Summer is underway — and that equates to PR colleagues out of the office. Whether going on holiday, taking maternity or paternity leave, or being OOO for some other reason, it’s essential to communicate clearly and concisely where things stand. Work won’t stop while you’re away, so your teammates must know what work to do while you’re away. 

Many PR professionals operate in the 24/7 world of PR. Letting go and shutting off from work can be challenging, but we all need a break. Here are five tips for creating the perfect PR handover document so that you can enjoy your holiday — and your PR teammates can easily cover your clients. 

1. Formatting: The formatting of your document is essential. Start with a new document. Our PR team prefers Google Docs, but if you use Word, that’s fine too. You can also use a spreadsheet format if you’d like. Whatever form factor you choose must be easily digestible for your PR teammates. Order the handover document by each client, then by projects, and then by specific tasks. Text formatting is essential, too. Bold titles, use bullet points and keep formatting consistent throughout the handover document or spreadsheet.

2. Links: Include links! Don’t make your PR colleagues rummage through emails or Slack to find threads or documents. Include every link they might need to maximize their time. Make it as easy and seamless as possible for your PR teammates so they don’t feel too much-added stress. Remember, while you’re sipping tropical drinks on a sandy beach, your PR colleagues are likely pulling double duty covering your workload along with their own. 

3. Instructions: Your PR teammates must do the work you’re not doing; be extremely precise with your instructions. Your PR teammates shouldn’t have to read between the lines or guess what work needs action. Make sure your instructions are straightforward and detailed.

4.Deadlines: PR professionals live and die by deadlines — don’t forget to include them. PR professionals are very deadline-oriented and work best when they know how long they have to execute an action item — knowing if a tight turnaround is required or if they have a bit of time makes for more efficient time management. If a PR colleague is covering for you while you’re OOO, they’ll need to know how long they have to do it and what prioritization is required.

5. Additional Tips and Approaches: It’s also helpful to note if there is another PR team member to go to for help if you experience any challenges or hurdles while the PR team member you’re subbing for is out. That team member should know that particular PR account or project and be available if something isn’t clear. Equally, don’t forget to set up and turn on your email’s “out of office” autoresponder. A good OOO responder should include the names, emails and phone numbers of specific PR colleagues covering particular clients. Make it easy for anyone contacting you while you’re OOO to immediately find the right person on your team who can help them.

A solid handover ensures there is no room for error. It also ensures your PR colleagues won’t find it too much trouble to provide air cover, and the client will barely miss that you’re not there. We hope you’ve found this helpful and enjoy a worry-free vacation. 

In search of a PR firm with an organized, proactive team with hustle in its DNA? Mercury Global Partners is an “all senior” tech PR firm that’s helped many companies achieve their goals. Email hello@wearemgp.com to learn more.

Summer is underway — and that equates to PR colleagues out of the office. Whether going on holiday, taking maternity or paternity leave, or being OOO for some other reason, it’s essential to communicate clearly and concisely where things stand. Work won’t stop while you’re away, so your teammates must know what work to do while you’re away. 

Many PR professionals operate in the 24/7 world of PR. Letting go and shutting off from work can be challenging, but we all need a break. Here are five tips for creating the perfect PR handover document so that you can enjoy your holiday — and your PR teammates can easily cover your clients. 

1. Formatting: The formatting of your document is essential. Start with a new document. Our PR team prefers Google Docs, but if you use Word, that’s fine too. You can also use a spreadsheet format if you’d like. Whatever form factor you choose must be easily digestible for your PR teammates. Order the handover document by each client, then by projects, and then by specific tasks. Text formatting is essential, too. Bold titles, use bullet points and keep formatting consistent throughout the handover document or spreadsheet.

2. Links: Include links! Don’t make your PR colleagues rummage through emails or Slack to find threads or documents. Include every link they might need to maximize their time. Make it as easy and seamless as possible for your PR teammates so they don’t feel too much-added stress. Remember, while you’re sipping tropical drinks on a sandy beach, your PR colleagues are likely pulling double duty covering your workload along with their own. 

3. Instructions: Your PR teammates must do the work you’re not doing; be extremely precise with your instructions. Your PR teammates shouldn’t have to read between the lines or guess what work needs action. Make sure your instructions are straightforward and detailed.

4.Deadlines: PR professionals live and die by deadlines — don’t forget to include them. PR professionals are very deadline-oriented and work best when they know how long they have to execute an action item — knowing if a tight turnaround is required or if they have a bit of time makes for more efficient time management. If a PR colleague is covering for you while you’re OOO, they’ll need to know how long they have to do it and what prioritization is required.

5. Additional Tips and Approaches: It’s also helpful to note if there is another PR team member to go to for help if you experience any challenges or hurdles while the PR team member you’re subbing for is out. That team member should know that particular PR account or project and be available if something isn’t clear. Equally, don’t forget to set up and turn on your email’s “out of office” autoresponder. A good OOO responder should include the names, emails and phone numbers of specific PR colleagues covering particular clients. Make it easy for anyone contacting you while you’re OOO to immediately find the right person on your team who can help them.

A solid handover ensures there is no room for error. It also ensures your PR colleagues won’t find it too much trouble to provide air cover, and the client will barely miss that you’re not there. We hope you’ve found this helpful and enjoy a worry-free vacation. 

In search of a PR firm with an organized, proactive team with hustle in its DNA? Mercury Global Partners is an “all senior” tech PR firm that’s helped many companies achieve their goals. Email hello@wearemgp.com to learn more.