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Business Unusual: The Impact of Working From Home During Lockdown

After 10 weeks of lockdown, new research conducted by Question & Retain, the insights agency, has revealed how employees are coping with working from home (WFH) and their fears about a return to the workplace. Conducted over a five-week period (4th April – 12th May) 2500 employees in the marcomms sector completed an online questionnaire (Pulse Check) covering key WFH areas including: effective communication/leadership, work/home life balance and connectivity. An addendum to the study (conducted 9th – 14th May) is a candid snapshot of how employees are feeling about a return to work. Employee Engagement Business leaders have long grappled with the juggling act of running a business and communicating effectively with their people – and yet the new WFH challenges are suggesting a positive shift. 57% of employees polled feel ‘well-connected’ to the leadership team and believe there is ‘sufficient and clear communication’. Of the remainder, 41% are positive but a little more equivocal stating that communication is sufficient and clear ‘for the most part’ – with only 2% indicating a lack of communication. “As business leaders the new working scenario has forced us to assess and re-think all aspects of running a business” says Ian Henderson, CEO, AML Group – one of the agencies that participated in the study. “The main focus, quite rightly, has shifted to the people in the business, in particular their mental health and wellbeing, and effective communication is an enormous part of that.” "66% of WFH employees aged 25 or under are suffering signs of mental ill-health" Employees have revealed that one of the most pressing issues relating to WFH is a disconnect from colleagues. Of those surveyed, less than half (48%) stated that they feel sufficiently connected. “Camaraderie and physical togetherness are a big part of most people’s working day – especially in an agency environment” says Fenella Grey, chair at Porter Novelli, London. “We are by nature a sociable species and working remotely and in isolation is a big challenge for many – especially younger workers. However, business has proved over night that it can adapt and move towards more progressive and flexible ways of working to accommodate wider needs.” Work/life Balance Work/life balance has raised issues for a number of employees with no clear division and work/life lines blurring into evenings and weekends. Employees with families are also struggling to find a satisfactory balance with a number of respondents struggling to ‘switch off’ at the end of the day. Less than one-fifth of employees surveyed seem to have cracked the balance code with just 16% stating that their work/life balance is ‘excellent’. "97% of employees have stated that they have reservations about returning to work in the office" Mental Health The study has revealed that 66% of WFH employees aged 25 or under are suffering one or more signs of mental ill-health with 1:5 suffering extremely high and low moods or social withdrawal. Respondents talked about being ‘overwhelmed with workload’ with work hours ‘consistently longer’ and expectations that can be ‘mentally draining’. Older employees (45+) seem to be coping better with less than half (40%) showing any signs of mental ill-health due to WFH. Returning to the office 97% of employees have stated that they have reservations about returning to work in the office with 82% nervous about the logistics of getting there. The prospect of packed tubes was cited as a main concern with a number of respondents indicating that they would consider cycling into work. On the positive side, WFH has also given employees a taste of a more flexible way of working – with a shout out to business leaders to ‘consider the possibility of WFH a few days each week.’ Talking about the impetus behind the research Annabel Dunstan, Founder and CEO, Q&R says: “As soon as lockdown was confirmed I twigged that there could well be a massive knock on effect in terms of mental health and wellbeing for those having to work from home. We devised a relevant and topical Pulse Check and invited agency leaders to get involved so that we could quickly assess the impact in the early weeks. It is clear the younger workers are the most adversely affected. It takes good communication from leadership including regular 1:1 check-ins and opportunities to feedback, to support employees in the new world we find ourselves in”. *Q&R conducted the anonymised research among 2,500 employees working from home for UK based marcomms agencies. A ten question Pulse Check survey was designed to seek feedback on mental health and wellbeing with the emphasis on encouraging respondents to be as candid as possible. Respondents were able to then share their reasons for selecting a particular answer, giving Q&R a quantitative and qualitative data set. Data was analysed for sentiment and key themes identified. The research was conducted between March 23rd and May 15th 2020, following the announcement of lockdown due to COVID-19. Annabel Dunstan is Founder & CEO of Question & Retain www.questionandretain.co.uk

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Business Unusual: Unlocking Lockdown

As agencies start to plan how they will re-open their office doors, David Regan of global law firm Squire Patton Boggs explains what needs to be considered. Following Boris Johnson’s announcement on 10 May, employers are now considering how they will get their staff back in the workplace – and finding that there are at least as many vexed issues in bringing employees back as there were in closing the office in the first place! It is not just a question of employees pitching up on the day – there are lots of practical issues which businesses are likely to encounter in the return process. The purpose of this article is to set out some of the common issues businesses will face and some ways of approaching them –there are of course no 'right answers' in this situation; rather businesses will need to carry out a nuanced review of all the facts before coming to a decision which suits the business and, in some cases, each individual employee. Health & Safety The recent Government guidance has reminded businesses of their underlying health and safety obligations. Whilst in the public perception these obligations were previously satisfied by little more than sticking up HSE posters, putting "Caution Hot!" signs by the coffee machine and putting striped tape across any steps or protruding power leads, these obligations are of course significantly more extensive in reality and require proactivity on the part of an employer, not least in the form of a risk assessment. Given we are in the grip of a global pandemic caused by a single virus AND the Government guidance on returning to work requires employers to carry out a risk assessment, one might have thought that the HSE would have provided a sample risk assessment tailored for COVID-19, but while it states this to be the case, on closer inspection this is simply a standard risk assessment and is not COVID specific (although the HSE for Northern Ireland has prepared one that is). "What is an acceptable risk for one business will be unacceptable or impracticable for another." So what might businesses need to consider as part of any such risk assessment? Who might be harmed? (staff, visitors, cleaners, contractors, drivers, etc). Potential ways of minimising or controlling the hazards (handwashing, cleaning, social distancing, PPE, temperature testing, wearing of gloves). What can be done to assist employees dealing with these hazards? (ensure there are handwashing facilities with adequate supplies of soap, water, paper towels, ensure that cleaning takes place with appropriate thoroughness and appropriate regularity, redesign offices to reinforce social distancing where appropriate, monitor employees symptoms). What can be done to encourage employees to comply with their obligations? (regular reminders to wash hands and of public health advice, check to ensure cleaning protocols, enforce social distancing through appropriate measures in the office). Practical issues around restarting the office (has the air conditioning been switched on recently? Has the water been run to reduce Legionnaire's risks? Do the lifts or other machines need servicing?, etc). Clearly, each risk assessment needs to focus on the specific circumstances of the business. What is an acceptable risk or a reasonably practicable preventative measure for one business will be unacceptable or impracticable for another. However businesses need to start thinking about these issues now if they are to prepare properly. Mental Health Another risk factor which needs to be considered (indeed one which may well warrant its own risk assessment) is employees' mental health – there are any number of issues which may be affecting this currently, but employers would be wise to consider the effects of: coronavirus (which creates uncertainty which can affect employees mental health); lockdown (which can increase a sense of isolation for employees, exacerbating or leading to mental health issues); poor management (it being harder to manage effectively remotely); medical issues (whether personal or family); financial issues (whether due to furlough or pay cuts, or worries about potential future redundancy); productivity/ performance concerns (employees may feel under extra scrutiny as they are working remotely and managers cannot see how hard they are working). Returning to office-based is of course not a panacea for these issues. In fact it will likely lead to further concerns – for example, many employees may feel uncomfortable travelling to work on public transport. There has also been a rise in obsessive compulsive behaviours during lockdown – this too may impact employee mental health on their return. Who should come back? Once businesses have decided to come back to work and what they can do to protect their employees, the next question is who do you bring back to work and how quickly? Do you want to: bring back all of the employees at once (which is unlikely to be suitable for all businesses, particularly where social distancing cannot be maintained)? bring employees back in shifts to reduce occupancy (helping manage COVID-19 risk, but potentially impacting productivity) ? open the office with a skeleton staff so it can be used wherever absolutely necessary, but to continue to allow/require employees to work from home? (leading to risks of a confused workforce – guidance needs to be clear to avoid mixed messages) Again, there is no definitively right or wrong answer to this; it is something which will depend upon the needs of each business. However, it may help employers to consider the following: which roles they need in the office first; whether this is client sector specific; has the technology that has enabled working from home been effective; should any office-based employees who have been furloughed be brought back first, before other employees are brought into the office; how will communications be maintained where some employees are in the office and some are not? A special set of questions arises for those employers who have furloughed staff – do you bring them back from furlough and, if so, how many and when? Equally, if you have rehired any employees simply so they can benefit from furlough, at what point do you intend to (re-)terminate? Again, there are no easy answers, although in the case of furlough some of this may come in the next few weeks as we learn more about the tapering of the furlough scheme. What if you don't need all the employees? Many employers will regrettably need to consider whether their commercial outlook justifies retaining all of their staff. If not, and there is no longer an option to place staff on paid furlough, then it might be necessary to consider redundancies. Of course, where 20 or more employees are potentially at risk of redundancy, this requires collective consultation, meaning that you need to factor in the necessary time to carry out a consultation process. This is particularly problematic where some of those employees who are at risk of redundancy are presently on furlough and the employer is trying to minimise the financial exposure to those redundancies. If all else fails, be transparent and open As can be seen, the process of seeking to return to what will, for now, be a new normality, will not be easy. There are certainly more questions than answers at this stage. However, provided businesses treat their staff with openness, honesty and transparency, then whilst there will undoubtedly be teething issues, the hope is that operations will resume – if not as smoothly as before, as least as smoothly as possible. David Regan is a Director at Squire Patton Boggs dealing exclusively in labour and employment law

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Business Unusual: Now is the time to put your people first

