Why your recruitment firm isn't doing PR (and what you should be doing instead)

Written by BlueSky PR

I get it almost every time I speak to recruitment firms about PR: "Oh, we're already doing PR." But when I drill down into what they're actually doing, I have to break some uncomfortable news – that's not PR, that's marketing or advertising. This confusion is everywhere in our industry, and it's costing recruitment firms genuine opportunities to build their reputation, establish thought leadership, and generate quality leads that their competitors simply can't access. 

So let's set the record straight on what PR actually is, why it's different from your marketing efforts, and how you can make it work for your recruitment business. 

What PR really is (and why it matters) 

PR is fundamentally about reputation. It's about how your stakeholders perceive who you are, what you do, and crucially, what you know. But here's where it gets interesting – PR is driven by thought leadership, not sales pitches. When I'm here talking to you about PR, I'm not trying to sell you our services. I'm sharing knowledge, insights, and advice that you can take away and implement without my support. That's PR in action – showcasing expertise and adding value without the hard sell. 

Compare that to a paid advertisement where you're essentially saying "This is why I'm great, here's what I do, here's my cost, when can we sign you up?" The difference in audience reception is stark. When people see an advert, they know you've paid to be there. When they read your expert commentary in an editorial piece, you've earned that space through your knowledge and insights. 

The real PR mix (it's more than just media coverage) 

Most people think PR equals media relations – getting journalists to write about you. That's certainly part of it, but there's so much more to leverage. Research reports are probably the biggest missed opportunity I see. Every recruiter has salary guides, but few realise these fall squarely into the PR mix. Good research gives away valuable insights for free, talks about sector trends rather than your company, and positions you as the expert source in your field. 

Stakeholder relations is another area that's often overlooked. I'm not talking about sales calls here – I mean those monthly newsletters that share industry insights, hiring trends, and your expert opinion on where the market is heading. This content keeps you front of mind with your existing network whilst adding genuine value. Case studies sit on the borderline between PR and marketing, but the best ones focus on your client's story, not yours. Instead of saying "we reduced time to hire by 30%," let your client explain the challenges they faced and how they overcame them working with you. Your target audience – HR teams and talent acquisition managers – love hearing directly from their peers about real solutions to problems they're facing right now. 

And please, don't ignore crisis communications until you actually have a crisis. By then, you're playing catch-up. In today's climate, a crisis for a recruitment firm could be anything from a disgruntled former employee posting negative reviews to a data security breach. Having a plan in place before you need it is essential. 

Building a strategy that actually works 

Here's where most recruitment firms go wrong with PR – they try to target everyone. When I ask about their target audience, I hear "everybody" far too often. That approach won't deliver results, especially in tough market conditions when everyone's scrambling for leads. You need laser focus. Identify the audience that will deliver the most immediate value and aligns with your core business objectives. Yes, this means saying no to other opportunities initially, but once you start seeing results, you can expand. Don't try to do everything at once. 

Your messaging needs to sound authentic and come from real people in your business. Identify your best spokespeople and get them involved in shaping your PR messages. These are the people whose opinions will drive your PR content, so it needs to sound like them, not like generic corporate speak. And here's my golden rule – follow the three Rs: repurpose, reuse, and recycle every piece of content you create. One research report isn't just a report. It's four blog posts, multiple press releases, opinion pieces, interview opportunities, and podcast content. If you're not getting at least six months of content from one substantial piece of research, you're not being efficient enough. 

Making PR work for your business 

I won't pretend measuring PR ROI is straightforward – it's not as simple as tracking clicks from a paid advert. But it's absolutely possible, and the results can be transformative. I've seen clients get prospects who'd never engaged with them before picking up the phone after seeing their research quoted in publications. Sales teams have used thought leadership content to re-engage completely cold contacts. I've watched government bodies reach out directly to clients after seeing their industry reports, leading to speaking opportunities at major industry events. 

The key is doing something active with your content. You can't just publish a white paper and wait for people to find it. Share it across your channels, use it in your stakeholder communications, and leverage any media coverage you get from it. 

The reality check you need 

If you think you're already doing PR, ask yourself this: am I paying for this content to appear? If the answer is yes, that's marketing or advertising. If you're bragging about your services rather than sharing insights, that's sales, not PR. Start small but be effective. You don't need to launch with a massive research project – sustained media relations can show results within the first month. But please, don't expect one person to handle both marketing and PR unless they have specific expertise in both areas. They're fundamentally different approaches requiring different skills. 

Most importantly, don't go quiet now just because the market is challenging. If you disappear from your target audience's radar during tough times, you'll be forgotten when things pick up. Your competitors who maintain their presence will be the ones capturing opportunities when the market stabilises. PR isn't just about getting your name in the papers – though that's certainly valuable. It's about positioning your recruitment firm as the go-to expert source in your sector, building relationships with key stakeholders, and creating content that genuinely helps your target audience whilst subtly demonstrating why they should work with you. 

The recruitment firms getting this right aren't just surviving the current market conditions – they're positioning themselves to dominate when things turn around. 

This blog post is based on our comprehensive webinar where we explored these PR strategies in much greater detail - watch the full recording to get actionable insights you can implement immediately in your own recruitment business.