Does HR need good writers? You bet it does

There’s a marketing trend that executives are finding hard to ignore – not least because it directly includes them.

Organizations are utilizing in-house expertise by recruiting it (sometimes under pressure) to generate content such as blogs, commentary, or bylined articles in the trade press, white papers, and even full-length books.

Of course, this helps the execs themselves get noticed (not just internally) so most are willing to acquiesce. Yet to say that it sometimes induces a sense of fear in staff members employed for very different skills would be an understatement.

While flattered, many dread the idea – thinking they’ll be poorly judged for their inability to produce 800-word thought pieces (or even 50,000-word books) on what they do, or the market landscape, or the new regulations impacting their sector.

And it’s here where HR gets involved. While it’s PR and marketing departments pressurizing senior managers, who are – in turn – pressurizing their middle managers (many of whom haven’t written anything other than emails since graduation), it’s the HR departments that should ensure their staff have the skills required to execute the task (and offer training if they don’t).

Also, HR departments are no longer immune to the pressure. The battle for the best graduates has become so intense that many are choosing companies based on the employer’s values.

They want to feel good about where they work, and it’s become the head of HR’s job to express those values to potential employees – often via blog posts and other content.

So whether it’s the pastoral care of staff (i.e. avoiding them becoming unnecessarily stressed by the demands of content generation), or the need to produce great content for new, old and prospective employees, writing skills are now something HR departments need to care about.

Writing is a craft, and a process

This is the skills gap we should aim to fill – first by informing those needing to generate content that writing is not a talent, it’s a craft. It can be taught and learned like any craft. And second, to help new writers develop a process for writing, one that removes the fear by converting the task into a series of small steps: A to Z via B, C, and D, in other words.

Here (in truncated form) are the steps:

1. Don’t approach the task by focusing on the writing

That’s the scary bit. Instead – and as stated – focus on the process. There’s an order to producing great content: angle, content, structure, style.

Decide your angle (the opinion you’re trying to communicate); research the content required to demonstrate your case; work out the order you should present it in; and then – and only then – worry about style.

2. When deciding the angle, focus on the audience

Who’s meant to read your article? What concerns them and what do they need to know? For instance, an article written by HR officers for internal audiences (perhaps on new regulations) will be very different from those aimed at prospective employees.

Also, remember: articles intended to show off your skills and knowledge are unlikely to resonate with your audience – while those focused on answering a conundrum relevant to them most certainly will.

3. Don’t start at the beginning

Instead, write in blocks that can be stitched together at the end. Your structuring exercise will reveal a range of elements to convey, so start with the easiest one. What’s your comfort zone? Make that the first paragraphs you write – they can be slotted into the structure later.

4. Tackle the blocks in order of easiest to most difficult

It means you’ll be fluid by the time the tougher blocks need writing. Once finished, check your structure (i.e. the order the blocks run in) – perhaps by printing a block per page and shuffling the order until satisfied they run smoothly.

5. Now write the opening paragraph

Sentence one should be an ‘inverted pyramid’ – encapsulating the angle and essence of the article immediately (with the blocks of context and information presented as justification). This is NOT a school essay introduction – it’s a pithy summary of the angle – hence why it’s best written last.

6. Forget about a conclusion

Don’t end with a repeat of the angle or summarise the information already relayed – that’s weak. Articles that finish after the last point is made are fine, though if you feel the need to round it off, state what comes next.

7. Once done, you have a ‘dirty’ first draft

Time to rewrite the entire article: sentence by sentence. Here’s where style matters, which should sound compelling – as if a breathless messenger is imparting critical news.

Sentences should be short. Try inverting one sentence per paragraph. And start the last sentence of alternate paragraphs with ‘and’ – cheap tricks but effective.

8. Other tricks are worth exploring

Tricolons (rule of three), epizeuxis (repeating words for emphasis), epistrophe (ending sequential sentences with the same word), as well as segues that link sections and alliteration within passages to create rhythm are also worth exploring – though go easy. This is a professional piece, so your inner James Joyce needs to stay under control.

9. Now write the headline

Use the inverted pyramid first sentence as your guide – reproducing it in the fewest number of words. Then try inverting the sentence. Also, try using a thesaurus to replace the longer words with short ones.

10. Include a standfirst below the headline

This should allude to the reward for the reader for committing to the article (in this case, using process to overcome the fear) and should include your byline and your ‘between the commas, self-description.

Don’t be coy: you are the person to write this, and your reader needs to know it.

Writing Well for Work and Pleasure is available on Amazon.co.uk.