The pandemic has brought with it a massive spike in anxiety and stress such that the UN has warned of a global mental health crisis. Marc Caulfield talks honestly and openly about Adland's responsiblity to its people. Everything has changed but nothing has changed I was very excited about 2020. My business was really starting to take off and then BOOM, COVID-19 strikes. Without exception everyone I know has suffered in multiple ways. I have many friends in Adland still and they are all feeling it. The one thing that has not changed and never will is people. As we try to make out the Government’s slightly wishy-washy measures to release the pressure on lockdown, now is the time for genuinely putting your people first. Yes, that means before clients! People drive great work. So many agencies talk about people first, but if we are all honest, we know from some that is bullshit. Much like Mental Health awareness week, this pandemic shouldn’t be the one time that your people’s wellbeing becomes front of mind. Now is the time for genuinely putting your people first. Yes, that means before clients! Quite simply everything has changed but nothing has changed in terms of an employer’s moral, ethical and legal duty of care for their employee’s wellbeing. The terror of change Adland, for a communications business where there is a plethora of laptops, smart phones, and tablets, has never been great at embracing remote working. This has obviously changed since 23rd March. Excuse me whilst I punch myself in the face for saying this, but this is now the ‘new norm’. When this inevitably starts the shift from WFH back to WFW I believe we will see unprecedented people issues coming to the fore. Some people will love WFH and others will hate it. Some can do it, and some cannot. The key driver here is CHANGE. The very word sends people into a spin. Human beings find change so difficult because of some basic human subconscious reactions. Simply put we all find change stressful in varying degrees. Most of us have some understanding of the ‘fight or flight’ system that the body subconsciously activates in times of stress. I will not go into the psychological or physiological effects that Adrenaline and Cortisol have on our minds or bodies but suffice to say they play a significant role in our fear of change. An example here is the way people often repeat things that haven’t worked before. Do the same things again in relationships that have failed before. I think we can all relate to ourselves, our families and our friends making similar mistakes over again. We have all done it. We promise we will learn each time, however more often than not (certainly in my case) we repeat the same mistakes again and again. Why on earth would you do that?! Simply because what you know sometimes feels ‘safer’ than what you do not. Change throws all of this up in the air. Will the change really be better? This is what is in play in the workplace now. There will be untold personal problems that have come out of the lockdown that people will not necessarily want to discuss Employers really do need to push wellbeing, particularly mental wellbeing. Most employers will be focusing on the state of their business commercially, understandably, but people MUST come a very close second. For all the positive stories we read about families coming together there will be many families that this level of isolation will feel like imprisonment. There will be untold personal problems that have come out of the lockdown that people will not necessarily want to discuss at or with work. Employers will need to find the balance between getting their businesses back on track commercially and ensuring their people have the mental capacity and health to cope with the pressures of trying to get back some semblance of normality. This may involve some serious mental health training for managers / directors; we are not talking a box ticking exercise; we are talking about real cultural shift. The view through a legal lens To put a legal, and therefore financial, reputational, talent retention & recruitment lens on this, the last recession saw a 50% increase in employment tribunals claims. COVID-19 has certainly had such a brutal effect on the UK economy we can draw comparisons. Speaking to a variety of law firms over the past few weeks this is a commonly shared view. There is a heady combination of opportunity, tribunal fees being abolished from July 2017, and some suspect use of the furlough scheme along with knee jerk / panicked cost cutting. The last recession saw a 50% increase in employment tribunal claims Already employment lawyers have seen a resurgence of claims under Section 44 of the Employment Rights Act 1996; this is where employees perceive an imminent and serious danger at work and reports this to the employer. Any detrimental treatment here can result in a claim. Likewise, Section 100 of the same act deals with dismissal in such circumstances. This should be seen as a warning sign for Adland, no longer an area of business that avoids the normal rules of HR! This used to be a badge of honour, time has moved on. They say every cloud has a silver lining; if this pandemic galvanises Adland into action around their most important asset, their people and their wellbeing, then maybe it’s not all been bad. So, what should we all be doing / thinking? People have been through unprecedented change; be mindful of this fact (as above). Accept that all of your people are different; one size certainly won’t fit all. As a leader you may well have taken lockdown in your stride, don’t assume everyone has. Inevitably there will be change coming in working practises, how will this affect bricks and mortar costs and in turn senior management financial stress? How will you monitor WFH effectively? Empathy is key; you have no idea how being in lockdown has affected people – relationship damage, loneliness, abuse etc. The most important thing is to talk to your people, how are they feeling, what do they want to do after lockdown is lifted? There is an opportunity to come out of this gaining huge respect from your people, if handled well. If as a leader you feel you want to change your working practises then communicate this; this is the ideal way to get people to open up. Every Mental Health workshop we have run where a leader has opened up about their mental health has been a giant step to cultural change and openness. If you would like to discuss how Demolish the Wall can help, please get in touch: - Marc.caulfield@demolishthewall.com 07766 235500

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Business Unusual: How Mr President Are Keeping Connected Under Lockdown

With teams unable to work face to face, maintaining a strong company culture is a new challenge for most agencies. We have been speaking with Mizzy Lees from Mr. President about how the agency has adapted to ensure that they stay connected under lockdown. Mr. President is an agency known for its company culture. We are a close-knit team and we care deeply about our employees’ experiences at work. This is one of the reasons that my role of People Director exists. My job is to balance the needs of the team with those of the business (amongst other things). We were one of the first agencies to close our offices and start working from home because of Covid19. It no longer felt safe for the team to travel across London, and since we knew our IT infrastructure was capable, on the 12th March we emptied the fridge, turned out the lights and locked the doors. Part of my role is to monitor the collective energy within the team with the aim of keeping it positive and focused, with a shared ambition. I worked out pretty quickly that we needed to rethink the way we worked to achieve this, so here are some of the things we have been doing to keep the team connected in lockdown. Keep up the usual routine Pre-lockdown, we started the week together with the company wide Monday morning meeting and eased ourselves into the weekend with Fun Friday from 4.30pm. We were keen that lockdown didn’t stop us from coming together as a group, so we keep both of these events going via Google Hangouts. It’s a great way to check in with each other, to find out what everyone is up to and what we need to achieve that week. The power of video Using a video conference platform with a grid view is 100% worthwhile. There is something quite powerful and motivating about seeing the faces of the full team coming together. You get a much better sense of team spirit. Throw in a team quiz on a Friday and you also have structured social time too, without any of the chit chat social awks. My pyramid of comms I have a brilliant team of line managers. I work very closely with each of them to ensure that those in their team feel supported, heard, are pushed and have a clear path for progress. We anticipated the increased need to monitor workload and well-being during lockdown, so they each have more frequent individual and team check-ins, not just about work, but also to ask, ‘how are you?’. This includes those on furlough leave who are still checked up on weekly. In turn I regularly check in with each line manager to see how everyone is doing. If any flags are raised, I can follow them up. It’s a good system, but only works if we keep all the conversations going. Know your point people There are roles in the agency that connect with everyone. Whilst they might not be having the ‘how are you?’ conversations or monitoring workload, they are able to gauge general mood. I have a regular check-in with these people too to gauge how the agency is feeling. Again, if any flags are raised or anyone has any concerns about the team, I can follow them up. Pick up the phone I love WhatsApp and Google Chat. They make life so much easier. But sometimes you really do need to pick up the phone and have a proper chat to check-in. You can tell a lot more about a person from the tone of their voice. They will also reveal more about how they really feel when they have the space to talk. I seem to spend a lot of my time on the phone at the moment. In recent weeks I’ve learnt that keeping the team connected in lockdown requires a real commitment of time and energy. It’s a necessity not just for businesses to operate, but also for each individual’s health and well-being. And whilst lockdown will be temporary, working remotely and flexibly is here to stay. So, the changes I am making now don’t feel like temporary solutions, but how we are adapting for the future working world. Mizzy Lees is People Director at Mr. President

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Business Unusual: Taking care of yourself

In these unusual times, it's easy for our normal habits to be broken and as a result for our health to suffer. We asked Health Coach Michelle Flynn for her advice for life under lockdown. During this time we should be focusing on our health more than ever. Whether you have already had the coronavirus and are thankfully recovering or if you have not had it, at least as far as you know, boosting your immune system is critical for our long term health and wellbeing. When it comes to living a long, healthy, happy life there is nothing that can impact us more than implementing good habits. But with so much advice out there (especially at the moment when everyone has become a health expert) we often do not know where to start, so we buy the diet books, download "Couch to 5k" and then end up doing nothing at all. I am going to make it easy for you, here are six core principles of healthy living that most effectively add years to lives, and life to years. Sleep Sleep is key to all health and wellbeing. Are you getting enough? You need to be getting 7–9 hours sleep a night. Our bodies all require long periods of sleep in order to restore and rejuvenate, to grow muscle, repair tissue and synthesize hormones. Food Eat whole, real foods and avoid processed foods. If you do this not only will you never have to count calories again but more importantly you are significantly boosting your immune system and reducing your risk of all chronic disease. Movement Regular physical activity at moderate intensity will assist weight control as well as reduce cancer risks, simply this means using your one exercise a day slot to walk 10,000 steps. If you are an athlete then of course train hard but over exercising can actually do more harm than good. Stimulants Sorry you are not going to like this one (especially as I know at the moment we are probably turning to these more than ever) but we all know the more you reduce caffeine, alcohol, smoking the better. Stress Stress is an inevitable part of life, but you can improve the way you respond to stress and avoid / change some of the situations that create negative stress. To cope with the stress that you cannot remove there is nothing more powerful than a daily breath practice as it scientifically changes the chemistry in our body. It is as simple as inhale for 4, hold for 4, exhale for 8, repeat. Love Loneliness is one of the biggest causes of depression and we are all feeling more lonely than ever before, even if we are isolating with those we love. So connect with your family and friends in whatever way you can… virtual quiz nights, dinner parties over zoom or a good old fashioned chat on the phone. So rather than saying “I will get healthy” it is time to say “I AM healthy”. And if you are ever unsure what to do then ask yourself “What would a healthy person do?” If you act like a healthy person long enough you will become one. Michelle Flynn is a Certified Health Coach. Find her at www.michelleflynncoaching.com

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Business Unusual: Onboarding Remotely - AML's experience

Continuing our Business Unusual series we look at how new team members can be welcomed into a business under lockdown. It may seem untimely, tactless even, to be talking about hiring new staff when so many agencies and other firms are laying people off because of the global pandemic. But sometimes, through accident or need, it happens. Ian Henderson, CEO of AML Group, talks us through their recent experience. We’re a few weeks in to the new normal of remote working. The move to working from home was a double jolt to AML, having just moved into a shiny new space at the Tea Building in Shoreditch then moving out again a couple of days later. It was just long enough to find the nearest coffee shop, bag the best locker and make sure the new tech was working. Fortunately, it worked beautifully thanks to our excellent IT support team. Virtual server access, new phone setup and everyone on Microsoft Teams meant we were ready for the crisis even before it happened. Working with clients around the world meant videoconferencing was nothing new; and we even managed our first remote pitch during the few hours we were in the new building. Our new FD, Sheena Shah, joined AML from Fallon only a few days before. Sheena just about had time to learn peoples’ names before being plunged into full crisis management mode, looking at smart ways to protect the business and look after our people, while giving our clients the service they are still needing from us. AML does simple ideas for complicated businesses – advertising, content and digital strategies for organisations in finance, technology, government, professional services. These tend to be sectors where the current crisis demands more communication, not less; we know we are very fortunate to be less exposed to sectors like travel or events. It means we’ve had a busy few weeks – so busy, in fact, we decided to go ahead with a senior creative hire despite every instinct saying the opposite. Starting a new job at home in a global pandemic feels pretty surreal, especially when your first brief is a pitch! Creative director Ross Garden and I met Dan Wright, a senior creative writer who had spent some years working at Lida and M&C Saatchi, a week or so before the crisis. We liked him, and his track record seemed exactly right for us. We have a terrific ‘family’ of freelancers who often work with AML but we felt strengthening our in-house team would make client continuity easier while working remotely; plus we didn’t want to lose Dan, so we went ahead with the hire. Dan himself was surprised – he’d thought the lockdown would change things and only started believing it would happen when AML MD Tim Lloyd turned up on his doorstep with a brand new laptop – leaving it a safe distance away, obviously. The next day Dan was using it to join the all-hands morning meeting on Teams video – feeling very foolish and still wondering if it was some April Fool’s Day prank. It wasn’t – an hour later he was being briefed on a pitch, and soon found working as half of a creative team over video link just as productive as being across the same desk. Dan tells us he always feels anxious during a pitch, and that was the same; and there were inevitable glitches in communication – working apart meant Dan couldn’t have the same degree of control over every aspect of the work as he was used to and some things couldn’t be fixed by walking across the office for a chat. The pitch went well and everyone was buzzing afterwards – including Dan, who said the experience felt good but mentally exhausting. The agency knocked off early for Easter with a visit to the AML Arms, our virtual pub where everyone gets together for a gossip over a drink. We announced a couple of well-deserved promotions, Dan and Sheena joining in the congratulations as fully-fledged members of the team - even though Dan had never physically met anyone. But maybe that’s just normal, in the new normal. You can read Dan's thoughts on starting a new role under lockdown at https://www.advertisingweek360.com/starting-my-new-creative-job-during-a-global-pandemic/. Ian Henderson is CEO of AML Group

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Business Unusual: NABS is here for you

NABS is the support organisation for the advertising industry. They support everybody in the industry, from junior execs to CEOs, helping them with their wellbeing so that they can thrive. We’re living in challenging times. Many in our industry will be feeling anxious or scared. People are already talking to NABS about their worries about job loss, finances, and how to manage working and family life at the same time. Despite the unpredictable world we currently live in, there are a few simple things you can do to support your wellbeing. Follow the official advice. Do what you can to keep safe, and this will give you a little peace of mind. The government guidelines along with instructions from your employer should be your main source of information here. Restrict your news consumption. You want to be informed but not inundated; too much news could make you stressed or frightened. Choose when you’ll check in, and only use trusted sources. Get help and information from the NABS Knowledge Hub. Free to use and full of practical and helpful advice, NABS’ Knowledge Hub brings together everything you need for support during the coronavirus outbreak, from understanding furlough to managing anxiety and navigating life as a working parent. Communicate. This is huge. While isolated and working from home we need to make an extra effort to keep in touch with our colleagues. Map out with your teams how you can support and work with each other, and don’t expect things to work first time. This is a new situation for all of us. It’s OK for us to make mistakes and try new ways of working. NABS Advice Line team ask this question to everyone who calls: “What do you most need?” Ask your colleagues the same question and you’ll discover how you can meaningfully support each other. Mind movement. Calm your body and mind with breathing, mindfulness, yoga or exercise. Try doing something every day to support your physical and emotional health. From meditation apps to yoga videos on YouTube, there are lots of wonderful free resources online that can help you. Read more of NABS’ advice. We’ve shared our advice across the industry press on how to cope during the pandemic. Do have a read for more tips in MediaTel, Little Black Book, Campaign and MarComm News. Working parents will like this honest and informative piece in BITE. Call NABS. We’re ready to help you with our support services: NABS Advice Line 0800 707 6607 or email support@nabs.org.uk Wellbeing and career coaching via phone and Skype: https://nabs.org.uk/how-we-can-help/career-support/ Masterclasses (group coaching to be delivered online): https://nabs.org.uk/how-we-can-help/masterclasses/ Newsletter: sign up for weekly advice, support and updates in your inbox Connect with us on social on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram. Our services are free and you can use them as many times as you like. NABS is the support organisation for advertising and media. We’re here for you, so please get in touch with our Advice Line on 0800 707 6607 or email support@nabs.org.uk Annabel McCaffrey is Head of Support for NABS.

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Business Unusual: Robin Bonn weighs-in on new business

In a world gone topsy-turvy, what does this mean for new business? We asked agency growth expert, Robin Bonn, to weigh-in on agency business development in the current climate. If there’s a single secret to winning new-business, it’s empathy. And now’s the perfect time to be more client-centric and do the right thing. Without downplaying the severity of the COVID-19 crisis, keeping spirits up is important. So I was heartened by some reassuringly British piss-taking on the socials; a friend sarcastically praised the heavens for finally finding that ‘guide to working from home’ that we’ve all been sorely lacking. In fairness, the agency that produced it was probably well-meaning, if a little late to the party. It’s certainly way more defensible than idiots failing to switch off their automated spam sequences (‘Hi Robin, I know you’ve ignored my first five emails, but who at Co:definery is responsible for sock purchase and sock repair?’). And of course the COVID-crassness award must be reserved for any tone-deaf bellends trying to self-servingly newsjack the horror. No, I don’t want to read ‘why a pandemic is the perfect time to invest in branded pens’. Anyway, all this highlights an important question for agencies - how should you be doing new-business right now? A risky time to sell There’s a fine line between welcome help and unsavoury opportunism. And given that we’re all a bit frazzled, if even slightly badly expressed, a genuine motive can easily be misconstrued. So the stakes are high, with plenty of jeopardy. Looking like an arse is one thing, but it’s far worse to add yet more stress to another human being. That’s why my best advice is to pause and reflect. Ask yourself if you’re truly helping. Do you have genuine permission and authority to offer this? Would you welcome your approach if you were in your prospect’s shoes? Measure twice, cut once. Have permission to help The easy win here is relevance. Stuck at home, we’re all doubly dependent on Ocado, Amazon, Netflix etc. And it’s the same in business - unprecedented times are creating acute demands. So if you have authority to help, then do it - just choose your words carefully. Good examples I’ve seen include leadership mentoring, free resources for performance coaching and guidance on making complex decisions. This movie matchmaking service is another empathetic idea that meets simple human needs - be that combating loneliness or just entertaining your kids. Another practical tip is to start with your current clients. It’s a great opportunity - not just to be useful, but also to learn how to be useful. They already trust you, there’s rapport in place and you know their priorities. So as well as being at less risk of being misinterpreted, you can also offer softer support. But don’t email - give them a ring. Running a remote pitch Another question I’m being asked is how to run a pitch when the world’s in lockdown. If you’re lucky and demand remains, then this is a great problem to have. Firstly, remember that the principles of mobilising, briefing and rehearsing your team haven’t changed. Your existing process, milestones and performance indicators still apply. Of course you’ll need to make nuanced changes. Developing your response and, in particular, discussing subjective feedback will take longer when you’re not face to face. Lacking so much body language means you should check and double-check that your precise intention has come across. As George Bernard Shaw said, ‘the single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place’. Presenting in unfamiliar conditions When it comes to pitch day, there are obvious challenges. For example, reading the room is way trickier via video conference. Even knowing who’s speaking can be a challenge, depending on the software in play - especially if you’re suddenly having to use the client’s platform (pro-tip: don’t). So the old cliché of ‘failing to prepare means preparing to fail’ has never been more true. You’d like to think the client would forgive some clunkiness, but anticipate and prepare like never before. Case in point, rehearse like mad. Do a dry run with a remote audience. Think about stage management. Who’s handling client questions? How will you avoid multiple voices weighing in and a cacophony of ‘no-sorry-after-yous’? Appoint someone to lead on the new playing conditions. It’s their job to learn how remote presentation experts do it. Adopting a few novel gestures and conventions could differentiate your pitch, remove awkwardness and help you perform well. How to NOT pitch remotely Beyond the practicalities of running a WFH pitch process, don’t forget that it’s still one big diagnostic. The client’s weighing you up and you’re assessing them too - not least to infer your chances of success. For example, walking away when you’re not going to win is something few agencies find easy. We’ve all heard the immortal line ‘I know we won’t win, but we’ve come this far…’. Now is the perfect time to develop this skill. Yes, a win would be doubly valuable right now. But there’s also more risk. From protecting fragile morale, to the unique opportunity cost of wasting this relatively free time, think extra hard about whether the client is serious - about the process, but particularly about your agency. Ring them. Will they take your call? Are they definitely going ahead with the work? How clearly can they articulate your potential fit? Are they willing to discuss adaptations to the process, like extending deadlines or adopting different formats? This kind of probing should already be second nature, but if you’re ever going to raise your threshold for agreeing to competitive pitching, then do it now. Use your time well I mentioned time - all of a sudden, it’s at far less of a premium. Many of us haven't been this unburdened by deadlines since…. ever. It’s a massive opportunity to invest in your future, nurture your soul and do some good. What’s that article you’ve been meaning to write? Maybe finish reading that business book? Perhaps finally plan that thought leadership initiative? Can you support your local pub like Lucky Generals? Maybe set-up a WhatsApp group to tell your neighbours when Sainsbury’s have got eggs in. It sounds trite, but get a hobby. Don’t sit hunched over your screen fretting 24/7 - I’ve just started drawing again for the first time in 30 years (am no better, sadly). Help your fellow agency leaders too. The likes of Agency Hackers, MAAG, BIMA and Agency Collective are facilitating free-of-charge spaces where agency communities can talk, joke, commiserate, learn and share. None of this is rocket science, but it’s all productive. And more importantly, it will help you adapt to the new normal when we get past the immediate crisis. Selling is helping For now, obviously the most important thing is everyone’s health. And hopefully the Government’s measures will help us all weather the economic storm. But at the same time, despite these unprecedented (definitely word of the year) events, you can keep the sales and marketing engine running - as long as you proceed with caution. By picking up the phone, carefully testing your offer and maintaining a complete focus on your audience’s needs, you can - and should - keep on ‘selling’. And once this crisis passes, perhaps agencies will realise two things - firstly, in difficult times, selling is helping. And secondly, it always was. Of course being compelling and persuasive is important, but fundamentally you’re just helping get clients from A to B. And that is built on empathy. So good luck for now. And if you want to stick the kettle on and call for a natter, just shout. I’ve got a brilliant guide to remote working that I can share. Robin Bonn is the founder of Co:definery - a management consultancy for agencies - and a columnist for Marketing Week. You can also find him on LinkedIn and Twitter.

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Marketing Yourself: What Direct Mail teaches us about writing a CV

When you're creating a DM piece (or an ad), there are rules of best practice to follow which hopefully make your work more likely to be seen by the target audience. The same applies when you're writing a CV. Scanning Twitter last night, I came across a tweet from Richard Shotton (@rshotton) about eye-tracking. Whilst this research refers to Direct Mail, I felt that much of it is translatable to CV writing. “Detailed text is often overlooked” Research shows that on average a CV is read for around 7 seconds. Chapter and verse about every campaign you’ve worked on is really not necessary. Nor is a half-page long personal statement. In fact, probably the hardest CVs to read (and therefore the most like to be overlooked) are the ones which appear to be just a block of text. Break it up with white space and remember that… “People generally focus on headers” Take the opportunity to use each role as a header and make it clear what role you had and where. By and large in agencies, careers are somewhat linear (junior, midweight, senior, Director or AE, AM, AD, BD, CSD) so just your job title gives the reader an expectation of the responsibilities you have had. “Front pages receive far more attention than back pages” Nearly two and half times as much. So put the most pertinent information on the first page. Typically this will be your most recent role but not always. We recently worked with a candidate who was looking to change careers yet the relevant study they had undertaken was halfway down the second page. Simply moving this information higher up the CV helped to secure an interview. There is however, one piece of advice we don’t think applies to CVs. Boxes and images Like it or not, most recruiters and in-house talent teams will use some form of recruitment software to manage and share applications. Nothing screws up the formatting of a beautifully laid-out CV like uploading it into one of these systems. Text boxes and tables in particular can be magically transported to another part of the document making your CV practically illegible. A professional-looking headshot is fine but not mandatory. Most recruiters will be keen to connect on social media and will see what you look like there anyway. The logos of every agency you have worked for (and/or every brand you have worked on) add colour to the page but can make your CV a busier document. Brand “You” A CV is about marketing you. It’s a brand you should know really well so bring it to life. However, as with any marketing remember that the objective is to grab attention and to drive action. Make it easy for the reader to see why you’d be brilliant for the role and how to contact you. For an idea of a CV that is more likely to work, you can do worse than have a look at the advice from The Ladders. Good luck!

