Public Relations (PR) is the strategic management of relationships between an organization and its publics, according to the Public Relations Society of America. In today's hyperconnected world, PR professionals serve as crucial brand guardians and strategic communicators who shape perceptions, build relationships, and manage reputations across numerous stakeholder groups.

Effective PR practitioners demonstrate a unique blend of skills that span multiple dimensions. They must excel at strategic communication, crisis management, media relations, and stakeholder engagement. The role requires exceptional writing abilities, analytical thinking, and digital savvy. Additionally, today's PR professionals need strong ethical judgment, adaptability, and the capacity to measure and demonstrate the impact of communications efforts on business outcomes.

When interviewing candidates for PR positions, it's essential to look beyond surface-level qualifications and dig into how they've handled real-world scenarios. By focusing on behavioral questions that explore past experiences rather than hypotheticals, you'll gain deeper insights into how candidates have actually performed in situations relevant to your organization. This approach, combined with thoughtful follow-up questions, will help you make more objective assessments of each candidate's capabilities.

Interview Questions

Tell me about a time when you had to manage a potential PR crisis for an organization. What was your approach, and how did you handle the situation?

Areas to Cover:

• Details of the specific crisis situation
• The candidate's initial assessment and strategy development
• How they collaborated with leadership and other departments
• Their communication approach with various stakeholders
• The specific actions they took to address the crisis
• The outcome of their efforts
• Key lessons learned from the experience

Follow-Up Questions:

• How did you prioritize which stakeholders to address first?
• What was the most challenging aspect of managing this crisis?
• How did you measure the effectiveness of your crisis response?
• What would you do differently if faced with a similar situation in the future?

Describe a successful media relations campaign you've developed and implemented. What made it effective?

Areas to Cover:

• The specific goals of the campaign
• How the candidate developed the strategy
• The tactics and channels they utilized
• How they identified and engaged with appropriate media contacts
• Challenges encountered during implementation
• Metrics used to measure success
• The actual outcomes and impact of the campaign

Follow-Up Questions:

• How did you identify which media outlets to target?
• What unexpected obstacles did you encounter, and how did you overcome them?
• How did you maintain relationships with journalists beyond this specific campaign?
• How did this campaign align with broader organizational goals?

Share an experience where you had to craft messaging for a particularly sensitive or complex issue. How did you approach it?

Areas to Cover:

• The nature of the sensitive or complex issue
• The research and preparation process
• Key stakeholders involved in message development
• How messaging was tailored for different audiences
• Approval processes and any resistance encountered
• How the message was delivered
• Feedback received and any adjustments made

Follow-Up Questions:

• How did you ensure accuracy while making complex information accessible?
• What ethical considerations influenced your messaging choices?
• How did you test or validate your messaging before full implementation?
• Looking back, what would you change about your approach?

Tell me about a time when you had to change your PR strategy mid-campaign due to unexpected circumstances or feedback. How did you adapt?

Areas to Cover:

• The original PR strategy and goals
• The specific circumstances that necessitated change
• How the candidate identified the need to pivot
• The process of developing the new approach
• How they communicated changes to stakeholders
• Resources required for the adaptation
• The outcome of the revised strategy

Follow-Up Questions:

• How quickly were you able to implement the changes?
• What signals or data indicated that a change was necessary?
• How did you maintain team morale and stakeholder confidence during the shift?
• What systems have you put in place since then to better anticipate such changes?

Describe a situation where you successfully improved an organization's social media presence or digital PR strategy. What specific actions did you take?

Areas to Cover:

• The initial state of the organization's digital presence
• Goals established for improvement
• Strategy development process
• Specific platforms and tactics utilized
• Content creation and approval workflows
• Measurement tools and metrics
• Results achieved and timeframe

Follow-Up Questions:

• How did you determine which platforms would be most effective for the organization?
• What challenges did you face in implementing the new approach?
• How did you integrate digital PR with traditional PR efforts?
• How did you demonstrate ROI to leadership?

Give me an example of when you had to build relationships with skeptical or resistant stakeholders. How did you approach this challenge?

