How to Write a Press Release Announcing a New Hire (+Template and Examples)

New Hire Press Release

Hiring the right new person to be on your team can change the world for a company and those they serve. Plus, this can be a newsworthy item that can generate media attention for your company.

The best way to let the media know that you just hired a key new employee is by writing and distributing a press release to announce it.

In this article, I’ll

 Let’s get started.

Keys to Success for a New Hire Press Release

For any new hire press release to be successful you need to:

  1. Identify and communicate the newsworthy aspect of your press release that will cause the media to be willing to cover the story

Any media outlet and journalist gets hit by dozens (oftentimes hundreds) of potential story ideas every single day. How do they choose which ones to cover?

Their goal is to inform, and (depending on the publication and/or their role in that publication) entertain, and motivate their audience.

Therefore, most stories announcing that you just hired someone new will be greeted with a yawn and a click sending it to the trash. 

Let’s face it, most of the time, the fact that you hired someone new really isn’t breaking news. But it can be if you identify some new aspect of that story that does make it newsworthy.

Examples of newsworthy angles for a new hire include:

  • The role they will be playing in your company is newsworthy.

If you are hiring them to oversee construction of your new factory that will double employment in your community, that’s a news story. If they are leading your expansion into Asia, potentially reversing trade deficits, that can be newsworthy, etc.

  • Their former job was newsworthy.

If you just hired someone from a position that everyone would recognize, like a former politician, military leader, famous trial lawyer, university leader (president, dean), or your biggest competitor, that can be newsworthy.

  • They accomplished amazing things in their former job/life.

Did this person create a billion-dollar brand that everyone would recognize? Did they lead the sales force at a big company? Did they write a bestselling book? Did they win an Olympic gold medal or were they a big star in college sports? Those can be newsworthy.

  • The person they are replacing did newsworthy things.

Are they replacing someone who built the company from the ground up and is now retiring? Are they replacing someone who was respected in the community and just passed away? Those can be newsworthy angles.

Get the news angle into your story, and you’re much more likely to get it covered.

  1. Use the right format for your press release

Most people who don’t frequently write press releases don’t recognize that there is a formula for writing one. Journalists expect press releases to follow that formula because it’s the most efficient way to give them the information they need to decide whether to cover the story and to communicate the key information they need to start writing that story. 

That’s why I’m providing you a template and format guide to help you prepare your press release the “right way.”

Download Your Free Press Release Template 

The first step is to download a copy of our free press release template, which will make everything easier.Microsoft Word press release template Here’s a free press release template in Microsoft Word format. (No opt-in or email address required.)

And here’s a press release template in Google Docs format.

Formatting Your New Hire Press Release

Here are some guidelines for writing a press release that will effectively communicate your message:

  • Start with the release date – this could be “For Immediate Release” or a specific date and time in the future.
  • Create a headline that will grab the attention of journalists and clearly convey the key information of your press release.
    • You may also include a secondary headline for added emphasis.
  • Include a dateline that states where and when the story originated.
  • The body of the press release should provide more detail about the information you are sharing.
  • Make sure to include your contact information so that reporters can follow up for more information.
  • End the press release with three hash marks (###) to indicate the end.

In addition to these general guidelines, we have created a complete, step-by-step guide to each aspect of writing a press release, including: 

Press Release
Advanced Headline Primer
Leads That Lead, Bodies That Keep 'Em Reading
And You Can Quote Me On That!
How To Close for Maximum Effect
Panda 101 – How Google's Changing the Game
DOs and DON'Ts

 

Still unsure of your capacity to create an amazing press release? Let our professional editorial team write one for you.

 

Examples of New Hire Press Releases

Life is so much easier when you have a great model you can follow, right? So, to make it easier for you, here are a bunch of examples of new hire press releases others have successfully used:

 

Other New Hire Press Release Examples:

Chief Marketing Offer new hire

Increasing tech capability with key new hire

Award for hiring military veterans

Hiring day announcement

Seasonal worker hiring announcement

Distributing Your New Hire Press Release

Once your press release is finished, your work is done, right?

