedom to telecommute or do

flextime. And they want their organizations to get serious about career development, and improving

internal processes and practices.

Who did we hear from? Twenty-nine

percent of our respondents are with

PR agencies, while 23 percent are with

private companies, and 16 percent

with public companies. Twenty percent

are with nonprofits, and 9 percent work

for government agencies. Thirty-four

percent have been in the business for

5 years or less, 20 percent for 5 to 10

years, 21 percent for 10 to 20 years,

and 15 percent have been in the field

for more than 20 years.

Less than a year 1 to 5 years 5 to 10 years 10 to 20 years More than 20 years

NUMBER OF YEARS IN THE FIELD

34%

20%

21%

15% 9%

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Seventy-seven percent of our survey

respondents are female versus 23 percent

male, corresponding to the female/male

split in the PR industry as a whole. (As PR

Daily reported in 2011, women make up

anywhere from 70 percent to 85 percent of

the business.)

As for the size of the companies these

PR pros work for, it’s a good mix across

the board. Seventeen percent work for a

company with fewer than 10 employees,

while 30 percent work for companies with

11 to 100 employees. Twenty-two percent work for companies with 101 to 1,000 employees, and 31

percent work for companies with more than 1,000 people.

Whether they are at PR agencies or corporations and nonprofits, the job titles of our respondents were

all over the map—“account executive” and “communications manager” were the most commonly

named titles (at 24 percent and 20 percent, respectively), along with several other common titles,

including “account manager,” “associate,” “communications manager,” “marketing communications

manager,” and so on.

The nice thing about surveying communications people is that they’re not a shy bunch. They were more

than willing to tell us what they want to change about their jobs, and how their organizations need to

change, if they’re expected to stick around. You’ll find many of their comments inside.

We also found out what’s driving PR people crazy when it comes to their work time being wasted.

Lengthy approval cycles, useless meetings, and poor planning all drain away time that can be used

on more productive work for their organizations. (Note to PR execs: You’ll stand a better chance of

retaining talent if you make workplace efficiency a top priority this year.)

MALE/FEMALE RESPONDENTS

77%

23% Female Male

A QUICK NOTE: ON A FEW OCCASIONS THE PERCENTAGES IN THE GRAPH EXCEED 100 PERCENT BECAUSE WE ROUNDED THE PERCENTAGES UP.

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SALARIES

As the economy creeps toward a rebound, PR pros are getting raises. Seventy-one percent received

increases in 2012, and 59 percent say they expect to get raises in 2013. In 2012, 24 percent got raises

of 2–3 percent, while 22 percent got raises of more than 10 percent. Men and women were equally likely

to get raises: Seventy-one percent of women got raises, versus 70 percent of men.

Interestingly enough, it’s not the long-timers in the business who get the most pay raises. Seventy-five

percent of our respondents working in the field 5 to 10 years got raises, while 67 percent of those in the

business for more than 20 years got raises.

As for what they’re earning,

26 percent of respondents are

making $50,000 to $75,000

annually; 25 percent make

$35,000 to $50,000; 15 percent

earn $75,000 to $100,000; and

15 percent earn more than

$100,000.

Among our respondents, the

Midwest hosted most of the high

earners— 33 percent of those

from this region earn more than

$250,000.

MAJOR FINDINGS IN KEY AREAS

OVERALL SALARY BREAKDOWN

19%

25% 26%

15%

10% 4%

1%

Under 35K 35K to 50K 50K to 75K 75K to 100K 100K to 150K 150K to 250K Over 250K

BENEFITS

Eighty-six percent get medical coverage from their employers, and 77 percent get dental coverage. Half

of the respondents have 401(k) plans with company matching.

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Wellness benefits are proving

popular with PR pros—many

respondents noted that their

employers give them gym

membership reimbursements,

on-site workout facilities, and

health premium discounts

for people who participate in

wellness programs.

As for the benefits on PR pros’

wish lists: Fourteen percent

say they’d like a 401(k) plan

with company matching, and

14 percent say they’d like

a profit sharing plan. Many

respondents also say they’d

like their employer to shoulder

more of the monthly cost of

health insurance.

Forty-eight percent say their

company provides on-site

training, and 47 percent say

they get access to off-site training such as conferences and workshops. When it comes to their training

desires, formal mentoring is mentioned most often: Thirty-nine percent say they’d like to have a formal

mentoring program in place.

WHAT BENEFITS DOES YOUR COMPANY PROVIDE?

