Adverting agencies, don't be shy, lets see your number of Diverse talent👀👀👀
The School report is in and Diversity again is a second thought. No shock here.
Wazzzuuuppp everyone, it’s Russie here leading this week’s aka last week bank hols friday’s edition 👋🏾. After seeing the Campaign Live school report, how can one not be hot under the collar.
What’s happening?
The Campaign editorial team has pulled together a variety of data points (thank you to their team) – including accessing 100 adverting agencies performance and the percentage of Women and BAME talent in their companies.
Jennifer Small’s article on Campaign uncovers that ‘Poor diversity has its price’.
5 Key points that got my eyes to roll on the train back home to Wales.
D&I budget cuts from Companies dropping their D&I programes. Very much so telling us that D&I talent will always be a second thought to their companies.
BAME representation at senior leadership levels, which is rising at a snail’s pace, from an average of 10.9% in 2019 to 12.9% in 2022
Almost half (43.2%) of entry-level recruits in 2022 were BAME, compared with 28.6% in 2019.
RETENTION! this should be a key focus for companies.
“37 out of 100 (up from 34 in 2021) agencies provided their ethnicity pay gap data; 63 either did not record or were not prepared to share this information.”
We’re the same companies who tell our brands consumers want transparency and yet Adverting companies are not providing this…
When we’re not at yard, we’re at The Yard
Network + Chill with by The Yard is a refreshing and new club for young, diverse change-makers to connect, collaborate, and flourish. They’re having another networking event coming up. SIGN UP HERE
P.S, watch this space as a lil birdie says there’s a FNP x The Yard event in the pipelines…
One size doesn’t fit all with Fashion so why do we do it with Adverting??? 🫖
Your favourite Non Binary Strategist here has curated a panel that dives deeper on how a tailored approach helps talent thrive.
Catch me at the D&AD festival on 9th May at 14:50–15:30 where we talk about how adapting to the needs of individuals, to building an industry that isn’t centred around set ways of working and set locations like London, D&AD Shift Alum Marshall Lawrence and Seun Areoye, join former Shift London course leader Aliyah Hasinah and moderated by Mary Mandefield to discuss what they have experienced on their journeys building creative careers, and what the creative industry can do to make creative careers more accessible to more talented individuals.
📣 PSA TO JUNIORS 📣
There is no harm in asking your place of work if they can provide help in accessing the festival. Is it not part of your Learning & Development 👁️🫦➖
The worst they can say is a no.😶
All my previous managers from when I was a Junior know this is something I would do and something they would encourage I ask.
See you there!
You already know the drill, it won’t be a Fax No Printer edition if we didn’t have our Critical Thinking Questions:
One for the heads/hiring managers: What's stopping you from prioritising inclusion in the workplace, and does that reason really hold up?
Diversity without retention is meaningless & performative - in your personal opinion, what reactive and proactive measures need to be taken to truly ensure diverse talent want to stay?
Why should adverting agencies deserve the credit of being called a ‘leading agency’ when they can’t disclose the number BAME co-workers and their position in seniority?
Let’s carry on this conversation, hit us a reply, drop us an email or stalk us on LinkedIn! I’d love to hear your thoughts. Ciao!