LOS ANGELES: In the halcyon days of the dot-com boom, PR firms passed out job promotions like candy, often well before employees had the experience, judgment, and leadership skills to handle the responsibilities of a higher post.
Now, as competition to retain top-notch talent again gets fierce, some firms have fallen back on this advance-before-it's-time strategy. Other agencies, however, are taking considerable steps to avoid past mistakes.
"In the late '90s, the industry did itself a disservice by promoting people ...