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Agony Uncle: overlooked for promotion.

"I’m on the cusp of promotion but have been told I’m ‘not quite there yet’. My boss says my work is excellent but has suggested that I need to work on my self-promotion internally. I’m not really sure how to do this as I’m not a natural show off. To be honest, it also really frustrates me that I’m being overlooked over other people who seem to play the game better. The work should speak for itself! What would you advise?" (M/w from top 10 advertising agency) We asked Marc Caulfield, advertising industry expert and CEO of mental health consultancy, Demolish The Wall, to weigh-in. Here's his take on the situation: I feel your frustration! This is often used as a financial trick to appease the FD or should I say CFO nowadays. However, I suspect the underlying issue here is your boss and their position in the business. If your boss truly feels your work is excellent but your promotion is being blocked, I suspect their boss doesn’t rate you as highly as your boss does. The unfortunate thing in the ad game is perception and ensuring the right people see you doing the right things. Don’t forget most people’s perception is their reality. Agency leaders are not always the best at the craft skills; indeed, generally aren’t. However, they can be brilliant businesspeople, brilliant leaders, brilliant commercially etc etc. Certain agencies or positions in agencies do require more ‘front’. Your situation maybe because your client would be upset if you came off their business or weren’t so involved. This is why sometimes brilliant client people don’t make the most senior positions. If you are prepared to give this a go, the way to do it is to decide who is blocking your promotion and who needs to be more impressed by your work. Find reasons to show them; ask to do an all agency show and tell; run a lunch and learn etc. However, ask yourself is this sustainable for you as an individual? Does it fly in the face of your work ethic and belief system? My advice is don’t pretend you are something you aren’t, it never works long term and can be detrimental to your mental health. If they won’t give you the recognition you deserve then maybe you need to offer your skills elsewhere. I would also be concerned for your boss, they clearly don’t have the clout or respect of their boss.

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Agony Uncle: working crazy hours

"I am a business director leading a very busy account. I love my clients and the work is superb, but the hours are pretty challenging and, to be honest, I’m feeling pretty stressed. This year we have regularly been pushing 60-, 70- and even 80-hour weeks. I dread my team asking "can I grab you for five minutes" because that usually involves being given (yet another) resignation letter. How can I make things a bit better for everyone? I can’t hire extra resource, dish out promotions or give pay rises due to a freeze in place across the network." Marc's view: This unfortunately is all too common in the industry, particularly in the large groups. If resource truly can’t be gained, the team needs to decide whether all the work in progress is really necessary. Often ‘work’ is asked for by senior internal people, who just fancy having it but don’t NEED it. Times like these really do require an analysis of NEED vs. WANT. What is the objective? What do we NEED to do to get there? What is a ‘nice to have’? In these scenarios the most senior agency people must talk to the client to iron out these situations. If as a business director of their agency you can’t tell a client you are stretched and need to prioritise, whilst still achieving the objective, you are in more trouble than this column talks about. Ask yourself, is everyone in the team at full capacity; are the right people doing the right thing? Can efficiencies be gained by moving the work around i.e. is someone naturally better / quicker at certain tasks etc. This situation is really about survival and not necessarily being perfect, a tough ask for most agency folk. The management need to decide what is in their power to soften the blow – an extra day’s holiday here and there, take your friends or partner out for a dinner, spa day, etc etc. Being shown the agency cares, even though they can’t hire is important. Can the seniors take a step back and roll their sleeves up more? This can be hugely powerful. If they want to ride out this storm they need to step up to the plate – they will gain massive respect from the team. If / when people start falling over, they will be in a whole world of pain – morally, ethically, legally, financially and reputationally. None of this will help retain, or importantly when the storm passes, hire the best talent. People aren’t super-human and remember putting your hand up and asking for help is not weak, it is strong, brave and shows you care for the output of the agency. After 28 years in Adland, Marc Caulfield is now CEO of Demolish The Wall, one of the country's leading mental health in the workplace consultancies. They're helping demolish the wall of silence around mental health in the workplace, brick by brick.

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How to land your first job in marketing

Graduating soon? Get advice to help you stand out for your dream job from recruitment experts David Love at The Great & The Good and Ross Brander of Brandgaard Recruitment. As we approach the summer holiday season, university students are completing exams and looking ahead at what to do next. For most final year students this inevitably involves entering the world of work. And it’s no surprise that at this time of year we recruiters are often contacted by recent graduates eager to take their first steps into a career in marketing. Far too often, however, we see junior candidates falling into careers that neither match their expectations nor play to their strengths. Typically, this comes down to a lack of knowledge of the marketing world and the breadth of roles on offer. Brandgaard and The Great & The Good recently teamed up with St Mary’s University in Twickenham to give students advice on how to break into (and build a career in) marketing. Joined by representatives from Virgin and Karmarama, we were able to bring real life examples of how people had launched themselves into the industry and built successful careers. What we found, however, was that much of the advice was equally relevant no matter what stage of your career you’re at: 1. Know the market Probably the biggest mistake we see is people who start out in the wrong role and then have difficulty changing at a later date. Are you better suited to in-house or agency roles (or in-house agencies)? Business to business (B2B) or business to consumer (B2C)? Campaign management or strategy? Creative or media? Adaptation or origination? Production or creation? An understanding of the kind of work you want to be doing can help to make progression as smooth as possible. Whilst no move is impossible, an understanding of the kind of work you want to be doing (and what a common career path looks like) can help to make progression as smooth as possible. However, what was also clear from the panel was the sheer breadth of marketing careers. Whether it is in-house or in an agency, the variety of different roles available (often with similar titles) means that knowing which path would best suit you can be incredibly tricky. Adding in the constant addition of new skillsets plus the evolution of the client/agency relationship can lead to a nigh-on impossible task of judging what even the next five years looks like. Get out there and experience life in a marketing role before you embark on a career. The panel agreed, therefore, that the best way to get to know the industry is to work in it. For an audience of students, the overwhelming advice was to get out there and experience life in a marketing role before you embark on a career. Even a couple of weeks during university holidays or after exams have finished can give you exposure to the breadth of marketing roles and therefore the beginnings of an idea of what your ideal job may be. Just as importantly, this time can also show you the jobs you don’t want. If you’ve already come to the end of your studies (or haven’t taken the university route), the next best alternative is to look for a generalist role as your first position. Whether this is a wide-reaching in-house role or a position in a new-breed agency with broad capabilities, this wide exposure should prevent too many doors from being harder to open further down the line. 2. Your CV Despite the rise of LinkedIn, at present your CV is typically still the first chance you have to advertise yourself to a recruiter, HR or a hiring manager. Not only do you have the chance to show off your experience but also to exhibit some of your personality. For many roles (especially generalist positions at an entry level), literally hundreds of applications are typically received. Perhaps it is unsurprising therefore that research shows that the average time taken to read a CV is around six seconds. The purpose of a CV is not to get you the job; just to get you to the next round of the application process. In this (very short amount of) time, you need to ensure that the reader is interested enough to take your application to the next stage. The purpose of a CV is not to get you the job; just to get you to the next round of the application process. It is crucial that you know what a typical CV looks like for the roles you are applying for. The whole question of CV length, photos, what information to include and so forth varies from industry to industry and even role to role. For example, compare the CVs of a creative from an agency with one from an in-house role. What is consistent, however, is that your CV should be clear, concise and easy to understand. In those six seconds, you need to grab the reader’s attention for the right reasons and not because your CV is made up of long blocks of grey text with multiple typos. 3. Social media Whilst the CV has not yet been replaced by social media, digital channels have become an important way to both find new roles and to be found. Job applicants should therefore definitely have an online presence. A 2017 study of US HR professionals found that the biggest turnoff was not being able to find the candidate on social media, leaving them wondering if they’re hiding or just have nothing to say? Just as bad, however, is being overly controversial or political. Whilst the level of professionalism varies between social media channels, perhaps keep the photos of your big nights out and your views on Brexit to private WhatsApp groups. Using social media as a job hunting tool is increasingly popular – whether to find roles or to gain insights into the companies or brands that interest you. But don’t just follow the brands (and any key people within them) - engage with them as well. When it comes to LinkedIn specifically, there are a few tips which anybody applying for a role should definitely follow: Make sure your LinkedIn profile and CV match: This is one of hiring managers’ biggest bugbears. At best, differing dates or job titles suggest a lack of attention to detail. However, they can also hint that the profile or CV has been doctored to hide something. Nobody wants their first impression to be that they are not being completely honest. Use a professional-looking photo: No need for an expensive headshot but also not one of you doing shots. Make sure you make it very clear that you are looking for a new role: Definitely activate the ‘open to opportunities’ functionality (it brings you higher up the rankings when recruiters are searching for candidates) but also change your LinkedIn headline (the bit that appears under your name) to show what you are looking for. It helps with keyword searches. 4. Interviews To let you into an unspoken secret, you probably won’t get the first job you interview for but practise does make you a lot better. Whilst the concept of interviews can be unnerving, the best are a relaxed conversation with both sides finding out more about the other. So how do you make sure you ace it? Put simply, prepare, prepare and prepare some more. The more prepared you are, the more relaxed you’ll be and the more the conversation will flow. Know your CV inside out and back to front then practise interviewing with somebody more experienced to identify trickier questions. Use social media to check out the company’s recent news but also have a look on Glassdoor as there are often interview pointers added by previous candidates. And make sure you have connected with the interviewer on social media so you know their career. Remember, the interviewer wants to hire somebody just as much as you want the role. Don’t be afraid to ask stupid questions beforehand. A good recruiter should be able to tell you if the office is hard to find or the interviewer likes people to send a thank you email but it’s better to double check the dress code than it is to turn up over- or under-dressed. Most importantly, remember the interviewer wants to hire somebody just as much as you want the role. What is it that appeals about the company and the job? What will you bring to the team that makes you stand out? Armed with this advice, we hope that you’ll quickly get your feet on the marketing career ladder. It can be a tough process but always remember that there are lots of people who want to help you, everyone starts somewhere and with tenacity you will make it. This article is adapted from https://t.co/gD9wUbIMuL.

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The Power of Having a Go

This is a photo of an empty lecture hall, a few minutes before the doors opened to our first ever university lecture. Ready to mould young minds, alongside some friends of mine. Behind the camera is me. Bricking it. But I did it. It was fine. Rather good, actually. The positive feedback we received afterwards from the uni – if I’m honest - was humbling. When we were first asked to run this lecture, my immediate thought was to say no. Mainly because we’d not done one before (read: I was worried I might be a bit shit) but it turned out to be really enjoyable; certainly something I'll be making a habit of. So my point is this. Sometimes it's best to go against your gut and say "yes, alright, I’ll give that a go". Throw yourself in. Send the lift back down, if you can. All that good stuff. You never know where it might take you. And even if you help just one person, then it's worth it for that alone. :o)

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It's just a bit of banter. Just ignore it.

