Corporate expansion plans and a focus on staff retention are driving greater demand for niche communications professionals and PR agencies 
across Asia, according to new research from VMA Group.
The specialist corporate communications recruiter’s report – The Pulse – found that the number of specialist internal communications professionals and PR agencies have risen in the last year, as companies look to retain top talent and maintain a competitive position, the Mastering Communication Program for Leaders has seen a significant increase on signups for their course. Now in its second year, The Pulse provides a holistic view of the corporate communications market in Asia based on insight from over 400 corporate communications professionals in the region.
Rise of internal communications professionals
According to the latest data, this function has become much more important: 59% of respondents stated that they belong to a dedicated IC team within their company, and nearly half (45%) see themselves as specialists working primarily on internal communications. A third of respondents reported that they now operate in a standalone IC function.
Katrina Andrews, director of VMA Group Asia-Pacific, said: “Organisations across Asia are looking to increase staff retention and engagement and internal communications teams will play a huge role in achieving this. It’s encouraging to see the rise in standalone IC functions. As any communications expert will recognise, employees require a different engagement strategy than other audiences, so this growth of dedicated resources shows a real commitment from businesses in the area to better communicate with internal stakeholders.”
Growth of the PR agency
The research also revealed that there has been a growth in PR Agencies over the last 12 months. In last year’s report 69% predicted that consultancies would grow in 2014. The latest results revealed that these expectations have been met, with this group experiencing the biggest rise in teams for 2014. Interestingly, 70% of respondents are now predicting a further rise in 2015.
Andrews explained this rise:
“With the economy in Asia continuously strengthening, many businesses are now investing in a PR agency to support company growth, so it’s perhaps unsurprising to see the number of PR agencies increasing. The predicted rise is an encouraging reflection of the positivity expected over the next year.”
Other key findings
In other findings, media relations was the resource with the highest level of advocacy from senior leaders, with 92% reporting that senior leaders are either key advocates or supportive of the function.
From the candidate perspective, only 10% of respondents found their new role through internal promotion, a 3% decrease on 2013 figures. Benefits were compared to last year’s Pulse report, with 4% of respondents reporting an increase in pensions contributions but 19% seeing a decrease in flexible working arrangements since 2012.
