How to Write a Press Release About a New Hire or Promotion

New hire and promotion announcements are some of the most common press releases out there. They're also one of the most useful — for the person being announced, for your recruiting, and for your credibility.

The trick is making them worth reading.

Why bother announcing a hire?

• It signals growth. Hiring tells clients, partners and investors you're moving forward.
• It builds the person's profile. A senior hire with a public announcement starts their role with authority.
• It helps recruiting. Future candidates Google you. Seeing smart people join is persuasive.
• It's great for search. People search names. A release ranks for that name plus your company.

Where these releases actually land

Be realistic. A new hire release rarely makes the evening news. But it can land in:

• Business "people on the move" columns in local and regional business media
• Trade publications for your industry
• Alumni magazines and association newsletters
• LinkedIn, where it often gets the most traction of all

The structure

Headline: Name + role + company + one interesting detail.

"Calgary Engineering Firm Names Former Pipeline Safety Lead Priya Patel as Director of Operations"

Opening paragraph: Who, what role, effective when, and why it matters.

"CALGARY, AB — Northline Engineering has appointed Priya Patel as Director of Operations, effective November 3. Patel will lead the firm's expansion into renewable energy projects across Western Canada."

Background paragraph: Their most relevant experience — two or three highlights, not their whole CV.

Quote from leadership: Why this person, why now?

Quote from the new hire: What they're excited to build. Keep it real.

Boilerplate: A short "About the company" paragraph.

Media contact: Real name, email, phone.

Want a ready-to-fill structure? Use our Press Release Template: What You Actually Need.

Make it more than an org-chart update

The difference between a skipped hire release and a covered one is the story behind the hire:

• Is this role new, signalling a new direction?
• Is the person returning to Calgary after years abroad?
• Are they a first — first woman, first newcomer, first local — in that role at your company?
• Does the hire connect to bigger news, like expansion or a new contract?

Lead with whichever is strongest. Make sure you nail the basics too — What Are the 5 W's and H in a Press Release? is a quick refresher.

Get the details right

Nothing derails a hire announcement faster than errors. Check:

• Exact spelling of the name (and preferred name)
• Exact title, with consistent capitalization
• Start date
• Degrees, certifications and previous employers — and that the person has approved how they're described
• A professional headshot, high resolution, with permission to use

Keep it short

A hire or promotion release should be tight — usually 300 to 400 words. If you're tempted to write more, read How Long Should a Press Release Be?

Special tips for service businesses

For law firms, clinics, agencies and consultancies, your people are the product. Every senior hire is a chance to show expertise. We cover more ways to make service businesses newsworthy in How to Write a Press Release for a Service-Based Business.

Share it everywhere

1. Post it on your website newsroom
2. Send it to relevant trade and business editors
3. Have the new hire share it on LinkedIn
4. Include it in your client newsletter
5. Add it to your email signature for a week

Quick FAQ

Should I announce every new hire? No. Save releases for senior, unusual or strategically important hires. For other new team members, a LinkedIn welcome post or a short note in your newsletter does the job and keeps your releases meaningful for the reporters who receive them.

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Growing your team? Let Blastily turn your next hire into a credibility moment. Start your Blast at blastily.com.