Ask a room of recruiters if there’s a talent drain of women in the industry and they might shake their heads in absolute disbelief. You’ll probably hear someone pipe up “but there are so many women in recruitment”. There are. But it would seem that they’re not necessarily hanging around. The gist of it goes like this: women enter the recruitment agency world, see some success and may get to senior management (high five!) but then jump ship before they bag a board level position (ooft). So what’s going on? I went to an event a few months ago where this was discussed. The general thinking was that a lot of women simply don’t take their agency career seriously as a long term career option. Or can’t see a way of making it work when they have family commitments; making alternative career plans well in advance. Maybe they go in-house, perhaps they set up on their own or maybe leave recruitment completely. Pretty much every recruitment agency boss will lament how difficult it is to hire ‘good consultants’. So this all seems a bit careless, doesn’t it? To lose some of our most deeply networked, experienced and valuable individuals. Particularly in an industry that already suffers high attrition rates. But they’re right there, you silly sausage! They are right there in front of you. Ah, no. Sorry. Not anymore. They’ve gone I’m afraid. Put off by inflexible working practices, silly KPIs and a lack of real benefits. The recruitment agencies who are getting it right play by grown up rules: they enable people to manage their own time; provide the right technology so their employees can work flexibly if they need; they empower a focus on results, not spray and pray KPIs; provide proper benefits and parental leave policies that are clear and fair; they pay and promote on Moneyball merit not on loudest voice. They look outwards, constantly, to their clients and job seekers with respect and the absolute understanding that jobs transform lives. These are the recruitment businesses that will retain women as they reach their 30s and beyond. It’s these businesses that will welcome mums back after maternity leave, are supportive of working fathers too, and won’t roll their eyes about the F word or the C word (flexibility, childcare). It’s these businesses that will ultimately retain and attract really good people. And it’s these businesses that will, in turn – and this is absolutely crucial - present more balanced shortlists to their clients. Leaders in these businesses do not behave appallingly: they don’t give pornography to their employees at Christmas; they don’t bully or sexually harass their staff; they don’t think air honking boobs is a good way of saying hello; they don’t hire female employees based on how presentable they are; they don’t constantly ask ‘so when are you planning on having a family’; they don’t rely on getting everyone smashed as their main incentive. And unlike the views of one influential industry figure, they don’t suggest that “It’s just a bit of banter. Just ignore it and be better than the guys”.

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The Future of Advertising Careers

Campaign50: The future of advertising careers As part of Campaign's 50th birthday celebrations, our Founding Partner, Emma Love, was asked to predict how the industry will change in the next 50 years, and how we will keep up... This article was originally published in Campaign. 50 years ago, as Campaign was going to press for the first time, my parents were planning their wedding. Things were rather different back then. Once married, my mother gave up work and – like many of her friends – never really returned. Of course, mum had the full time (and totally unpaid) role of raising children and absolutely supporting dad’s career for almost 40 years. In truth, my father’s profession defined us as a family. That was the ‘60s. The time of industry legends like Ogilvy and Bernbach; the ‘golden era’ of advertising, fuelled by the rise of mass consumerism, youth culture and disposable income. A decade that brought with it incredible societal changes that are impacting our lives today: important reform around abortion, divorce and homosexuality; the pill was introduced; 850 women in Dagenham went on strike for equal pay. The decade came to an epic close, with the world watching the first steps on the moon. Even with all of that excitement of the 1960s, nobody could have predicted how far society would have moved on today. We live in a world of constant change. Turn on the news and it’s easy to be pretty baffled – frightened, even - about the outlook: the environment, Brexit, house prices, Trump. Advertising and creativity is completely dead of course. And the robots will take all our jobs. Run. Run for the hills! Calm down, dear. Creative thinking is hardwired into our DNA and will remain as important as it was 50 years ago. The same with technology. And automation. In 50 years’ time there will still be goods, products and services that need selling. Meh, maybe we’ll call it advertising, maybe we won’t (we will). There will still be jobs. Some will be the same. Many will be new. I find it heartening to remember that Britain’s creative industry (including advertising), plays a crucial part of the future economy and is something we should be very proud of. It employs 2 million people, is worth over £90 billion and the industry is growing twice as fast as the economy as a whole. The Creative Industries Sector Deal announced in March this year is a strong statement of intent that focuses on investment across innovation, STEM education and cutting-edge tech. So what of the future? "We cannot underestimate how much the creative agency landscape has changed over the past five years" darkly whispered a big dawg CSO I work with. And it’s true. The production model, in-house model, business transformation consultancies and brand hubs have all been happily (*buzz word alert*) disrupting the status quo haven’t they. Well, good! We can’t just stand still, can we? Let’s crack on and see where it leads us. And the future of careers? Well, when it comes to this, we’re really talking about life. My life. Your life. Whilst there’s really no crystal ball here, we can consider a few current themes and mull over what they might mean. Brexit Might as well get this one over and done with first . So far, Danny Dyer is seemingly the only person in Britain able to cut through the Brexit bluster, Jaguar Land Rover has threatened to leave the UK (I’ll call that Jexit), Theresa May is suddenly our dancing queen and the government is less coherent than my toddler. What we do know is that Brexit - AKA whatthefuckisgoingon - is driving business uncertainty, which in turn affects the job market from the top down. That said, we’ve got over significant bumps in the road before: whatever happens, we will get over this one. My mum tells me "life goes on" whenever things don’t go to plan. She’s right. What about diversity? Current entry routes into the industry are tight, particularly given the current economic climate. Snowflakes? Are you kidding? Icicles trying to climb a mountain, more like. Give them a break! It’s up to all of us to shape the industry we want in the future and we must all consider - today - how we are sending the lift down, how often and to whom. Assuming we want a best-in-class industry that reflects our society, we must be more inclusive and work harder to welcome a richer spread of individuals to the fold. What is your company doing to nurture an inclusive culture? In 50 years’ time, if we get entry routes into the industry right, it will be more inclusive throughout and pay gaps should be less stark than they are now. And working parents? Whilst there is a pretty robust male:female ratio overall, there is still a clear talent drain of working mums, and worrying inflexibility towards working dads. For an industry that has spent decades appealing so heavily to youth audiences and parent pockets, isn’t it just so odd that many company cultures have been so unwelcoming of people who actually have children? Thankfully, whilst there is work to be done, we are going in the right direction as flexible hours are becoming normalised – for dads, as well as mums (and indeed for anyone who is a carer). Companies will need to continuously think about their corporate culture, and what community they are building. Does your company, for example, have clear parental leave policies in place (or is it still something negotiated on the dreaded ‘case by case’ basis)? Are parents in your company able to go to school sports day and Christmas concerts without taking a whole day’s leave? Can they easily work from home when a dependent is unwell without colleagues rolling their eyes? This is not special treatment; it’s a positive way society can behave, and a mature way of building employer / employee trust. If your company is doing this already, great. If not, why on earth not? We’ll be working longer, right? Absolutely. In 50 years’ time there will be way more over 50s than there are children in the UK. This is a massive societal shift. Do you want to be doing what you’re doing now, forever? Hell no? Non-linear career paths and career switches will become more normal. But, for now, think about how you perceive age. When you look at a CV, do you instantly scroll to the back page to ascertain the applicant’s age? Are you instantly disregarding people based on their abundance of experience? Do hiring managers in your company only ever hire people younger than themselves? And think about this: with fewer young people entering the workforce, companies will need to develop stronger L&D strategies to help their existing employees keep up with the pace of change. Hopefully scrapheaping will be a thing of the past. Of course, keeping up with the new is a challenge for us all – personal and corporate. Every day is a school day: keep learning. And for gawdsake don’t put off your retirement planning. Will we move jobs all the time? That’s up to you. People are indeed moving jobs faster than ever before and our relationship with our employers is changing. The term ‘gig economy’ can make it sound like career nirvana is just around the corner: you can choose your hours, earn bags of money, skip from one gig to another and be totally #winning the life/career merry-go-round. The point is to stick to your path and – if you are choosing to move jobs – do so when it is right for you, not because ‘everyone says’ you should move companies every 12-18 months. Employers highly value attributes such as adaptability, pragmatism and resilience: the more senior you get, the more they will seek out those qualities. In return, you should expect a decent suite of grown-up benefits and play by grown-up rules. And we’ll all work remotely from the beach, yes? Tech will continue to enable us to work effectively away from the office. It can (quite literally) be a breath of fresh air and we can only predict this gathering pace. That said, I doubt we’ll all completely forgo working in an office environment. Businesses are a community of people, after all. The happier the individuals are, the better the community works as a whole. Being together will continue to be part of that...just not necessarily parked at a desk for nine hours a day with a hellish peak time commute either side. With that said, do try to switch off. Put your phone down. Stop checking your emails late into the night. Unless of course you are actually on the beach and working to a different time zone. So where will we be in 2068? I’d hope: looking at a diverse pool of talented people working in the vibrant, globally respected creative industry that I have adored since I was a teenager. Mainly though, I hope we will all have followed our own path in life and remembered the most important things: family, friends and community. As that’s probably all I’ll remember when I’m 90. In the meantime, we’ll raise a glass to say Happy 50th, Campaign. And happy golden anniversary, Elizabeth and John. Love you guys.

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A brilliant morning spent with She's Back, hosted at Mother

Emma meets She's Back founders, Liz and Deb, at their brilliant event, held at Mother's glorious office and in celebration of International Women's Day. She's Back helps organisations access the potential of women at all levels, support women who want to return and campaigns on behalf of women. You can get involved with this brilliant bunch at www.shesback.co.uk.

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Talent Experts - Employee Mental Health

As part of our Talent Expert series, we have been speaking with David Regan, Senior Associate at Squire Patton Boggs. For Mental Health Awareness Week (8th-14th May 2017), David explains how best to support an employee who may be experiencing mental health problems. One of my employees has become withdrawn and irritable; the quality of their work has also dropped. I am worried that they may be stressed and/or depressed – what do I do? First, the most important thing is do not avoid the issue! Often, regardless of the situation, employees may want or need help, but they just either don’t know how to ask for it or are scared that if they do ask for it then the "stigma" having asked for it will follow them around, possibly impacting their career prospects. Employees should feel able to approach their managers or HR to discuss their problems – a failure to do so can, over time, lead to difficulties in the relationship between the employee and their manager/the business. If you are nAdobeStock 107129665ot sure how to open the conversation with your employee, speak to HR and ask them to help you speak to the employee. Most HR staff will have dealt with similar situations and many have had training on mental health issues (or know someone who has). Asking employees how they are doing is not about you, or indeed the business, looking to 'fix' the situation, it is about helping the employee understand that you and the business are willing to listen and, where appropriate, will try to find them help – this can come in many forms, from mentoring, engaging an employee assistance programme ("EAP"), or in more serious cases, an asking an occupation health specialist to make recommendations to help an employee. One important question which may arise is whether or not the employee is "disabled" for the purposes of the Equality Act 2010 ("EA") – this will depend on the facts of a specific case. Where an employee is disabled for EA purposes, there can be additional obligations on an employer – for example in certain circumstances employers should consider whether they need to make 'reasonable adjustments'. This is often a difficult exercise, as it means balancing an employee's needs with the resources and demands of the business, as well as ensuring that other members of the team aren't overloaded. David Regan is a Senior Associate at law firm Squire Patton Boggs. A specialist in media and advertising, David deals exclusively in labour and employment law.