Areas to Cover:

• The context and why stakeholders were skeptical
• Initial assessment of stakeholder concerns
• Strategy for engagement and relationship building
• Specific communication methods used
• How trust was established over time
• Challenges encountered and how they were addressed
• Evolution of the relationship and outcomes

Follow-Up Questions:

• How did you identify the underlying causes of stakeholder resistance?
• What specific techniques did you use to establish credibility?
• How did you measure improvement in the relationship?
• How has this experience influenced your approach to new stakeholder relationships?

Tell me about a PR campaign or initiative that didn't meet expectations. What happened, and what did you learn from it?

Areas to Cover:

• The goals and context of the campaign
• Planning and implementation process
• When and how issues were identified
• Specific factors that contributed to underperformance
• Actions taken to address problems
• How outcomes were communicated to leadership
• Concrete lessons learned and subsequent changes made

Follow-Up Questions:

• In hindsight, what were the early warning signs you might have missed?
• How did you communicate the shortfalls to internal stakeholders?
• What specific changes did you implement in future campaigns based on this experience?
• How did this experience affect your approach to campaign measurement?

Share an example of how you've successfully collaborated with other departments to achieve PR goals. What made this collaboration effective?

Areas to Cover:

• The specific PR initiative that required cross-departmental collaboration
• Departments involved and their roles
• How the collaboration was structured
• Communication methods used
• Challenges in aligning priorities or perspectives
• Conflict resolution approaches
• Results achieved through collaboration

Follow-Up Questions:

• How did you initially gain buy-in from other departments?
• What processes did you establish to ensure effective communication?
• How did you handle situations where departmental priorities conflicted?
• What would you do differently in future cross-departmental initiatives?

Describe your experience measuring and demonstrating the impact of PR efforts. How have you connected PR activities to business outcomes?

Areas to Cover:

• Specific metrics and KPIs used to measure PR effectiveness
• Tools and systems implemented for measurement
• How baseline data was established
• Methods for connecting PR activities to business results
• Reporting processes and formats
• How measurement informed strategy adjustments
• Examples of insights gained through measurement

Follow-Up Questions:

• How have you evolved your measurement approach over time?
• What has been the most challenging aspect of PR measurement in your experience?
• How did you address qualitative aspects of PR that are difficult to measure?
• How have you communicated PR value to non-communications executives?

Tell me about a time when you had to manage public perception during a significant organizational change. How did you approach this challenge?

Areas to Cover:

• The nature of the organizational change
• Key stakeholders affected
• Communication strategy development
• Messaging and positioning approach
• Channels and timing of communications
• How feedback was gathered and addressed
• Outcomes and perception shifts achieved

Follow-Up Questions:

• How did you sequence communications to different stakeholder groups?
• What resistance did you encounter and how did you address it?
• How did you balance transparency with necessary confidentiality?
• What would you do differently if managing a similar change communication?

Share an experience where you had to reconcile conflicting stakeholder interests in developing a PR strategy. How did you navigate this situation?

Areas to Cover:

• The specific situation and conflicting interests
• Stakeholder analysis process
• How priorities were established
• Approach to finding common ground
• Communication methods with different stakeholders
• Compromises made and their rationale
• Final resolution and outcomes

Follow-Up Questions:

• How did you ensure all stakeholders felt heard during the process?
• What principles guided your decision-making when interests conflicted?
• How did you communicate difficult compromises to affected stakeholders?
• What techniques have you developed for mapping stakeholder interests?

Describe a situation where you had to quickly develop and execute a PR response with limited information. How did you handle it?

Areas to Cover:

• The scenario that required rapid response
• Initial assessment process
• How information gaps were identified and addressed
• Decision-making process under pressure
• Communication strategy development
• Execution and coordination of the response
• Subsequent adjustments as more information became available

Follow-Up Questions:

• How did you verify the limited information you had available?
• What methods did you use to maintain accuracy while responding quickly?
• How did you balance speed with thoroughness?
• What systems have you put in place for future rapid-response situations?

Tell me about a time when you had to explain complex or technical information to the public through PR channels. How did you make it accessible while maintaining accuracy?

