Summer 2021 Member Survey Findings

75% of PRII Members satisfied with membership and member services
 
Readers will remember that we surveyed members earlier in the summer. We had a very good response rate of 31%, giving us some very useful data on what our members value from their membership and the services that the PRII provides.

Members are quite satisfied with their membership and the services and resources available to them with three quarters being satisfied or very satisfied. Similarly, 74 % are likely to recommend membership of PRII to others.

The members who responded tended to be established professionals (58 % have been working in Public Relations / Communications for more than 10 years) and loyal members of longstanding, with 51% being members for five years or more.

• In terms of gender 65% were Female and 34% Male.
• They tend to be at a senior level. 63% were at Director level; Executive level made up 23%; and 14% of respondents were at Manager level.
• Most were aged 35 to 44 (33%); 45 to 54 year-olds made up 27% and and 23% fell into the 25 to 34 age bracket.
• In relation to their career backgrounds, 37.5% entered the public relations / communications field directly from education and 62.5% migrated from another career area. Consistent with the 2019 PRII Census, 26.6% hold the PRII Diploma in PR, while 22.7% reported having no formal PR qualifications.
• Consultants working in agencies made up 24% of respondents, 22% were working in-house in the public sector with 14% working in-house in the private sector and/or in a charity / NGO / representative body. Eleven percent described themselves as consultants working independently.

PRII Members are more likely (59%) to say they are working in Communications when describing what they do to a stranger. 36% say they work in Public Relations, 18.5% in Strategic Communications and 5% in Internal Communications.

The top reasons given for being a PRII Member were:

1. Professional profile
2. To receive information about emerging issues / skills / research affecting the profession
3. Career development
4. Access to learning events 

Our free online member events since March 2020 received a 63% relevance rating.

• Members told us that Wednesday and Thursday are their preferred days for events, with morning time and mid-afternoon being the most preferred times. While nearly half our members said they would be uncomfortable attending in-person events before the end of this year.

Championing standards of professionalism is what members see as the prime the purpose of PRII. The purpose of PRII should also be, in this order: to provide education and training; to represent and advocate for the profession, and to providing a community for communication professionals.

The survey also gave us great insight into how members engage with PRII. Of the 21 services and activities listed the top five were: reading the PRII Digest (with 58% saying they read it every week); using the PRII Media Sourcebook; reading PRII research; looking for new positions via the PRII website; and attending PRII Briefings and Webinars. Just outside the top five, 33% have undertaken PRII training workshops and of those who have undertaken them, 95% would recommend PRII courses.

The most valued services and activities were listed as:

• PRII Media Sourcebook;
• Guidance on regulatory changes;
• Recognition of standing as a professional communicator;
• Advocating on behalf of the profession;
• Training workshops; and
• Events and webinars.

In summary this survey tells us PRII members are established professionals; we have loyal members of longstanding and the vast majority are Satisfied or Very Satisfied with their membership and services provided. They are members for the professional profile it brings; to learn about emerging issues affecting the profession; to upskill and for career development and to access learning events. 

They see the purpose of PRII as a champion of professionalism standards, to provide education and training, to represent and advocate for the profession and provide a community for professional communicators.

The survey also gave us lots of constructive feedback, and a wealth of data that will be used operationally to inform the Institute's services for members into the future.

Thanks to all those members who gave us their opinions via the survey and congratulations to Hugh O'Donoghue MPRII, Communications Supervisor with the Irish Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy whose name was randomly drawn from those who entered the survey prize draw; Hugh receives a One4All voucher.

Frank Condon, Development & Research Manager