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Talent Experts - I feel I’m underpaid. What should I do?

Georgina Collins, Interbrand's Executive Director, HR – EMEA & LatAm, chatted with our Founding Partner David Love. Read Georgina's advice around a thorny career issue. At some point in your career, unless you are very lucky, you are likely to question your salary level and whether it continues to be appropriate for what you do. In today’s world, there are many sources of information which can give you an idea of salaries for roles – surveys, recruiters, job adverts, internal salary bands to name a few [You can find The Great & The Good's salary survey for Account Handling roles here] These can help you to benchmark your role and give an idea if your salary is in the right ballpark. However, do proceed with caution, as titles and roles vary from agency to agency and may not always give as accurate a view as you might hope. For every example where you can find a similar role with a higher salary, there is likely to be another example with a lower salary as well, so make sure you have taken into account these different sources and you have set a realistic benchmark. Similarly, it’s important to consider your total package. Benefits packages differ hugely between companies and need to be factored in when you are thinking about your overall compensation. Benefits – such as generous pension contributions, childcare vouchers, private healthcare, variable bonus schemes and even the use of a mobile phone – can all add up and should be taken into consideration when looking at your compensation. Depending on the make-up of your full package, you may be better off on a lower salary with a fantastic benefits package, rather than just a higher base salary. Finally, it’s worth considering where you are on your career trajectory, where you are aiming to get to and how your employer can help to support you to get there. Salary is only one element (albeit an important one) of your relationship with your employer and if you enjoy your role and you are getting personal satisfaction and development in your job, it may be worth a short-term trade off on salary in return for longer-term career aspirations. But only you can answer that! Having taken everything into account, if you still have concerns about your salary you should speak to your line manager or HR. An open and honest conversation may help you to understand why your employer feels you are at the level they pay you and how, if possible, to improve your salary or you may be given the reassurance you are looking for that your employer is committed to your personal development and salary progression. Moving role isn’t without its risks so it’s worth weighing up if the gain of a potential new role is worth it – a simple conversation with your employer may well help facilitate enough change that you get a better balance of risk/reward than changing jobs based on reward alone. If you do decide you want to raise it with your manager or HR go to the meeting prepared - try not to be defensive when you meet but to talk through your concerns and where possible back them up with facts. Similarly be realistic in your expectations and how your company might be able to handle your salary issue as they will need to take into account a broader view of the team as well as the overall business. In larger agencies there may also be set times of the year and specific processes which need to be followed to review salaries. Try to remain open minded and work with the company to understand what can or can’t be done and in what sort of time frame.

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How to build a more diverse workforce

Diversity has to be an innate part of the recruitment process, says McCann's head of talent, in this exclusive interview. Robert Stone is McCann Worldgroup's head of talent. In conversation with our co-founder, Emma Love, Robert shares his insight and advice on how to build a more diverse workforce. Robert, what does a diverse workplace looks like in your eyes? To us, diversity isn’t a box-ticking and quota-checking exercise. It has to be an innate part of our recruitment process that aims to attract a broad representation of people, not just limited to gender, race and religion but also drawing from social, economic and geographically-varied backgrounds. Diversity has been a hot topic for some time, when did you start thinking about it and why is it important? Diversity in some guise or another has been part of our conversation for as long as we can remember – it’s been an evolving topic over the last few years and it’s encouraging to see that there are some powerful organisations within the industry that are now affecting positive change. What is McCann London doing to embrace diversity? We believe that building talent from the bottom up is the way to do this effectively, otherwise we are still recruiting from the same limited pool as all the other agencies. We particate in a number of internship schemes that help us to recruit from varied backgrounds: Miami Ad School, IPA’s STEM programme and the Art Against Knives charity. We are also launching a few initiatives to attract a more diverse workforce, such as Open Hour in which our senior management devote an hour a week to Skype with anyone interested in entering the industry. We’re not just targeting the usual university grad route through this initiative, but aiming to increase the pool of background and life experience by targeting schools for pupils who wouldn’t necessarily have considered a career in advertising, or job centres for those wanting a career change who have valuable experience gained in a different industry. But we also believe that much of this is about creating an open culture based on honesty that allows our employees to achieve the best of their potential in a supportive environment. You can have all the initiatives in the world, but if the basic culture doesn’t support that then they won’t be successful. (Above) McCann London's latest campaign for True Match foundation How does a diverse workforce benefit McCann London and your clients? Immeasurably! If we can’t truly understand the client’s customer, then we give ourselves a far greater challenge in delivering truly effective work. Ultimately, a diverse workforce produces a stronger, more effective product. What are the key challenges around diversity that agencies are facing? The pace of change is always going to be a challenge that needs managing. Understandably, people want change yesterday. But in reality, building an effective solution that will work in the long-term takes time. Also, in recruiting a geographically diverse workforce, you can’t escape the fact that London is an expensive place to live! There has to be a strong incentive to attract potential talent who hadn’t previously considered living here. How do you know if you have a diverse workforce? We need to look at the metrics by which we measure diversity. This is something we are in constant discussion about and, in my view, will be an ongoing assessment of the background of our workforce vs the quality of the work we are delivering for our clients. I’m not sure we can ever reach the point at which we put our feet up and say ‘Job done’. What practical advice can you give agencies about embracing diversity? To regularly assess your workforce and, most importantly, your recruitment methods. There’s no point in casting your net in all the same places time and time again and then wondering why you can’t reach your diversity goals.

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Parenting, part-time and payrises

When I started this article I was enormously heartened to be writing about the increased levels of part time and flexible working we have recently seen for parents in the advertising industry. Anyone who has spoken to me in recent weeks - you know who you are - will have heard me waxing lyrical about how flipping open minded the agency world seems to be becoming. In fact, the last handful of placements I have made have all been working parents in management or leadership positions at London agencies. Pretty much all negotiated an element of flexible working, a good pay rise and step forward in their career. Good news! I was going to write. This is fantastic! Yes, work to do - lots and lots - but let's keep going. We're definitely on to something! So I cannot tell you my dismay to read the recent On The Campaign Couch (16/09/2016) "Will I still be taken seriously if I switch to part time?". The scenario was a man asking if he should go part time once he became a dad. The answer from The Couch was a resounding "You're having a laugh aren’t you. Surely that's career suicide". Campaign I ask you, would this article have even been published if the gender was switched, and it was a mum asking the same question? In this age of diversity are we still so far in the dark ages that men are defined only by their capacity to be the main breadwinner? Surely not. And let’s not forget that if dads can't get flexibility from their employer, we all know what this means for mums. If you are a working parent please do not be put off by such unhelpful dialogue, dressed up as humour but peddling views which are - fortunately - not shared by everyone. There’s really good stuff happening out there. Truly. Campaign was right about one thing though: it will be quite exhausting – but very, very satisfying. Here are some tips if you are job hunting and need a flexible working arrangement Apply for permanent, full time positions as well as jobs that are exclusively advertised as part-time. Job adverts may not explicitly outline part time working as an option but this does not necessarily mean it’s not up for discussion. Lead with your skills and suitability for the role you’re applying for. I’ll say that again. Lead with your skills and suitability for the role you’re applying for.Don’t open the conversation with a request for flexibility but rather show the Hiring Manager why you’d be amazing in the role. This will also help you have a good grasp of your value – which will come in handy when you’re negotiating the salary. That said, once the conversation has started, be clear and upfront about how it's going to work 3 days a week, 4 days a week, 9 day fortnight, 2 days from home, 5 days compressed into 4, late start for drop off, early leave for pick up ... whatever it might be. Don’t apologise. So you have children. It happens. I have two myself. And whilst we’re on the subject, avoid that awful word “only” as in “I’m ‘only’ part time”. If your skills and experience warrant it for the job you’re going for, go for the pay rise too. Just so you know, we’ve secured increased packages of anything up to 20% for part-time and flexi-working parents. Happy hunting! Emma How realistic is flexible working in agencies?

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Cannes 2016 round up

ICYMI: A round up of the winners of this year’s Cannes Lions As another year of the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity comes to an end, we look back at the main award winners. Particular congratulations to: Titanium Lion Grand Prix – Venables Bell & & Partners, San Francisco http://bit.ly/tgtgoptoutside Holding Company of the Year – WPP Network of the Year – Ogilvy & Mather Agency of the Year – AlmapBBDO, Sao Paolo Independent Agency of the Year – Droga5, New York For a full rundown of who won what, go to http://bit.ly/tgtgcanneslions.

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Lessons in leadership: Agency Founder, Richard Perry

