The fight against inequality is central to the agency’s approach, and support for South Africans of color is an essential lever. In 2020, the agencies in South Africa increased their efforts for young people through programs for different age groups: for the youngest, to equip parents to improve children’s early learning and learning during the periods of strict lockdown, by distributing 2,500 educational kits; to increase the capacity of schools by paying for an additional teacher in order to welcome 25 more children; for creative high school students, with the awarding of around 50 scholarships allowing them to either access a one-year program in the agency, alternating theory and practice, or to follow an intensive digital training course. These projects have an immediate impact on combating inequality. Finally, a dozen low-skilled employees in the agencies benefited from a one-year internal scholarship program, enabling them to work and take courses, leading to a certificate in their chosen field.
The agencies are “BBBEE – level 1” certified (Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment), following a voluntary evaluation process carried out by external auditors. This is the highest certification level and underscores the ambition of the agencies to take a business approach that has a positive inclusive impact on both employees and clients, and an impact on society through the resultant transformations. This is a long-term investment, in that it is not a straightforward compliance exercise, but a strategic approach. A proactive and long-term action plan has been put in place, focusing on management, recruitment and training, as well as a procurement policy that targets supplier companies that have historically been disadvantaged. In 2020, a particular focus was placed on suppliers headed by women or South Africans of color. All these actions are aimed at continuing the fight against apartheid and rebuilding a more egalitarian society.
The agencies started or strengthened their partnership with the NGOs Diversity Council Australia, Diversity Works New Zealand, and Pride in Diversity, which made it possible to set up significant training sessions on unconscious bias, taken by all employees, to which were added specific sessions for 200 managers in the Australia and New Zealand region. Publicis Belong is the name of the Diversity and Inclusion team, which is assisted by sub-groups of employee volunteers rolling out various actions. Among those that are successfully in place in 2020 is VivaWomen!, which initiated a series of four virtual international sessions on “The Confidence Playbook”, aimed at all women in the Groupe, beyond just Australia; Égalité, with several events that allowed the whole community to feel united during the periods of Working from Home, or the RAP Team. This group of very committed volunteers is involved in many actions in favor of aboriginal culture, with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organizations returning to the roots of Australian culture as part of the national program Reconciliation Australia. On this occasion, discovery and education activities were conducted in the Sydney agencies, inviting employees to bring their families and children.
The Groupe’s key job profiles – Creation, Media, Data, Technology – are under great strain in most countries. The Groupe’s agencies operate on several levels at the same time. It is not enough just to recruit staff, the Groupe needs to encourage its talent to stay! The agility and potential gained through personal experiences are considered key, in order to create the most diverse teams. 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 Groupe jobs. Relations between agencies and schools and universities are organized around:
