Independent Agencies Preach Flexibility and Transparency to Lure Top Talent

The war to land the top marketing and advertising talent is more intense than it’s been in years, thanks to a pandemic-fueled rush on employees, along with people realizing that they can work from anywhere and aren’t as geographically tied down like they used to be. That means that shops of all sizes are having to think up new ways to attract, recruit, train and retain talent. “We have the ability to define the way that we want to work," said Natalie Nymark, West Coast president of creative shop Pereira O'Dell, adding independent agencies can commit to a workforce model easily because "we didn't have to get that passed through sort of a network, or get the alignment from other agencies within the network." Inside the War for Talent: What Holding Companies Are Doing to Attract Job Seekers Opening up options for workers Creative shop Pereira O’Dell acknowledges that it is tough for employers right now due to the level of competition for employees, but it's actually indicative of a good thing that's happening for the economy, as well as for the industry, in that employees have choices. Even though Pereira O’Dell has two main offices, in San Francisco and New York, the agency sees a more distributed workforce as the shop has landed people from cities like Philadelphia, Austin, Texas and Portland, Ore. Hiring outside of industry hubs has had a major impact on the talent pool, according to Nymark. "It opens [agencies] up to different industries as well. People are also coming into advertising from more diverse industries." To attract new and diverse talent—and that includes racial and gender diversity plus diversity of thought and background—many agencies are now dropping their requirements that candidates have a four-year degree. “We needed to change the way we hired…which immediately allowed us to get more diversity of thinking more diversity of thought, neurodiversity, race, ethnicity, sexuality, you name it, but really was to get out of the homogeneity of what we had for so long,” Claude Silver, chief heart officer at VaynerMedia told Adweek about the agency dropping the degree requirement five years ago. “It allowed us to look many different places for people that had the passion, the drive and the skills.” Silver went on to say that after it was done, the agency started getting people who may not have gone to college, but had a different way of seeing things and “coming up with human insights because of their own lenses.” Flexibility in roles “Any brand that does not look at personalization and tailor their offerings to consumers is going to a category laggard," Eileen Benwitt, chief talent officer at independent media agency Horizon Media told Adweek. "It’s the exact same philosophy in recruiting. Customization and personalization, rather than blanket policies, are the norm." Benwitt went on to say that candidates are picking places to work for a lifestyle experience, not just a place to work, even with the virtual or hybrid model. Employers, she said, should understand that work/life balance thinking is a pre-pandemic mindset. Employers need to understand that candidates want a ‘flexibility clause’ in their job spec. It’s as much of a social contract to help each other grow as it is an employment agreement.Eileen Benwitt, chief talent officer, Horizon Media Atlanta agency Fitzco stated that flexibility, culture, diversity and compensation are top priorities for candidates. To address flexibility, Kristin Andrews, director of people and culture at the agency said that remote work is still the norm there, but that the Atlanta office is open to those who want to come in, and the agency plans to adopt a hybrid model with two days in office when they do return. “We also offer strong benefits like unlimited paid time off, wellness programs, employee assistance programs and recognition programs that reward innovative ideas and strong performance,” Andrews told Adweek. Fitzco also looks to hire a diverse workforce, and that may mean the agency has to to slow down and ensure it is casting a broad net when sourcing for candidates through a diversity of platforms and schools. Its on-boarding process is structured to gradually introduce each new hire to the agency, their team and their role in a way that sets them up for success. “As an employee grows into their role, we have taken initiative to invest in learning and development courses as well as individualized development,” said Andrews. Transparency with results and diversity As an independent, Pereira O’Dell is able to be transparent with staff about the state of business, talking frankly about what’s going on in the agency and with new business, which helps maintain a sense of culture. Independent agency GUT thrives on having a diverse staff, and it’s led by its Latinx founders, Anselmo Ramos and Gaston Bigio. It also prides itself on being transparent, especially with its employees and clientele, which the team thinks makes it a desirable place to work. “Transparency is one of our values and we're transparent about our diversity numbers,” Juan Javier Peña Plaza, ecd and partner at GUT told Adweek. “So when diverse talent see that they're joining an already diverse agency…and diversity permeates the whole structure, they feel like they're going to go to a place where minorities are the majority.” No matter what agencies are doing to woo talent, it’s certain that it’s a job seeker’s marketplace, and agencies everywhere have stepped up their games. Those that don’t will eventually lack the talent they need to stay competitive. Winning the War for Agency Talent: Why a Tough Market Is Good for Everyone