50% 401(k) withcompany matching

86%

77%

66%

57%

53%

13%

10%

Medical

Dental

Vision

Short-term disability

Long-term disability

16% Profit sharing

26% Pension plan

28% 401(k)

Other

None

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JOB SATISFACTION

PR pros are generally OK with their

jobs—provided they’re getting good

work to do, in a well-organized,

communicative environment. On a scale

of 1 to 5, with 5 being highly satisfied,

43 percent chose level 3—right in the

middle. Challenging work was chosen

by 62 percent as a key factor in job

satisfaction, followed by co-workers

(52 percent) and the workplace’s casual

atmosphere (43 percent).

Asked what’s most likely to cause

dissatisfaction with their jobs,

respondents say the lack of effective

in-house communication (38 percent),

staff disharmony (25 percent),

and the lack of flexible hours and

telecommuting (21 percent).

Well-paid workers appear to be most

satisfied with their jobs. Forty-six

percent of those earning more than

$250,000 rated their satisfaction at

level 5, while only 5 percent of those

earning less than $35,000 chose this

level of satisfaction.

WHAT ARE THE MOST SATISFYINGASPECTS OF YOUR CURRENT JOB?

62% Challenging work

52% Talented, reliableco-workers

42% Staff collegiality

39% Wonderful boss(es)

35% Company mission

38% Cultural/company integrity

39% Flexible hours/telecommuting

35% Overall workplace/amenities/location

33% Personal workspace

32% Freedom to explorepet projects/ideas

22% Free flow of relevantcommunication

21% Consistent/constructive feedback

30% Recognition forachievement/effort

34% Free coffee(and similar perks)

6% Other

43% Casual atmosphere

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WORK/LIFE BALANCE

Forty-seven percent of respondents

telecommute at least one day a week;

27 percent of this group telecommutes

five days a week. High earners are more

likely to telecommute: Forty-two percent

of those making more than $250,000

say they telecommute, while only 22

percent of people earning less than

$35,000 say they do.

Forty-one percent say they work at least

one weekend a month, although 30

percent say they never work on weekends.

Desk-bound lunches are commonplace:

Sixty-nine percent do lunch at their desks, while 13 percent eat in their company’s lunchroom.

When it comes to drains on their productivity, respondents are most likely to blame delayed approvals

(56 percent), followed by inefficient meetings (46 percent), and flawed information (44 percent).

Read on to dig deeper.

HOW MANY DAYS A WEEKDO YOU TELECOMMUTE?

47%

16% 8%

2%

27% 1 2 3 4 5

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SALARIES

SALARY INCREASES

While many respondents may not be delighted with their compensation, most of them got more money

in 2012: Seventy-one percent say they received a salary increase in 2012, while 29 percent did not. For

those respondents who did receive a salary increase, 24 percent received a 2–3 percent increase, while

22 percent received a salary increase of more than 10 percent.

Those most likely to get

increases were at the

higher end of the pay scale:

Eighty-eight percent of

respondents earning more

than $250,000 received a pay

increase, as did 77 percent

of those earning $150,000 to

$250,000, 76 percent making

$100,000 to $150,000, 71

percent earning $75,000 to

DID YOUR 2012 SALARYINCREASE FROM 2011?

71%

29% Yes No

DID YOU GET A RAISE? [ACCORDING TO EXPERIENCE]

Yes No

Less than a year 1-5 years 5-10 years 10-20 years More than20 years

52%

76% 75%68% 67%

48%

24% 25%32% 33%

BY HOW MUCH DID YOUR SALARY INCREASE?

18%

24%

20%

18%

22%

1% to 2%

2% to 3%

3% to 5%

5% to 10%

More than 10%

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$100,000, 75 percent pulling in $50,000 to $75,000, 74 percent making $35,000 to $50,000, and 57

percent earning less than $35,000.

However, the most experienced professionals were not necessarily most likely to get a pay hike.

Seventy-six percent of people in the business between 1 and 5 years received raises, while 75 percent

of those working 5 to 10 years in the field got raises; 67 percent of those in the business more than 20

years got raises. Only 52 percent of people working in the field for less than a year got pay hikes.

Professionals at public companies were most likely to get a salary boost in 2012: Eighty-one percent

received an increase, compared to 75 percent at nonprofits, 72 percent at private companies, and 69

percent at PR agencies.

Men and women were about equally likely to get raises: Seventy-one percent of women say they got

raises, versus 70 percent of men.

Fifty-nine percent of all respondents say they expect to receive a raise in 2013—of those who expect a

raise, 32 percent anticipate a 2–3 percent increase, 25 percent expect a 3–5 percent increase, and 18

percent expect a 1–2 percent increase.

69%

31%

PR Agency

72%

28%

Private Company

81%

19%

Public Company/Corporation

GovermentAgency

59% 41%

Nonprofit

75%

25%

Self-Employed

51% 49%

Yes No

DID YOU GET A RAISE? [ACCORDING TO ORGANIZATION]

DO YOU EXPECT A RAISE IN 2013? (ACCORDING TO ORGANIZATION)

58% 60% 65%

47%60%

44%42% 40% 35%

53%40%

56%

Yes No

PR Agency Private Company Public Company/Corporation

GovermentAgency

Nonprofit Self-Employed

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ANNUAL BASE SALARY

Twenty-six percent of respondents pull in $50,000 to $75,000 annually, while 25 percent make $35,000 to $50,000.

Fifteen percent are in the $75,000 to $100,000 range, and a total of 15 percent make more than $100,000.

Nearly half of the respondents working for PR agencies earn less than $35,000, while 31 percent of those

working for private or public companies and 11 percent working for nonprofits earn that amount. In the mid-

range salary group of $75,000 to $100,000 earners, the pendulum swings toward corporations: 45 percent

work for private or public companies, and only 14 percent work for PR agencies.

In the high-earning $250,000+ group, 38 percent work for agencies, while 19 percent work for public or

private companies. Thirty-one percent of these high-earners are self-employed.

As might be expected, the less time on the job, the smaller the paycheck – and vice versa. Eighty-seven

percent of those in the field for 5 years or less earn less than $35,000; 88 percent of those in the biz for 10

years or more earn more than $250,000.

Among our respondents, the Midwest hosted most of the high earners – 33 percent of those from this

region earn more than $250,000; 11 percent in the Northeast and West Coast, respectively, earn more than

49%

23%

8%

3%

11%

6%

38%

19%

11%

8%

22%

3%

21%

23%

15%

12%

25%

3%

14%

25%

20%

16% 20

%

5%

17% 22

% 28%

9%

19%

5%

17%

27% 31

%

3%

10%

12%

38%

13%

6%

0%

13%

31%


ANNUAL BASE SALARIES [ACCORDING TO ORGANIZATION]

PR Agency Private Company Public Company/Corporation

GovermentAgency

Nonprofit Self-Employed

Employees of public companies were most optimistic about the likelihood of getting a raise in 2013:

Sixty-five percent expect a salary boost, compared to 60 percent of private company employees and 60

percent of those who work for nonprofits.

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$250,000. The coasts claimed most of the mid- to high-range earners: 24 percent of Northeasters and 15

percent of West Coasters earn $100,000 to $150,000, and 26 percent of Northeasters and 29 percent of

West Coasters earn $150,000 to $250,000.

WHERE ARE YOU LOCATED? (ACCORDING TO ANNUAL SALARY)


17% 23%

21% 18%

24% 26%

11% Northeast

18% 17% 16%

15% 10% 10% 11%

Southeast

16% 12%

Midwest

21% 27%

25% 25%

33%

6% 8% 10% 10% 10%

7% 0%

Southwest

12% 11% 11% 10%

15% 29%

11% West Coast

2% 1% 1% 0% 1% 0% 0%

Upper Rockies

Women are somewhat more likely to be in the lower pay ranges: Eighty-five percent of respondents earning

less than $35,000 are women—in the $250,000+ pay range, 67 percent are women. This is an interesting

finding, as women seem to predominate at the bottom of the pay scale, as well as the top of the pay scale.

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CAREER PEAK SALARY

Sixty-eight percent say their current salary

represents their career peak in earnings,

while 32 percent say their current salary is

not their career peak.

For respondents who are not currently

earning their career peak salary, 24 percent

say their top earnings were in the $75,000 to

$100,000 range, while 22 percent say they

had earned $50,000 to $75,000. Nineteen

percent say their peak earnings were in the

range of $100,000 to $150,000.

WHAT IS YOUR PEAK SALARY?

8%

17%

22%

24%

19%

8%

4%

Under 35K

35K to 50K

50K to 75K

75K to 100K

100K to 150K

150K to 250K

Over 250K

HOW HAPPY ARE YOU WITHYOUR COMPENSATION?

14% Verydissatisfied

38% Somewhatdissatisfied

33% Satisfied

15% Quite pleased

2% Exceedinglypleased

COMPENSATION SATISFACTION

Respondents aren’t jumping

up and down for joy about

their take-home pay. Thirty-

eight percent say they are

“somewhat dissatisfied” with

their current salary, while 33

percent proclaimed themselves

satisfied with their earnings.

Fourteen percent are in the “very

dissatisfied” group. Men and

women appear to be equally

satisfied or dissatisfied with

their compensation in similar

percentages to the above.

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Not surprisingly, lower-paid professionals are less happy with their take-home pay: Seventy-four percent of

respondents earning less than $35,000 are somewhat dissatisfied or very dissatisfied with their compensation,

while 62 percent of those earning more than $250,000 are quite pleased or exceedingly pleased with their pay.

PR agency workers are most likely to be very dissatisfied with their pay (21 percent), with self-employed

professionals (17 percent) close behind. Those working for public companies are happiest with their

compensation: Twenty-one percent are either quite pleased or exceedingly pleased with their paychecks,

followed by 18 percent of private company employees, and 17 percent of nonprofit workers.

RAISES FOR COLLEAGUES

Only 11 percent are responsible for salary decisions

for other people at their company. Of this group,

72 percent say they do expect to give raises to their

associates. The average raise, say 39 percent of the

raise-giving group, will be 2–3 percent; 34 percent

expect to give out raises of 3–5 percent.

Of respondents who make decisions on staff salary

increases, 67 percent say they base these decisions

on an employee’s overall performance, while 12

percent fix increases based on a worker’s contribution

to the bottom line.

DO YOU PLAN ON GIVINGRAISES TO YOUR ASSOCIATES?

72%

29% Yes No

BONUSES

Thirty-nine percent say they received a bonus in 2012—of that group, 40 percent say their bonus was

between $1,000 and $5,000, and 29 percent received a bonus of less than $1,000. Six percent received a

bonus of more than $25,000.

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WHO GOT A BONUS? [ACCORDING TO EXPERIENCE]

83%

64% 57% 52%

36%

17%

36% 43% 48%

64%

Less than a year 1 to 5 years 5 to 10 years 10 to 20 years More than20 years

No Yes

Public company employees were most likely to get bonuses (59 percent), followed by private company

employees (47 percent) and PR agency employees (38 percent).

The longer they’ve been in the field, the more likely these professionals are to get bonuses: Sixty-four

percent of those with more than 20 years in the fold got bonuses, compared with 48 percent with 10 to 20

years in the field—and just 17 percent of those who’ve been in the biz less than a year. Sixty-five percent

of bonus recipients felt that the amount of their bonus was just right, while 33 percent believed their bonus

wasn’t enough.

In 2011, 62 percent say they received bonuses, about the same as the number who received bonuses in 2012.

“We get quarterly bonuses. Wish we would just get a higher base salary rather than bonuses that are taxed at higher rates.”

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PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND PROMOTIONS

Experience is the most important factor

affecting decisions about promotions

at their organizations, say 64 percent;

45 percent say internal connections

or “chumminess” plays a key role in

getting promoted, while 38 percent say

interpersonal skills weigh heavily on

promotion decisions.

WHICH SKILLS/ELEMENTS DO YOU FEEL AREMOST HEAVILY WEIGHTED IN DECISIONS ABOUT

PROMOTIONS AT YOUR ORGANIZATION?

64% Experience

15% Education

23% Writing ability

23% Creativity

38% Interpersonal skills

18% Persuasion

8% Tech savvy

10% Social media skills

22% Professional network

34% Personality

9% Personal appearance

3% Wardrobe

45% Internal connections(Chumminess with

the powers that be)

31% General intelligence

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BENEFITS

BENEFITS PROVIDED BY COMPANY

Slightly more than 86 percent receive

medical coverage from their employers,

and 77 percent receive dental coverage.

Sixty-six percent receive vision

benefits, and 57 percent receive short-

term disability coverage. Half of our

respondents said they get access to a

401(k) plan with company matching.

Many respondents note that their

companies provide wellness benefits in

some form—such as reimbursement for

gym memberships or on-site workout

facilities. Flextime programs and days for

personal time off also received shout-outs.

“We get ‘flex dollars,’ which can be used to purchase extra vacation, health benefits, etc.”

WHAT BENEFITS DOES YOURCOMPANY PROVIDE?

10%

13%

16%

26%

28%

50%

53%

57%

66%

77%

86%

None

Other

Profit sharing

Pension plan

401(k)

401(k) with company matching



Vision

Dental

Medical

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MOST WANTED BENEFITS

When asked which benefit

they’d most like their

company to provide that is

currently not part of their

benefits package, 44

percent said “none.”

Fourteen percent say they’d

like a 401(k) plan with

company matching, while

14 percent say they’d

welcome a profit sharing plan.

Even if they already have

medical coverage, some

respondents noted that better medical coverage would be a big plus—or paying cheaper monthly premiums for

this benefit.

WHICH BENEFIT THAT YOUR COMPANY DOES NOTPROVIDE WOULD YOU MOST LIKE TO BE OFFERED?

6% 4%

4% 2%

2%

14%

10%

1%

14%

44%

Medical

Dental

Vision



Profit sharing

Pension plan

401(k)

401(k) with company matching

None

TRAINING

Forty-eight percent of respondents say their

company provides on-site training. Forty-seven

percent say their company offers off-site training

opportunities, such as conferences and workshops.

