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2022 CASACOM Elevate Study on Public Relations and Communications Leaders

Employer Branding Now More Important Than Ever

CASACOM’s Elevate Study is back with new data showing that employer branding is businesses’ preferred way of attracting, engaging and retaining employees. The annual survey of public relations (PR) and communications leaders in Quebec and Ontario reveals that more than half (55%) of businesses are relying on employer branding to meet priorities that are increasingly informed by the labour shortage. The study provides an overview of industry trends in areas like ESG/CSR, sectoral priorities and expertise, and the influence of PR and communications.

The number one employer branding objective for nearly one third (29%) of respondents is attracting better candidates, and one out of five (20%) employers implement employer branding to increase employee retention.

Promising Future for ESG and CSR
The past year has seen limited progress in the area of ESG (Environment, Social and Governance) and CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility). Whether it comes to implementing ESG/CSR strategies (50%) or publishing annual progress reports (49%), understanding of this area remains mixed. On the bright side, a majority of the organizations surveyed (67%) have increased their ESG/CSR budgets.

PR: A Tool for Standing Out

PR teams have grown bigger over the last two years, but 60% of surveyed businesses said their team headcounts will remain flat in the next 12 months. In 81% of surveyed organizations, PR teams are represented on the executive committee. Better yet, 75% of PR department leaders make presentations to the board of directors, a sign that their influence is far from waning.  

Other Key Takeaways 

  • Digital communications and social media (54%), media relations (41%) and corporate branding and strategic positioning (38%) are top priorities for the leaders surveyed.
  • Over three quarters (76%) of businesses have used external PR and communications consultants in the past two years. Sixty-six percent of them indicated that this was to complement insufficient internal resources.
  • Among those that do not have an employer branding strategy, over three quarters (77%) plan to implement one in the future.
  • Most executives said that they integrate diversity, equity and inclusion principles in their images and videos (90%) and use inclusive language (76%).

To see the full study, visit : casacom.ca/en/elevate-study

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