By Claire Douglas-Pennant, chief people officer, Omnicom Media Group UK
An engaged workforce has always been crucial for business success but the focus on talent retention has increased in the past few years as competition for good people has intensified and recruitment has become more difficult across the board.
Within this nationwide situation – that cuts across sectors – our world of media and advertising agencies face some specific challenges in the UK. A group network often involves multiple agencies – each with their own distinct cultures – being housed within one group.
This can necessitate a delicate balance of consistency and individual culture at the best of times. But it is tested in different ways when it comes to talent management. The best practice for any agency network is to ensure there is sufficient collaboration across agencies to avoid internal competition for talent, while each agency thrives on its own, but employees gain the benefits of working for a group that offers scale and a host of opportunities.
The benefit of a network
The war for talent in our industry is particularly fierce, which is why we are prioritising internal career growth at OMG UK, to attract – and retain – talent. The great benefit of having an agency network is it provides the framework and opportunity for people to progress, work for different agencies or cross-function, be promoted and gain new skills, without having to leave the group fold.
This adds value to us as a business, but it also adds value to our clients, as it means our people gain experience from different agencies within the network rather than them leaving for our competitors. Ultimately everyone wins if expertise across the group is nurtured and developed. We know that employee engagement has a strong link to client engagement so the benefit is shared if people are inspired by their workplace through a broader array of opportunities. This collaborative approach helps improve retention rates – which in advertising and media can often be problematic compared with other sectors.
Internal mobility
But ensuring your network bolsters your talent pool requires forethought and strategy. To avoid internal competition, you need transparent structures and reward levels. This is why at OMG UK we’ve recently introduced internal mobility principles. The aim is to remove any barriers to movement around the group and encourage people – and their managers – to proactively manage their career path.
It starts by ensuring everyone knows there are numerous options for discussing career paths internally – be that with line managers, the People team or the Talent Attraction team. Two essentials are that people can clearly see the job vacancies within the network – we have a portal of available roles to browse – and that they feel they can have open conversations about their aspirations.
These principles clearly state the process for applying for jobs within the network. Transparency is vital so that all applications can be carried out openly and with the full knowledge of current line managers, but also to ensure that everyone has the same opportunities and is aware of potential roles or moves across disciplines.
Importance of building talent networks
Driving talent mobility and widening the talent pool also involves encouraging employees to use their own networks – inside and outside of the industry – to help find new talent. We offer employees a referral award for anyone who is successfully hired based on their referral. Our people are our best advocates, they know our ways of working, and most importantly, our unique culture.
The benefits of working in a network for career development and movement can be built on for employees at all levels but it is particularly relevant for early-stage talent. In recent years, the role of the employer and the career expectations of junior talent has changed. There is a generation of potential employees whose first experience of work is one of remote or hybrid working. They are looking to us to be more proactive in helping them grow on a personal and professional level, and are hungry for progression in their career. Personal growth relies on building an inclusive work environment which fosters a strong sense of belonging, where difference is valued, and everyone is able to bring their true selves to work.
Fundamentally, talent mobility helps on multiple levels – it builds trust and collaboration across the agencies; everyone ultimately wins if their people are happy and feel that the agency network is nurturing their career path and offering career opportunities; and holding onto expertise saves on recruitment costs and better serves our clients.