Richard shares his insights on building an award-winning agency and the importance of a strong network. Richard Perry is partner of Founded - the agency "for brands with a commercial agenda". He spoke to Emma Love about how he made it in the creative industry. Richard started his career at Gyro as a junior in 1995 and left the agency as COO in 2012; a true mailroom to boardroom story. He then went on to launch creative agency, Founded, with Richard Mabbott in 2012. They were the MAA’s Breakthrough Agency in 2015 and bought by iris in April 2016. Hi Richard. Tell us - how did you break into the creative industry? Back in the 1994 I made a video CV – it was pretty embarrassing but it was good enough to help me land a dozen interviews at the big advertising agencies and four job offers. I was about to go ahead when, by complete chance really, I met a couple of people who were running a tiny agency called Gyro. They really needed an account executive and I really liked them. The idea of going straight into the deep end and learning on the job was really compelling. I had just spent four years at uni so I wanted to get on with my career. What happened next? I was lucky because I got on really well with my boss and Gyro grew quickly – from four people to well over 650 - which presented constant opportunities for me to grow too. By the time we sold Gyro in 2008 I was COO and that was great but I had started to miss being on the floor, talking to clients. It finally felt like the right time to start up Founded with Richard in 2012. We’d been talking about it for a while and finally launching from zero was a refreshing moment. I remember walking in from Waterloo with Rich on our first day, sitting at our rented desks and saying to each other ‘right, let’s make some phone calls". We didn’t have a business plan. That came later. We just knew we wanted to do good work. What are you most proud of since launching Founded? Winning P&O Cruises was a humbling moment. P&O took a big leap of faith to leave RKCR/Y&R for us – a relative unknown at the time - and it was humbling that a client would go on that journey with us. It made us hugely respectful of them and gave us an overwhelming pressure not to let them down. So the TV ad that aired on the Coronation Street slot on Christmas Day 2014 was a big moment for us. It wasn’t just because of the work and the results - which were exceptional - it was big because the client had completely believed in us. That was pretty cool. Our intern scheme, Founded U, is something else I’m really proud of. So far we’ve helped over 30 people break into the industry and some have gone on to some brilliant roles. If we’ve had even a tiny part in helping them on their way, then that’s very rewarding to me. I’m a firm believer in Kevin Spacey’s ethos of "sending the elevator back down" if you’re doing well. And of course the rest of the founders at Founded are massively talented and unbelievably hard working – it’s not easy starting an agency from scratch and we’d be nowhere without the guys – that’s why each and every employee is a shareholder of Founded – they thoroughly deserve it. What nuggets of career advice can you share to people coming up the ranks? Do not underestimate the importance of your network. The importance of talking to people. The importance of never closing doors. If you’re going to decline something, decline it with respect. The industry is pretty small so little things like that make a difference long term. Respect is a big thing for us. Respect for the work, for each other, for the client. Especially for the client. Your clients are busy. They’re not waiting for your call. If they disagree with you, reflect. You might not agree but you must respect their feedback and make sure you understand it before you go charging in. If you value this, your clients will value you more. Be positively naïve. Have a go. Don’t wait to be fed. You’re in the creative industry for a reason so say what you think, put that recommendation forward. Sometimes it’s better to seek forgiveness, not permission. Play by grown up rules. Take responsibility for your own actions. And for people in leadership roles – what’s important? You need to be able to listen. Always be aware of what’s happening around you in the agency. Think about if everyone is alright, if you’re supporting your people and whether you’re leading from the front. And do it with humility. Always keep the client agenda high on the list. Don’t let your board meetings be solely focused on the numbers. You should never stop talking about the work. That’s why we’re all here, right? And never underestimate the power of positive culture. Agency culture can be immensely powerful when you’re working with the right people who all share the same ethos. It helps to be as honest as you can with your team. Finally, try not to impose your own vision of success onto everyone else. We’re all different. What are the key challenges you feel are facing agencies? Well, it’s a crowded market. There’s almost no more room for another agency on the creative scene but there’s always room for a good place to work. If you can create the right culture, you can attract the right talent and do great work. Then you’ll start to make a name for yourself. Agencies need to know what they’re good at and stick to it. If you can get under the hood of that then you’re probably onto something. How do you know you’re doing a good job? That’s a tough question for me as I always think that I can or should be doing better – it’s a chip on my shoulder that serves me well. I get a buzz when I genuinely see people in my team advancing. It’s a big deal. To watch people achieving – a pitch win, a promotion, a great email from a client, whatever it might be – to me that’s massive. What advice would you give to anyone thinking about launching their own agency? Don’t rush it. It’s not a race. (That’s actually the advice my business partner gives me – he’s a lot more patient than I am). Take your time finding the right people to launch with – really, really good people who you’re immensely comfortable with on a personal and professional level. If you set up with the wrong people and end up falling out, it’s probably game over. Don’t be surprised if people suck their teeth and say "you know launching your own business is risky, right? You’ve got a mortgage" etc. You need to be pretty resolute right from the start. What’s the worst that’s going to happen? And when you’ve decided to do it, get your head down and get on with it.

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Lessons in leadership: Agency MD, Chris Woodward

Read how Chris fast-tracked to a leadership role by not trusting his gut to always "running to the fire". Chris broke into the industry in 2004 "after three months of banging on agency doors and sleeping on a friend’s sofa". Since that point, he has risen through the agency ranks via Wunderman, Rapp, Kitcatt Nohr, Partners Andrew Aldridge and CHI before joining Seven Seconds in 2014. Over the past two years, the Seven Seconds / BBH partnership has welcomed major businesses to the fold including BA, Barclays, Experian, and KFC. Chris, you’ve progressed to managing director in fairly record time. Can you share with us some of your secrets to your career trajectory? There are a few things that stand out for me. I have always gone in with the mentality that if you want to achieve in this industry, you’ve got to make it for yourself. The moment I felt I was treading water I have moved to a new challenge – internally or externally. I would urge anyone to make friends with their agency’s new business team so that you are the first to hear of any pitches coming in. For example, within two weeks of joining Kitcatt Nohr in 2006 I found out that the Waitrose pitch was about to happen and put my hand up to be on that pitch team. So as ‘just’ a senior account manager, I found myself in Waitrose’s boardroom with the agency’s founders. We went on to win the pitch. There’s a great phrase "always run to the fire". Finding projects that have ‘car crash’ or ‘too difficult’ written all over them, are often the best opportunities. Your job as an agency person through perseverance and common sense is to turn situations into something better. Oddly I don’t think all that many agency staff think like that. But we’ve got to think like that. We’ve got to go for the ‘difficult’ ones because that’s when we are most recognised and deliver the most value to our clients. What’s been your best career decision? Joining the Seven Seconds / BBH partnership. Everything else I have done throughout my career has set me up to be here. The opportunity we have is to help redefine the future of what is one of the best agencies in the world and that is incredibly exciting. Also, I get to work with people like Simon Hall, Warren Moore and Ben Fennell, who are amongst the best names in the industry. I have been hugely privileged at every stage of my career to work with these types of people: entrepreneurial types who best embody the spirit of agencies and are the people you can learn a lot from. What are the best lessons you’ve learned along the way? Don’t trust your gut. Do your research. Do your homework. Control every variable you can so it’s not a gamble on the day. Whether it’s a pitch or a meeting, or whatever. In this industry it is absolutely crucial to have trusted, good people on your team. Find them and surround yourself with them. This is not a game where you can be a one-person operator. If you are you will come unstuck. What project have you been most proud of? It’s not a project as such, but I am proud and fortunate to be working with a great team. I’m working with some very talented and committed people. I’m proud to be a small part of this. Who inspires you? Without a doubt, Simon Hall and Warren Moore are tremendously inspiring. They are polar opposites that complement each other perfectly. I’ve been incredibly lucky to draw inspiration at other points of my career. Johnny Hornby is an absolute legend. He is incredible at motivating clients and agency peers and as a result creates a strong sense of followership. Marc Nohr’s will to win made a great impression on me. His ‘train hard, fight easy’ approach is something we can all learn from. Vonnie Alexander is probably the best client service person I have ever worked with. Her three principles of openness, honesty and trust nurture great relationships and instil extremely high standards in the people who work with her. Hindsight is a wonderful thing. What do you wish you had known upon joining the industry? I don’t. This industry has lived up to my expectations. This isn’t just a job. It’s a passion and a privilege. Even from account exec level, the trust and empowerment you’re given and the responsibility can be immense. There’s something very human about agencies when they’re at their best in allowing people to give of their best. Life is too short to waste time. If this isn’t for you that’s fine. This isn’t a jail sentence. And if it does feel like that, do something else. What are some of the key attributes an agency MD needs to make a success of their role? First and foremost, you’ve got to love this business. You’ve got to enjoy understanding the challenges and pressures that face your clients both as people and as organisations. Only through that understanding can you build the trust that will allow you the opportunity to create work that is big and brave. It’s important to keep innovating and not be overwhelmed by the complexity of the world that we’re in. The agency model in this sense has not actually changed; our job is still to simplify and to create human communication, albeit in a more complex, fragmented media environment. For any agency leader, the ability to build a really high calibre, highly entrepreneurial team is critical. Attracting the right talent, nurturing and coaching your team and creating the right environment, is so important. How do you know you’re doing a good job? A happy agency team, clients who trust you implicitly and a healthy new business pipeline. Is there anything you would change about the industry? Sometimes the industry bemoans that we are no longer a respected top-table partner to our clients. It’s important to remember that seat at the top-table is hard-earned and should not be taken for granted. I think every generation has to re-earn that right to sit there. That’s exactly what I relish about the team here. We are re-authoring that right to be at the top table because what we do is innovative, compelling and makes a difference to our clients. How good are you at achieving a work/life balance? At times I’ve been really bad at this but I am the best I ever have been. I take the kids to school one day a week and make sure I maximise every working moment – including my commute - in order to get home at a reasonable time and put the phone away. Ultimately I do this job to provide for my family, the people most important to me. I do need to force myself not to check my phone when I’m on holiday, for example. But if you don’t force it then you’re not only short changing the people you hold most dear, you’re also short-changing your clients and ultimately your career. You need time to detach to come back at it fresh.

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Lessons in leadership: Agency CEO, Leigh Thomas

Leigh talks about the importance of integrity and shares her advice on how to make it to the top of agencyland. Leigh Thomas famously started off life as a classical ballerina before joining the family business of advertising. She quickly rose through the ranks of some of the world’s most respected advertising agencies, eventually becoming MD of Saatchi & Saatchi. In 2013, Thomas became CEO of Dare and has steered the agency back to its digital roots and through the recent sale to OLIVER. Leigh, you’ve had key roles at some of the most respected agencies. What’s been your secret to the top? Well firstly, it’s never been about job title for me. I didn’t set out to become a CEO but I have always been incredibly interested in what I do and I’ve always been someone who commits. I don’t like mediocrity. I’m hard on myself, and have high expectations of my team. But I’m also not afraid of failure. That experience makes the successes all the sweeter. Have you had a career strategy? God no! My north star has always been creativity and that’s what has driven me. I genuinely believe that creativity is one of the key skills human beings have. No matter how technically advanced, no matter how many ones and zeros we’re using, creativity is the uniquely human attribute that can make the world better. What’s been your best career decision? To come to Dare. My understanding of customer experience, content, data and creativity has moved on exponentially. With the return to our digital heritage and sale to OLIVER Group, I’ve learnt more than I could have thought possible in the space of three years. It’s been a breathtaking challenge, and my best career decision for sure. What are you most proud of? Dare’s shift back to its DNA in digital is something I am immensely proud of. We got lost for a few years aspiring to ‘integration’. The fact was that 90% of our work was digital anyhow, so from a positioning point of view it was the right thing to do. It was just being truthful. More importantly, the energy and commitment from our team at Dare has also totally surpassed every expectation. They are setting their own standards and continuously raising their game. The culture of Dare has always been very humble, yet exceptionally smart. I am incredibly proud and humbled to be a part of that. What’s the biggest lesson you have learned the hard way? Surrounding myself with the right team. It’s about chemistry as much as it is about skills. You can find talented people anywhere, but how people gel together as a team is the magic. There’s a great quote from Bill Bernbach about this: "When we started our agency, we had in mind precisely the kind of people we wanted with us. There were two requirements: You had to be talented and you had to be nice. If you were nice but without talent, we were very sorry, but you just wouldn’t do. We had to ‘make it.’ And only great talent would help us do that. If you were a great talent, but not a nice person, we had no hesitation in saying ‘No.’ Life is too short to sacrifice so much of it, to living with a bastard." Who has most inspired you? By their nature, agencies can be exceptionally demanding environments, so you have to find people that you respect and can be totally honest with. I’ve had some great sponsors all along my career. At Dare, Mark Collier and John Bartle have both have given me wonderful support. As a boss, Mark provides support, guidance and has huge belief in this business; a lot of my commitment to Dare is because of him. John’s been very engaged with Dare right from the beginning and is a great sponsor of many women in our business. I’m very lucky. Outside of the agency world, I recently heard Sheryl Sandberg speak, who is a total mensch. Totally inspiring. Her achievements in Silicon Valley are extraordinary and she’s done it with such EQ, clarity of thinking, incredible courage and a sense of humour. Eric Schmidt famously advised her "if you’re offered a seat on a rocket ship, don’t ask what seat. Just get on". Embracing that attitude is very cool. What do you wish you had known upon joining the industry? Don’t try and please everybody. Particularly as you get more senior. If you genuinely want to create change, and do what’s right, then sometimes you have to stand up and say it. Done in the right way, people will ultimately respect you more. What are the key attributes a CEO needs? EasyJet’s brilliant CEO Carolyn McCall hits the nail on the head: you have to make sure you know your numbers. In order to run a P&L you need to be obsessive about the numbers and the details behind them. The ability to listen is an incredibly important attribute. If you have good listening skills you can probably do a pretty good job of being a CEO. I see too many people charge into meetings with their own agenda; not listening and therefore not learning. There’s so much wisdom to be gained when you stop to listen, for the vision and reality of a business to be brought to you rather than imposing it. And you should not, for one moment, ever consider yourself above anybody else. What are the key challenges facing agency CEOs? The business world we operate in is increasingly procurement driven. Agencies have traditionally always left finance for the end of the conversation but that landscape has changed. Commercial reality has got to be in the first part of the conversation, as is reflective of the macro economic environment around us. That’s why I’m so excited about being part of OLIVER Group, because we have a radical, innovative commercial model that allows us to genuinely solve our clients’ business issues. It is also a model that allows creativity to once again flourish. On a wider note, the whole question of diversity is still a challenge for our industry. Are we so introspective as a business, that we are unable to address such a fundamental issue? It’s time. How do you know if you’re doing a good job as CEO? Well the numbers never lie. The P&L has to work. On from that, the work is always an excellent indicator of agency health. Good work suggests that agency and client relationships are strong and people are pushing themselves further. What about work / life balance? I’m achieving more of a work life balance now. I don’t think anyone expects people to be bound to their desks all hours. Being a slave to our corporate job is not something my children will ever have to put up with. Nothing makes me happier than when a father says ‘I’m not coming in today because I have my kid’s school play’. One of my team is doing shared parental leave with her partner. It’s happening. I’m delighted. I see it in our clients too – people arranging their lives in a way that suits them. I’d rather work with people who are genuinely happy in their lives as a whole. What would be your advice to someone starting out? It’s a small industry and you will be remembered by how you behave. Keep your integrity, no matter what. What’s next? For me now it’s about the work, as always, and international scale-ability of Dare. We’re in good health.

