Inclusive recruitment through targeted initiatives to diversify the talent pool continued with the launch of Publicis Media’s program Women in Tech and the development of The Innovators – a new program to attract people from diverse backgrounds to Data and Commerce.
In accordance with UK Gender Pay Gap Reporting legislation, the five entities concerned produce a report on gender equality and pay gaps. The ambition is to achieve the Groupe’s objective of having 45% of women in management positions by 2025.
The Diversity Forum is the place where we can work together with external partners, thanks to their contribution of knowledge and best practices, such as the Black British Network, the Business Disability Forum, Diverse Matters, Impact Culture, Stonewall and Valuable 500. Publicis UK also participates in sectoral initiatives such as the the IPA All In census and the BRiM toolbox of the Advertising Association.
From London, Publicis Sapient EMEA has evolved its engagement program for new employees by turning inclusion and the fight against unconscious bias into central priority areas. Training on unconscious bias was also delivered to managers prior to performance assessments. A pilot sponsorship program was launched in the Financial Services Industry practice and is intended to be extended to other practices. Together with a client, an internal campaign was rolled out to change the sometimes very stereotypical words and vocabulary used, a program that has attracted attention and is being rolled out in other practices.
The country has set up a project called #CuriosityCulture to encourage regular cultural sharing and stimulate everyone’s curiosity; it is based on a series of internal sessions with inspiring personalities from inside or outside the agency. The X-Team is responsible for preparing these sessions and scheduling workshops open to all on new topics. In November 2021, it organized the Brands for Good event in order to mobilize employees around Diversity and Inclusion and the need to help customers improve on this subject, through the development of a best practices guide. In the same vein, the issue of fostering sustainable growth was addressed in order to train teams and help clients in their approaches and communications.
To promote women in the agency, “VivaWomen!” organizes sessions to help them on both professional and personal topics, such as using social networks for themselves and their children.
With the Talent team, a joint program on health and well-being at work has been strengthened over the last two years, with the intervention of professionals and external experts. “Égalité” is also active in favor of the LGBTQ+ community and their allies, with activities around the construction of more inclusive messages. In June 2021, every Wednesday, guests were invited from outside the company to testify and inspire teams.
The fight against inequality is central to the agency’s approach, and support for South Africans of color is an essential lever. 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 it 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 plan is in place, focusing on management, recruitment and training, as well as a procurement policy that targets supplier companies that have historically been disadvantaged. The areas of progress in 2021 include recruitment efforts, with an increase of 70% in the diversity of profiles compared to previous years, in particular those from communities far from the agencies.
The local Next Generation Board, which brought together young talent supported these actions, and also supported the setting up of a platform called “Report & Resolve”, thereby creating a secure channel for employees to share concerns or questions in a confidential manner. A new program has been put in place to prepare younger generations to take over: Project X is a demanding 18-month program covering more than 150 employees (50/50 women-men, and balanced in terms of ethnic origins) with certain topics addressed in small working groups and others individually. This process of building loyalty and identifying individuals with high potential was received a warm welcoming.
In 2021, agencies in South Africa continued their efforts to support local communities, in particular by providing direct assistance in education for children. These projects have an immediate impact on combating inequality in the pandemic context. 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.