Fifty-three percent say they are offered access

to webinars and podcasts that provide training.

Many respondents also say their company provides

mentoring on an informal basis.

“Training money is provided, but each employee is expected to find needed training from external sources.”

WHAT TYPE OF TRAININGDOES YOUR COMPANY OFFER?

6%

13%

18%

24%

27%

30%

35%

47%

48%

Other

Formal mentoring program

Webinars and podcasts (internally produced)

None

Online training (internally produced)

Online training (externally produced)

Webinars and podcasts(externally produced)

Offsite conferencesand workshops

Onsite training

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DESIRED TRAINING

When asked what type of training they’d like their company to offer, 39 percent say a formal mentoring

program (as opposed to informal mentoring) is high up on their wish list. Thirty-four percent want off-site

conferences and workshops, while 17 percent would like to see more on-site training.

PR newbies were more likely to say they wanted on-site training: Twenty-three percent with less than a year

in the industry chose on-site offerings, versus 11 percent of those in the business for more than 20 years.

Thirty-eight percent of the newbies chose off-site training and conferences as a must-have, while 28 percent

of workers with more than 20 years in the industry chose this training benefit.

“Off-site conferences and workshops are our method of training, but only one of us can go at a time, and I would like to go to these training sessions as well.”

WHAT TYPE OF TRAINING DO YOU WANT YOUR COMPANY TO PROVIDE? [ACCORDING TO EXPERIENCE]

23%

22%

16%

16%

11%

Onsite training

38% 41

%31

%31

%28

%

Offsite conferencesand workshops

10% 12%

8% 7%5%

Online training(internally produced)

18% 21

%18

%16

%9%

Online training(externally produced)

10% 15

%9% 7% 6%

Webinars and podcasts(internally produced)

17% 20

%16

%16

%11

%

Webinars and podcasts(externally produced)

48%

45%

39%

39%

25%

Formalmentoring program

20% 24

%32

%31

% 39%

Nothing additionalneeded

4% 1% 4% 5% 5%

Other

Less than 1 year 1 to 5 years 5 to 10 years 10 to 20 years More than 20 years

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JOB SATISFACTION

OVERALL SATISFACTION

On a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 the lowest level of satisfaction and 5 the highest, 43 percent pegged

their satisfaction level smack in the middle at level 3. Thirty-nine percent chose level 4, and 10

percent chose level 2.

PR agency professionals were most likely to choose the middle level of 3 (46 percent), followed by

private company workers and government agency employees (43 percent each). However, agency

workers and nonprofit employees were also most likely to choose the lower ends of the scale, levels

1 or 2 (13 percent each), followed by private company workers (12 percent).

Well-paid workers are most likely to be happy with their jobs. Forty-six percent of those making more

than $250,000 rated their satisfaction at level 5, while only 5 percent of workers earning less than

$35,000 chose this level of satisfaction.

Women and men are about equal in terms of their job satisfaction. Forty-two percent of women

chose level 3, while 39 percent of men chose the same level. Thirty-nine percent of women put their

satisfaction at level 4, compared to 41 percent of men.

HOW SATISFIED ARE YOU WITH YOUR JOB? [ACCORDING TO ORGANIZATION]

2% 11

%

46%

36%

4%

1% 11

%

43%

37%

8%

1% 10

%

44%

39%

5%

3% 8%

43%

42%

5%

3% 10

%

39%

42%

6%

2% 6%

30%

42%

20%

1 2 3 4 5

PR agency Private company Public company/corporation Government agency Nonprofit Self-employed

20

MOST SATISFYING ASPECTS

Challenging work is at the top of the list of the most satisfying aspects of the job, with 62

percent making this choice. Fifty-two percent say their co-workers are the top reason for their job

satisfaction, and 43 percent say it’s the workplace’s casual atmosphere.

WHAT IS THE MOST SATISFYING PART OF YOUR JOB? [ACCORDING TO EXPERIENCE]


amenities/location

36%

31%

34%

36%

51%

38%

37%

37%

31%

52%

36%

39%

33%

32%

40%

35%

42%

33%

35%

36%

40%

41%

37%

36%

33%

Cultural/company integrity Flexible hours/telecommuting Overall workplace/ Personal workspace Casual atmosphere

54%

54%

40%

48%

26%

56%

54%

39%

41%

31%

62%

47%

37%

37%

37%

62%

49%

44%

37%

37%

71%

56%

50%

33%

41%

Challenging work Talented, reliable co-workers Staff collegiality Wonderful boss(es) Company mission

35%

29%

30%

40%

52%

31%

23%

27%

34%

44%

33%

19%

21%

27%

33%

32%

17%

15%

26%

22%

29%

23%

14%

27%

22%

Freedom to explore pet projects/ideas

Free flow of relevant communication

Consistent/constructive feedback

Recognition forachievement/ effort

Free coffee(and similar perks)

21

Professionals on the job less than a year are somewhat less likely to value challenging work as a key

aspect of their satisfaction—54 percent say challenging work matters the most, and 52 percent of

these newbies named free coffee as a key job satisfaction perk. Seventy-one percent of people in

the business more than 20 years chose challenging work as the most important factor in their job

satisfaction—while only 22 percent chose free coffee.

