In 2019, Group agencies that were accredited BBBEE (“Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment”) – level 1, following a voluntary appraisal carried out with external auditors, continued with their plan of action. This is the highest certification level and underscores the ambition of the South African agencies to take a business approach that has a positive internal impact vis-à-vis employees, a business-related impact on client expectations, and on society with regard to the resultant transformations. This is a long-term approach, in that it is not a straightforward compliance exercise, but rather a strategic decision. This means undertaking a proactive and long-term action plan, focusing on management and control, recruitment and training, as well as a purchasing policy that targets suppliers who have historically been disadvantaged. The objective is to forge partnerships with companies run by South Africans of color to actively combat apartheid.
The affinity networks turn the Group’s new Power of One organizational structure into a reality. These internal groups or BRG (Business – Employee or Resource Group) are continuing their activities and evolving from country to country. These groups unite voluntary employees to enhance awareness and develop concrete solutions adapted to the day-to-day running of the agency (see their presentation on the CSR page of the corporate web site). BRGs also play a role at the external level, in that: they take part in different events and actions aiming to change behavior and practices. At the Group level, two affinity groups are active on the international stage, namely: VivaWomen! (women) and Égalité (LGBT).
VivaWomen! – Present in over 30 cities and 15 countries, VivaWomen! brings together around 6,000 motivated women and men volunteers to take action and support other women in the Group, regardless of their position or function within the Company. Coordinated by the Group’s CSR Department, it is present in several large cities, including Los Angeles, Shanghai, Mumbai, Madrid, Paris, London, New York, Chicago, Sydney, Cotonou and Dubai. Its primary objective is to promote the professional and personal development of women within the Group in a working environment that promotes gender collaboration around a common goal. VivaWomen! USA has created two sub-groups; VivaMama, to more closely support future mothers and parents, and VivaTech, focused on women in the technological and digital sectors.
The area of focus of VivaWomen! is two-fold: Career Development (with leadership training, Lunch & Learn sessions, coaching, etc.) and Work-Life Integration (with workshops on “motherhood and work,” “time management,” regular testimonials from women or men role models, etc.). The “Meetings With” inspiring people continues and the Mentoring program has been rolled out locally. In every city, priorities are adjusted to meet the expectations of local teams and the names of networks can be more specific (such as Leo Burnett and Publicis Sapient’s Women’s Leadership Network, and Women@Digitas). VivaWomen! works alongside women’s networks in the Group’s customers and other companies to carry out joint awareness raising and mobilization actions. Lastly, in accordance with its initial positioning, VivaWomen! commits to causes that defend the rights of women and girls.
Égalité – Launched in the United States, this network brings together employees from agencies mobilized in the defense of LGBTQ rights (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer communities), and is backed by the Group’s CSR Department. All agencies have now joined this network, which exists in a number of major cities from Boston to Los Angeles, as well as many in between such as Philadelphia and Atlanta. Ten US agencies obtained a score of 100/100 in “the Human Rights Campaign Corporate Equality Index.” This award was the result of an initiative launched in 2006. The focus of these evaluations is the policies in place and the activities to promote inclusion carried out in the agencies. The Égalité network is now present in London, Paris and Manila.
The recruitment of future talent is key. The Group’s key job profiles – Creation, Media, Data, Technology – are under great strain in most countries. The Group’s agencies operate on several levels at the same time. It is not enough just to recruit staff, they have to be retained. The agility and potential gained through personal experiences are considered key, in order to create teams that are as diverse as possible. At the same time, forging close relationships with schools and universities is still an asset that agencies can leverage to keep students informed of the considerable changes in Group jobs. Relations between agencies and schools and universities are organized around:
1. employment forums, both virtual and physical: Job Fairs or Careers Fairs enable several agencies to act as one, promoting a well-rounded vision of the diversity of Group occupations. This has been the case for several years at the South by Southwest Conference (SXSW) in Austin, Texas;
2. internships: on-the-ground learning with actual business cases is still the best way of starting out with the Group. Most of the Group’s agencies take interns (over 2,837 a year worldwide, with near-gender parity, but with differences from job to job or country to country), with internships opening the door to employment;
3. open days or discovery days in agencies: in various countries, open days have been organized to welcome students. These events are supported by local professional and trade organizations, including at the Group’s headquarters in Paris, which welcomes delegations of students on study abroad;
4. teaching: some Group managers are involved in traditional teaching in schools or universities or, alternatively, in organizations that reach out to young people who have veered away from traditional educational paths. The objective is to enable them to find out about jobs in the industry and show them that they have a place with us. Pilot projects also involve technological cooperation.