Areas to Cover:

• The specific complex information that needed communication
• Research and preparation process
• Techniques used to simplify without losing accuracy
• Visual or other aids employed
• How messaging was tested before release
• Channels selected and why
• Feedback received and adjustments made

Follow-Up Questions:

• How did you ensure you fully understood the technical information yourself?
• What techniques have you found most effective for translating technical concepts?
• How did you verify accuracy with subject matter experts?
• What approaches have you developed for making complex information engaging?

Share an experience when you leveraged data or analytics to inform or improve a PR strategy. What insights did you gain, and how did you apply them?

Areas to Cover:

• The specific PR challenge or opportunity
• Data sources and analysis methods
• Key insights uncovered
• How the data informed strategy development
• Implementation of data-driven changes
• Measurement of impact
• Lessons learned about data-driven PR

Follow-Up Questions:

• What prompted you to take a data-driven approach to this situation?
• What surprised you most in the data findings?
• How did you present these insights to gain support for your strategy?
• How has this experience shaped your approach to using data in PR?

Describe a situation where you had to build or rebuild trust with a key audience. What specific strategies did you employ?

Areas to Cover:

• The context and reason trust needed to be built or rebuilt
• Assessment of the trust deficit
• Strategic approach to trust-building
• Specific communication tactics and messages
• Consistency and follow-through mechanisms
• Timeline and patience required
• Measurement of trust improvement
• Long-term results

Follow-Up Questions:

• How did you identify the root causes of the trust issue?
• What were the most effective trust-building actions in this situation?
• How did you measure progress in rebuilding trust?
• What principles guide your approach to trust-building communications?

Frequently Asked Questions

Why focus on behavioral questions rather than hypothetical scenarios for PR interviews?

Behavioral questions reveal how candidates have actually handled real PR situations in the past, which is a stronger predictor of future performance than hypothetical responses. By asking candidates to describe specific experiences, you gain insight into their decision-making process, the actions they took, and the results they achieved. This provides concrete evidence of their capabilities rather than theoretical knowledge or aspirational thinking. At Yardstick, we've found that past behaviors consistently provide the most reliable indicators of how a candidate will perform in similar situations in the future.

How many interview questions should I include in a PR candidate interview?

Quality trumps quantity in behavioral interviews. Rather than rushing through many questions, focus on 3-5 well-chosen behavioral questions with thorough follow-up. This approach allows candidates to provide detailed examples and gives interviewers the opportunity to probe deeper for context, reasoning, and outcomes. A 45-60 minute interview typically accommodates 3-5 behavioral questions with proper follow-up. Select questions that align with the most crucial competencies for your specific PR role.

How should I evaluate PR candidates with varying levels of experience?

Adjust your expectations and evaluation criteria based on experience level. For entry-level candidates, focus on foundational skills, education, internships, and their potential for growth. Look for evidence of strong writing abilities, basic understanding of PR principles, and eagerness to learn. For mid-level candidates, expect demonstrated success in previous PR roles with specific examples of campaigns and strategies. For senior candidates, look for strategic thinking, leadership capabilities, crisis management experience, and evidence of business impact. The behavioral format works well for all levels but allows you to set appropriate expectations for depth of experience.

How can I best assess a PR candidate's writing skills during the interview process?

While behavioral questions provide insights into a candidate's PR experience, a separate writing assessment is crucial for evaluating this core skill. Consider implementing a practical exercise such as drafting a press release, crisis statement, or social media content based on a scenario relevant to your organization. For more senior roles, you might request a communications strategy outline. Review for clarity, style, accuracy, strategic thinking, and audience awareness. Additionally, pay attention to the candidate's verbal communication during the interview, as it often correlates with writing ability.

How can I use these questions to assess cultural fit for our PR team?

Pay attention not just to what candidates accomplished in their examples, but how they approached situations and the values revealed by their decisions. Listen for alignment with your organization's communication style, ethical standards, and approach to stakeholder relationships. Note how candidates speak about previous employers and colleagues, their approach to collaboration, and how they handled difficult ethical choices. The follow-up questions are particularly valuable for exploring alignment with your organization's values and work style, especially when asking about decision-making processes and lessons learned.

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