“I work for a charity with a four-star rating from Charity Navigator, believe in our mission, and know the impact our services have on the vulnerable in our community. It gives me a good feeling to know that I’m making a difference in my community. Sure, I’m underpaid ... but I do important work.”

MOST ANNOYING ASPECTS

Lack of effective in-house communication is the top item causing dissatisfaction for 38 percent of

respondents, followed by staff disharmony at 25 percent. Twenty-one percent say the lack of flexible hours

or telecommuting are cause for dissatisfaction, while 20 percent put the blame on unqualified bosses.

Number of years on the job played a role in determining the most annoying aspects of the job.

For instance, 25 percent of those with 1 to 5 years of experience cited boring work as a turnoff,

compared with just 10 percent of respondents with more than 20 years of experience. The reason,

it seems, is because upper management is sticking the newbies with the more mundane tasks.

Meanwhile, all levels of experience agreed that lack of effective in-house communication is rubbing

them the wrong way.

“Our self-service organization means all information is available, but notoriously difficult to find as well as time-consuming.”

22


25%

4% 7%

15%

10%

25%

6%

12%

23%

10%

19%

3%

15%

31%

7%

19%

3%

10%

28%

10%

10%

2% 7%

23%

Boring work Distasteful work My co-workers Staff disharmony Ethical issues

14%

8%

16%

19%

4%

15%

19%

22%

14%

13%

21%

18%

23%

11%

14%

22%

19%

19%

12%

12%

19%

16%

15%

6%

Mean/unfair boss(es) Unqualified boss(es) Vague or off-track company mission

Lack of flexible hours/telecommuting

Overall workplace/lack of amenities/crummy location

18%

8%

3%

13%

33%

19%

10%

4%

15%

42%

20%

12%

2%

14%

43%

15%

12%

2%

13%

41%

10%

9%

2%

10%

26%

Personal workspace (or lack thereof)

Excessively rigid atmosphere

Excessively casual atmosphere

No freedom to explore pet projects/

ideas

Lack of effective in-house communication

5%

21%

10%

17%

12%

21%

11%

28%

8%

43%

Perks have been taken away Other

WHAT IS THE LEAST SATISFYING PART OF YOUR JOB? [ACCORDING TO EXPERIENCE]

23

WHAT TO CHANGE IN THE ORGANIZATION

Respondents were asked to choose one thing they would change in their organization. While

responses varied widely, some common themes emerged: More communication and clear direction

from management are clearly needed, along with cohesiveness on company goals and standardized

policies and practices.

“There are too many unnecessary meetings, too little communication, and too many chiefs and not enough Indians.”

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Thirty-two percent say they are satisfied

with their current position at this

point in their careers—but 31 percent

pronounced themselves somewhat

dissatisfied. Twenty-three percent say

they’re quite pleased with where they

are now in their career.

Curiously, there was little variation on

the levels of satisfaction when it came

to the number of years they had been

on the job.

HOW SATISFIED ARE YOUWITH YOUR CURRENT POSITION

/STATUS AT THIS POINT IN YOUR CAREER?

8%

31%

32%

23%

6%

Very dissatisfied Somewhat dissatisfied Satisfied Quite pleased Exceedingly pleased

24

WORK/LIFE BALANCE

WORKING HOURS

A workweek of 40 to 50 hours is standard for 57 percent of respondents, while 21 percent work 35 to

40 hours a week.

High earners work longer hours: Sixty-seven percent of those earning more than $250,000 work more

than 50 hours a week, while only 13 percent of sub-$35,000 earners do so.

Experience in the industry seems to correlate with overtime. Twenty-five percent of professionals

who’ve been in the business more than 20 years work more than 50 hours a week, compared to 19

percent of those with 5 to 10 years of experience, and 10 percent of those with less than a year.

Only 22 percent telecommute—of this group, 47 percent say they do so one day a week, while

27 percent telecommute five days a week. Many respondents pointed out that their time spent

telecommuting is variable, depending on personal needs and work projects.

