A survey of over 200 business leaders (162 of which are involved in hiring & purchasing decisions around communication) revealed we have a lot of work to do to build awareness about the role of professional communicators and IABC.
The external survey, conducted by Insights West between March 17 and 25, 2014, showed only half of business leaders are aware of IABC and familiarity is even lower. That said, related associations (CPRS, BCAMA, BCAIM) also struggle with the same issues.
In particular, familiarity with the ABC designation among decision-makers is strikingly low: 48% had never heard of it, and a further 27% were not at all familiar. There was a perception, however, that designation could be valuable and a determining factor in hiring. Nearly a quarter of decision-makers say they would be more likely to hire a candidate that is ISO-certified in communications.
Perceptually, IABC is seen as professional, intelligent, honest and in-touch, but also seen as boring, exclusive, and not too inspiring. Finally, communications/marketing functions are seen to be very important, particularly with regards to websites, employee communications, social media and advertising.
The survey was an IABC/BC board objective to create a baseline measurement of our reputation in order to bring awareness to the business community. If you’re interested in diving into the details of the survey, you can access it here (1.8 MB PPT).
