Leadership Lessons with… Charlie Mulock, Director at Hope&Glory PR

Leadership Lessons with… Charlie Mulock, Director at Hope&Glory PR

The new world of employee benefits, why hybrid working is all about setting boundaries, and how ESG policies go farther than your own operations now. We recently spoke with Charlie Mulock, Director at Hope&Glory PR about the key challenges facing the industry right now, and how rapidly it’s changing.

Take a look.

What do you think are the key qualities needed from leaders in 2024?    

In times of significant change – as we are now seeing environmentally, politically, and financially – being adaptive is crucial while being a dependable constant who shows up for your clients and teams daily.

Our job as leaders continues to be running highly engaged, happy teams. I work hard to cultivate good relationships with my colleagues, where I hope they always feel valued and listened to, can work to their strengths, and perform to the best of their ability.

As leaders at Hope&Glory we are committed to marrying the needs of the business with individual passions to ensure that everyone gets to do the “best work of their careers.”

What challenges are you and the industry facing right now?

In terms of talent, it’s not a challenge per se. But PR agencies are multi-generational now, with a mix of Baby Boomers, Millennials, Gen X and Z all sitting around the same table, so working out how best to harness the power of each of these generations to benefit your business can be challenging – but if done right can be so impactful. 

In terms of clients, getting braver work out of the door can be challenging in this climate. Budgets are being squeezed, and clients need to see bottom-line business-impacting results, which can impact the creative output – it’s a juggle to balance the two hats you need to wear – team v client. 

What are your thoughts on the future of office working? And how can leaders develop a company culture in a remote or hybrid environment?

I work hybrid and like that mix of three days in the office and two at home. We are together for big presentations, creative workshopping, team catch-ups, and sell-ins. But equally, that quiet time at home is essential for me, and many team members feel the same way.

It’s worked well for us, and a big part is setting clear expectations rather than simply letting people create their own boundaries across how they work. We also have rituals across the year, little certainties that people come to expect, like Easter, Pancake Day and our monthly pirate night, creating a time for connection, not just as colleagues but as friends.

Employee demands are changing beyond salary and benefits. What changes are you seeing and how can leaders meet these evolving employee demands?    

It’s important to balance being a great place to work with delivering best-in-class work. At Hope&Glory we have a four-pronged workplace strategy in place to care for our team’s health, wealth, body and soul. 

Listen to your team and to keep adapting, because what is crucial to them now might be different to you. Be flexible, and take them with you on whatever journey you end up taking – it’s easier to lead than to drag – and you all want the same result.  

With an increasing focus on workplace mental health, how have you seen the industry supporting the wellbeing of its employees?   

You’re dead in the water if you’re not supporting your team’s mental health and well-being. It is an entirely different industry from when I was an Account Executive well over 20 years ago. There’s been a real awakening and understanding that people are complicated, not just workers, and they have much going on outside the office. If you want to be a place where people show up, you must commit to whatever that looks like. 

We are committed to building a business that embraces diversity, looks after our team’s physical health and mental well-being, appreciates culture and celebrates their differences. 

What do you think leaders can do to drive diversity and inclusion within the consumer PR industry? 

Make a plan and invest in it. It’s not enough to say you want greater D&I; you have to do it day in and day out. Actively communicate the goalposts you set and your driving strategy, and report the outcomes. If something doesn’t work, try something else; don’t just give up.

Recruit from a broad base, and understand that everyone has unique skills to benefit your company. 

Speak to other companies, ask their advice, and see what has worked for them – it should be an industry-wide commitment. 

There is increasing expectation on companies and CEOS to lead on sustainability practice in line with 2030 Global Goals. What ESG strategies can leaders adopt to help move forward with this agenda? Are you seeing any impact on these effects with a potential downturn? 

It’s crucial to clients, important to your team, and key to partners. So, adapting sustainability and environmental policies is a given. It’s a give-and-take situation. We’ll often ask partners and vendors about their ESG policies to ensure they align with their actions. Likewise, we see in our RFPs more clients asking about the finer details of our policies, so of course, it will become a more significant driver.