HOW MANY HOURS DO YOU WORK IN AN AVERAGE WEEK?[ACCORDING TO ANNUAL SALARY]

4% 10

% 27

%

46%

13%

1%

4%

26%

59%

10%

0%

1%

22%

60%

17%

0%

2%

16%

60%

21%

0%

2% 10

%

59%

28%

0%

1% 14

%

36%

48%

0%

0%

0%

33%

67%

Less than 20 20 to 35 35 to 40 40 to 50 More than 50


25

High earners are more likely to telecommute:

Forty-two percent of those making more

than $250,000 say they telecommute, while

only 22 percent of people earning less than

$35,000 say they do.

Longtime industry pros are also more likely

to work away from the office. Twenty-eight

percent of those with 10 to 20 years of

experience are telecommuting, as do 23

percent of those with more than 20 years.

Only 15 percent of those in the business for

less than a year are telecommuting.

Self-employed professionals are the most frequent telecommuters—66 percent do so, versus 25 percent

of public company employees, and 24 percent of private company employees. Self-employed workers

are also most likely to spend most of their time telecommuting: Sixty-five percent who telecommute do

so five days a week, followed by 33 percent of PR agency workers who telecommute.

DO YOU TELECOMMUTE?

22%

78%

Yes

No

DO YOU TELECOMMUTE? [ACCORDING TO ORGANIZATION]

19% 24% 25% 13% 15%

66% 81% 76% 75%

87% 85%

34%

PR agency Private company Public company/corporation

Government agency Nonprofit Self-employed

Yes No

26

WEEKEND WORK

Working on weekends is a necessary evil for many respondents—41 percent say they work one

weekend a month, and 15 percent say they work two weekends a month. However, 30 percent say

they never work on weekends.

High earners are more likely to rack up working hours on the weekend: Sixty-one percent of those

earning $150,000 to $250,000 work one or two weekends a month, as do 66 percent of those

earning more than $250,000. Of the respondents earning less than $35,000, 45 percent work one or

two weekends a month.

Government agency workers are most likely to avoid weekend work: Thirty-six percent say they never

do it, followed by 34 percent of private company employees. Self-employed workers are most likely to

clock in every weekend (31 percent), while only 9 percent of PR agency employees work every weekend.

The more experienced professionals are most likely to do work on the weekends: Fifteen percent of

those with more than 20 years of experience say they work every weekend, while only 7 percent of

those with less than a year in the business work every weekend.

HOW OFTEN DO YOU WORK ON WEEKENDS?[ACCORDING TO ORGANIZATION]

25%

45%

16%

5% 9%

34%

37%

15%

6%

8%

30%

41%

12%

7% 11

%

36%

37%

14%

4% 8%

32%

43%

13%

4% 7%

10%

25%

19%

14%

31%

Never 1 weekend per month 2 weekends per month 3 weekends per month Every weekend

PR agency Private company Public company/corporation Government agency Nonprofit Self-employed

27

Of those who do weekend work, 67 percent say they don’t get extra compensation for doing so,

since it’s considered part of the job. But 17 percent say they make an effort to get the time back in

other ways, such as taking longer lunches or working shorter days.

VACATION TIME

Thirty-nine percent get two weeks off a year; 30 percent get three weeks.

Government agency workers get the most vacation: Forty-two percent get four weeks or more, while

only 18 percent of PR agency employees get that much time.

As for using the vacation benefits they receive, 53 percent say they don’t get around to using all

their time. Of this group, 57 percent say they’re allowed to roll over unused vacation time to the

following year, with some limitations.

“We can roll over one week per year, but we must use it by our next anniversary date or we lose it. We also have the option to donate unused vacation time, which may be used by other employees in times of need.”

HOW MUCH VACATION/PAID TIME OFF DID YOU GET IN 2012?[ACCORDING TO ORGANIZATION]

54%

40%

26%

26%

30%

54%

26%

32%

34%

32%

33%

13%

12%

17%

25%

20%

21%

12%

7%

11%

15%

22%

15%

20%

PR agency Private company Public company/corporation

Government agency Nonprofit Self-employed

Two weeks Three weeks Four weeks More than four weeks

28

MONEY VS. TIME OFF

If able to choose between getting more money or getting more time off, 65 percent say they’ll take

the cash, while 35 percent would take the extra time. Men were somewhat more likely to prefer the

cash: Seventy-one percent say they’d take the money compared to 62 percent of women.

Slightly more of the lower-paid respondents say they’d prefer money to time: Sixty-seven percent in

both the under-$35,000 and the $35,000 to $50,000 categories say they want the cash, compared to

58 percent of people making more than $250,000.

“Would love to say time, but with my responsibilities, I probably couldn’t take the extra time off anyway.”

WOULD YOU RATHER HAVE AN EXTRA WEEK OF PAIDTIME OFF, OR A 3 PERCENT RAISE IN SALARY?