Nope. Now comes the part that really makes a difference – distributing it to the right journalists, industry reporters (who, by the way, should be prime targets for any new hire press release,) bloggers, and influencers who may want to cover your story.

But how do you get to those people?

You could spend a ton of time and money gathering the personal contact information for everyone who should receive your release. But:

  • That’s an arduous process.
  • With low accuracy (if you call a newspaper asking for the person who covers your industry’s personal contact information, they probably won’t give it to you, giving you the newsroom’s address instead. This means your press releases probably won’t be seen by anyone other than the spam and trash folders.)
  • Much of that data will be obsolete within a few months – journalists change assignments frequently.
  • You’ll almost certainly miss many of the key people who would have covered your story if only they knew about it.

How do we know all this? This is what we do for a living, and it’s lots harder than it looks.

Wouldn’t it just be simpler, and way less effective, to let the leading distributor of press releases for small businesses send out your press releases?

Here are just a few of the reasons why you should use eReleases to distribute all your press releases:

  1. We have personal relationships, oftentimes developed over decades, with over 1.7 million journalists, bloggers and influencers. They trust that we will only send them press releases that are newsworthy and on-target for their audience, so our emails get opened and carefully considered for coverage.
  2. We are the only nationwide, full-service partner of PR Newswire, the oldest and most (here’s that word again) trusted press release newswire. 
  3. We give you expert editorial help, no salesmanship involved, so your press releases are well-written, newsworthy, and more effective.
  4. We give you coverage reports – showing you who picked up your press release, so you can see how effective your press release distribution was.

That’s just the start – learn more about why you should use eReleases to distribute your press releases (and to get a first-time customer discount) here.

What Are You Announcing? Examples and Templates by Type of Press Release

  1. Launching a New Product
  2. Launching a Product Improvement
  3. An Event
  4. A Grand Opening
  5. Achievement of a Major Milestone
  6. Receipt of an Award or Recognition
  7. A New Hire or Promotion
  8. Dealing with a Crisis
  9. A Partnership With Another Organization
  10. An Acquisition or Merger
  11. Social Cause Activities
  12. Release of a New Book
  13. Political Campaign Activities
  14. Music-Related Announcement
  15. School/University Announcements
  16. Media, Network, and Local Station Announcements
  17. Nonprofit Announcements
  18. Announce an Art Exhibition
  19. Press Release for A Movie

Press Release Examples Across Several Industries

advertising marketing iconAdvertising & Marketing Press Release Examplesautomobile iconAutomotive Press Release Examples
Art Press Release Examplesbank iconBanking & Financial Services Press Release Examples
books iconBooks Press Release Examplesbusiness iconBusiness Press Release Examples
electronics iconConsumer Electronics Press Release Exampleseducation iconEducation Press Release Examples
environment iconEnvironment & Ecology Press Release Examplesfashion iconFashion Press Release Examples
fitness iconFitness Press Release Examplesfood iconFood & Beverage Press Release Examples
government iconGovernment Press Release Exampleshealthcare iconHealthcare Press Release Examples
hotel iconHotel Press Release Examplesinternet iconInternet Technology Press Release Examples
investment iconInvestments Press Release Exampleslaw firm iconLaw Firm Press Release Examples
personal finance iconPersonal Finance Press Release Examplespets iconPets Press Release Examples
real estate iconReal Estate Press Release Examplesretailing iconRetailing Press Release Examples
seniors iconSeniors Press Release Examplessoftware iconSoftware Press Release Examples
sports iconSports Press Release Examplestransportation iconTransportation & Trucking Press Release Examples
travel iconTravel Press Release Examples
hate writing press releases

Finally, here are some tips and training to help you write an amazing press release:

Additional Press Release Resources

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