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Webinar: nurturing digital talent

Hear from industry experts on how to drive digital transformation and nurture digital talent. Speakers: David Love, founding partner, The Great & The Good, discusses how to recruit the right talent and restructure in an integrated marketing world Niall McKinney, CEO, The Knowledge Engineers discusses how to encourage, nurture and retain the very best digital talent Jennifer Jackson, careers content editor, Campaign Jobs discusses recruitment marketing trends and employer branding tactics WATCH THE WEBINAR NOW Key marcomms trends creating the digital talent gap How to attract staff with the right vision How to create and execute an effective and strategic training plan How to recruit the right digital talent How to encourage and keep the right talent by building an agile culture Tactics to help you understand your employer value proposition, benchmark against your competitors and build your employer brand

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How to launch your own ad agency

Find out from agency founders how they launched their own creative businesses. Aside from finding a suitable loft-style office, filling the fridge with beer and hanging your new logo on the wall, what does it really take to launch your own creative agency? Not only do you have to find the clients – you also have to persuade them to part with their cash – which is how you will ultimately fund your new venture – and eventually, if you are really lucky, you might make some money. Simples. How hard can it really be? (FYI the general consensus was “very ******* hard”). We decided it was time to find out. So we asked a number of creative agency founders for their advice. They were Richard Morris - Whistlejacket ; Helen Calcraft - Lucky Generals ; Jason Foo – BBD Perfect Storm ; Jim Paterson – Aesop ; Nick Fox – Atomic London ; Mike Cullis - Soul; Neil Hughston – Johnny Fearless ; Neil Simpson – The Corner ; Matty Tong – Whistlejacket 1. Launch for the right reasons If you have always dreamed of going it alone, you’re in great company. All our start-up owners harboured a burning desire to be their own boss. The freedom and challenge that comes with going it alone can be an exhilarating prospect - but it’s not enough just to want to do it. The timing needs to be right professionally and personally. Simpson: “I always wanted to have my own agency. Almost since the very first job I had.” Morris: “It’s one of the things we’ve always wanted to do, but you have to be in the right place in your personal life as well as professionally ready.” Hughston: “I had always hankered after a start-up. [As a Global Account Lead] I had stopped being close to the creative product and wanted to get back to what I loved most.” Cullis: “For us, we all shared a long held ambition to start something up, but our drive to actually do it came from shared beliefs about why we do what we do” All the leaders we spoke to had reached senior positions within other agencies before they felt it was the right time to launch their own shops. Far from being Zuckerburg-esque entrepreneurs by the time they were 25, the CEO’s we spoke to were able to show off hard-earned business stripes and success from larger agencies - and in some cases, brands -before they broke away and set up by themselves. Foo: “Bide your time until you’re wise enough. You’ll need every corner of your experience when you go it alone. You have to be all in to launch an agency - 100% or nothing.” 2. Get the band (back) together It would seem, that most agencies launch with two or three people at the top. None of the agencies we spoke to opened their doors with just one person at the helm. The overwhelming majority launched with the ‘classic’ triumvirate of Planner, Creative and Client Service head. Fox: “To do this alone would be unimaginable. These relationships must be deep and robust. You have to have great chemistry, have experienced success together and share the same point of view. You’re not always going to agree and there may even be some stand-up rows but the important thing is that you are able to kiss and make-up, forget about it and move on.” Most founding partners had worked together previously. Whilst they had usually met under professional circumstances, most tend to be friends outside work and enjoy a shared outlook. Morris: “Make sure you like the person you are going into business with. It seems simple enough but you are going to be spending a lot of time together - more time than with anyone else probably.” Calcraft: “The three of us share a very rare, special chemistry and we missed working with each other. We simply felt there was unfinished business and needed to create great work together again. We are happiest and at our most effective when we are working together.” Simpson: “You need to know each other and have been in the trenches together. We have a blend of complimentary skills and styles that works for us. We’re on the same page.” 3. Funding (probably your own) Of the eight agencies we spoke to, half were completely self-funded. The amount of investment you can stump up yourself will obviously impact the amount of autonomy you have. Obviously, 100% investment means 100% independence. Simpson: “We were offered funding but you don’t give up the independence you have fought so hard for. The autonomy to make decisions for partners, people and clients.” Calcraft: “If you’re self-funding your venture, you’d better make sure that you love what you do.” Cullis: “We explored funding and self-funding, and whilst funding might have made things a little more comfortable to start with, it meant giving a lot away before we even started. We went for self-funding; aside from independence, it really focuses the mind too!” Our CEO’s – irrespective of how much of their own money they had personally invested - were pretty much in agreement that excellent financial advice is vital. Fox: “When you’re creating a creative business, don’t forget the business” Tong: “Find a good accountant. Go for a respected and recommended name” There was general agreement from our agency owners that - initially at least - they earned less than they had previously. Cash flow issues aside during set-up months, much of the reduced earning levels were down to choice - partners reported preferring to re-invest profits back into their agency, building the coffers for future security. When it came down to expansion, some of our founders said they (happily) paid their first employees more than they paid themselves. 4. Fail to plan and you plan to fail Most of the agencies launched with a minimum five-year business plan - which started with the agency’s core proposition. All our start-up founders spent a few months in planning before going live. Happily, the majority of agencies reported being on track - or ahead of their plan. However, their advice was: Paterson: “You must have a clear point of difference that you believe in. Your agency will live by its core proposition, so it’s got to be something that makes sense to you.” Morris: “Don’t spend all your time on the theory. At some point, you need to actually do something rather than just talking about it.” Cullis: “It took us a year from our first tentative conversations over a pint to actually making it happen. Almost two years on, the original business plan is still at the heart of our long-term future.” Don’t be afraid to ask people in the industry what they think about your new venture and your agency’s proposition. Every single owner we spoke to commented on how tremendously generous people had been with their time. This included agency leaders, intermediaries, industry bodies and previous clients. Tong: “Talk to entrepreneurs from inside and outside the industry. Don’t underestimate how generous and open they will be with their learning.” 5. You don’t need a client from day 1 (but you’ll need to find one fast) Most of the agencies we spoke to opened their doors without a founding client and undoubtedly invested a huge amount of time into new business – attracting the right clients and the right kind of work. Tong: “Who would you like to talk to and what would you like to work on? There’s no secret. Don’t give up. It will happen.” Calcraft: “I would advise any future founder of a start-up to get exposure to a new business role within another agency first. And remember, your early work when you start-up will set the tone of the type of the work your agency does for the future. So, you must learn to say no.” Fox: “You need a great network and to work the traditional PR channels. Remember that your website is your shop window, so it is mission critical that this is up to scratch.” Simpson: ”Learn to say no and only ride one big pitch horse at once. Pitching is an expensive business and you’re more likely to win if you focus.” Paterson: “You need to invest, prioritise and focus. Qualify opportunities. Don’t go after everything.” Foo: “We have turned down quite a few opportunities so that we can focus our efforts in the right places and build a sustainable business that grows in the right areas. Our mantra is pitch twice as big, half as often.” Hughston: “New business can be brutal but you must be tenacious: it will pay off. Treat intermediaries with the respect they deserve and remember when you pitch - win or learn.” 6. Enjoy building your own team Working within a start-up can be a very different experience and it’s not for everyone – it’s demanding, it’s hard work; it’s everyone in it together. Employees who ‘get in early’ with an agency that’s going places could see their career grow as quickly as the agency does. Foo: “It’s fantastic to be able to handpick everyone in your team- we place as much emphasis on cultural fit as we do on capability and experience. It’s refreshing to spend time individually developing our people.” Simpson: “It’s important for agency partners not to dominate and give everyone a chance to pitch ideas. We believe that none of us are as smart as all of us.” Paterson: “Hire people based on their cultural fit with your agency as much as their skills and experience.” 7. It’s an adventure, not a journey All of the CEO’s reported they absolutely love leading their start-up but made no bones about the hard work involved and the rewards you can enjoy. Calcraft: “I had forgotten the intensity. It’s exhausting and always exhilarating. It’s like having kids – you forget the pain and remember the joy.” Hughston: "It's fucking hard and amazing in equal measure. It's a mix of being six on Christmas Day and losing sleep, regularly!" Paterson: “When it’s your business it’s all consuming. Because you are that much closer, the highs are dramatically high and the tough times can really hurt.” Cullis: “Running an agency is liberating, rewarding, tiring, frustrating. Sometimes it keeps me awake at night but, most of the time; I sleep really soundly … because I’m completely knackered.” Having spoken to all these agency leaders, it’s clear that setting up your own shop is not a decision to be taken lightly and certainly needs to be considered with a healthy dose of realism. That said, it was abundantly clear that nobody who we talked to regretted their decision and they all felt that the positives far outweighed the negatives. So, if you’re thinking about going it alone – the very best of luck, you’re in great company.

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