67% 67% 66% 61% 62% 55% 58%

33% 33% 34% 39% 38% 45% 42%


The money The time

29

LUNCHTIME

When it comes to deciding where

to have lunch, many people go no

farther than their workspace: Sixty-

nine percent have lunch at their desks,

while 13 percent eat in the lunchroom

with their colleagues. Only 11 percent

get out of the office for lunch with

colleagues or clients.

Highly paid professionals are most

likely to lunch at their desks—75

percent of those making more than

$250,000 do so, while 59 percent of

those making less than $35,000 do

desk lunching. Sixteen percent of

people earning $150,000 to $250,000 go out to lunch with colleagues or clients, while 15 percent of

those earning less than $35,000 go out for lunch.

When it comes to organizational habits, 73 percent of PR agency employees eat lunch at their desks,

compared with 71 percent of government agency employees, and 54 percent of self-employed

people. Public company employees are most likely to get out of the office to lunch with clients or

colleagues (15 percent), followed by private company employees (14 percent) and government

agency workers (13 percent).

“I’ve been trying to leave the office and take an actual lunch. It’s taken me five years to finally figure out that everyone needs a break.”

WHERE DO YOU EAT LUNCH?

69% 13%

10%

1% 7%

At your desk

In the lunchroomwith colleagues

Out with colleagues

Out with clients

What’s “lunch”?

30

WORK EFFICIENCY

When asked how much time they devote

to the job they were hired to do, 70

percent say nearly all their time goes to

the expected job tasks, while 24 percent

say most of their time does.

Social media has been a key disrupter in

terms of changing how time is spent on

work tasks, say some respondents. They

point out that while they may have been

hired for a particular area of expertise,

or to perform specific tasks, they are

required to spend more time on social

media campaigns. Seventeen percent

say that social media is the key drain on

their productivity.

WHAT IS THE GREATESTWASTE OF TIME?

2% 4% 4% 5%

9% 11%

17% 17% 18%

25% 26% 28%

35% 38%

44% 46%

56%

Non-work chat with clients

Arriving late/leaving early/long lunches

Non-work chat with friends/family

Non-work-related errands and chores

Other time- sapping activities

Other online activities

Social media

Non-work chat

Interruptions by boss(es)

Aborted projects

Red tape/needless rules

Interruptions byother colleagues

Sifting through email

Unnecessary meetings

Flawed or conflictingcommunication

Inefficient meetings

Delayed approvals

with colleagues

PRODUCTIVITY (OR LACK THEREOF)

Delayed approvals create the most time

suckage when it comes to remaining

productive, say 56 percent, followed by

inefficient meetings (46 percent) and flawed or conflicting information (44 percent). Excessive bureaucracy

and poor planning were frequently cited as drains on productivity. Sifting through emails takes away from

as much as six hours a week of productive activity, followed by delayed approvals (five hours) and social

media (four hours).

Time in the industry was a key differentiator in this question. One of the greatest drains on productivity for

those with more years in the industry was meetings; meanwhile, younger PR pros cited social media and

other online activities, as well as running errands during work time, as a chief disrupter.

31

WHAT ARE THE GREATEST DRAINS ON YOUR PRODUCTIVITY?[ACCORDING TO EXPERIENCE]

24% 26%

16%

49%

39% 34%

41%

26%

63%

41% 43% 49%

26%

58%

44% 41%

53%

26%

55% 49%

42%

51%

25%

45% 42%

Unnecessary meetings Inefficient meetings Aborted projects Delayed approvals Flawed or conflicting communication

28%

16% 15% 18% 18%

29% 25%

22% 27%

22%

31% 31%

18%

33%

17%

42%

30%

15%

29%

14%

43%

23%

16%

26%

11%

Sifting through email Red tape/needless rules Interruptions by boss(es) Interruptions by other colleagues

Non-work chat with colleagues

2% 4% 11%

8%

29%

3% 6% 5% 5%

23%

1% 3% 3% 4%

17%

1% 2% 5% 2%

9%

1% 2% 3% 1%

11%

Non-work chat with clients Non-work chat with friends/family

Non-work-related errands and chores

Arriving late/leaving early/long lunches

Social media

18%

9%

17%

5% 9% 7% 8%

13%

6%

13%

Other online activities Other time-sapping activities


MORE CHALLENGES, GREATER RESPONSIBILITY

Our survey respondents had no problem offering ideas for the one thing they’d change about their

job. More challenging assignments and more high-level responsibilities top their most-wanted lists—

they want to sink their teeth into good projects, work more independently, and get on the ladder to

more promotions.

Documents

SALARY AND JOB SATISFACTION SURVEY