Find in Library

The public relations workplace is changing rapidly. The introduction of new communication technologies, particularly those involving new forms of Internet-based media, is putting many new demands on the industry and those who work within it. In fact, some experts are advising public relations professionals to focus most of their attention on new and developing social media channels rather than on traditional communication media and channels (Zuk, 2009). Public relations professionals are being warned of the dangers of being “slow to catch on” when many of their clients will already be familiar with social marketing technology and request its utilization in communication efforts (Embrace online learning…, 2010, p. 11). Not all public relations professionals are prepared for new technological demands at work. As a result, some public relations people turn to younger, more technologically adept individuals for training to bring the experienced professionals “up to speed.” This kind of training relationship is among the most common variants of what has come to be known as reverse mentoring. Reverse mentoring is not a new concept; it has been applied and studied in the business community for years (Scandura & Viator, 1994). But the use of reverse mentoring has not gotten much attention in public relations, even though it is recognized and generally known to be used by public relations professionals (Guiniven, 2008). Reverse mentoring, defined as a structured or unstructured workplace relationship between senior practitioners and younger less experienced workers, continues to gain in popularity due to rapidly changing technology. Little is known about the extent to which public relations professionals recognize and use reverse mentoring, and the literature in the discipline offers no significant studies on this topic. For that reason, a study was undertaken as an initial effort to learn more about the ways reverse mentoring is used in the public relations workplace. To begin exploration into the prevalence and success of reverse mentoring in public relations, in-depth telephone interviews were conducted with 23 public relations professionals who work in the western United States. Those surveyed were all members of the Public Relations Society of America and the majority (65%) were senior-level professionals working for a for-profit entity (70%). Close to three-fourths of respondents (74%) reported that their organization did not practice reverse mentoring, and , of those that did, only one claimed the existence of a formal, structured program. Only one respondent identified the use of any training for mentors or mentees. Reverse mentoring that did exist was described as “voluntary mentorship” or an “internship program.” Technology was the clear favorite subject area for reverse mentoring, particularly social media. The practice was considered successful by those surveyed but no formal measures of success were utilized. Success in reverse mentoring is defined as having tangible success, cooperation and respect, and the sharing of knowledge and new ideas. Benefits of a reverse mentoring program included improvement in social media skills and improvement in social media vocabulary.