ARREST THE TALENT DRAIN

Losing talent in the ad industry is a serious issue – Dr. Muneer Muhamed

Smaller ad agencies that are similar to many other small and medium-size enterprises across the world are having a serious problem in one area: sourcing and retaining talent. And this isn’t the same as pressure from clients on media commissions or cutting down of marketing spends.

While these are issues of concern, the biggest challenge is the loss of quality talent to many tech startups, clients and competing service agencies.

The critical asset in advertising is qualified and skilled people – whether in media buying, strategy or creative and art. What makes any advertising campaign outstanding is the creative spark of a few talented employees based on meaningful briefs from the client servicing team.

So how do small and medium-size ad agencies manage or stop the brain drain?

The need is to create an atmosphere in the workplace that makes a job enjoyable; one that is apolitical and requiring less conformity – an atmosphere where shrewd schemers and backstabbers have no place.

Even though an office is a business environment, it’s the place where most of us spend more than a third of our daily lives. The best offices include airy rooms with levels, pillars and wall space to pin up ideas. But the most important aspect of these rooms is that they provide a place to search for new ideas, brainstorm and collaborate.

New economy companies have pleasant offices compared to most agency offices.

Good talent is attracted by good work content (not necessarily good money). Unlike some businesses, agency people respond to a ‘now’ environment. Every year, certain agencies are listed as ‘hot.’ Those on the upswing are able to attract great talent more readily. Creative hot shops are an example of this.

The ad agency business may be less secure than others with the exception of perhaps startups. And this insecurity often affects the attitude within the organisation.

And the best way to address this problem is to provide an environment with open, honest communication. When the agency has problems, it’s best to be transparent and share them with employees.

Too often, senior management isolates itself but this should not be the case. Instead, leaders should roll up their sleeves and dig into the work with their people. In most of the top agencies, CEOs hardly interact with their employees across the branches; instead, they find the time to interact with their international offices or play golf to bring in new business!

It is the rare agency that retains this working partnership style as it grows into a giant. And because many agency managers lose touch with their businesses, lower level people often drift away without loyalty to anyone.

To a small agency, every employee is as important as every account. Senior management should schedule regular reviews of each account rather than only the big spenders. This not only provides guidance on the business but also provides important exposure for lower level staff.

It is also important for them to ‘walk the shop.’ If they can spend even 30 minutes a month with employees on a drop in basis, it could provide a better sense of involvement.

The same holds good for ad agency outings. These occasions offer management teams an opportunity to mix and meet with the ranks. And such events may also be used to outline plans.

A bunch of key personnel defections can hurt any ad agency. Obviously, there are no guarantees but agencies must identify key players and do everything possible to retain them. For a smaller agency, losing its creative head can be fatal especially when it is known for its creatives.

Great agencies work hard to retain their most talented and highly motivated people. The following strategies will help arrest the talent drain…

REWARDS Offer competitive salaries and benefits to attract and retain top talent. Regularly review and adjust compensation to match industry norms among similar size agencies.

TRAINING Invest in training and development to enable employees to acquire new skills and advance in their careers within the agency.

CAREER PATHS Establish clear career paths and growth opportunities within the agency. Provide a roadmap to show how staff can progress in their roles.

FLEXIBILITY Promote a healthy work-life balance to reduce burnout. Encourage flexible work arrangements and time off when needed.

WORKLOADS Ensure that clients are respectful and reasonable in their demands so that employees aren’t overburdened with excessive workloads and stress.

ENCOURAGE Offer employees opportunities to work on innovative and exciting projects that will allow them to showcase their creativity and skills.

RECOGNITION Acknowledge and reward outstanding performance via bonuses, promotions or other forms of recognition.

RETENTION Implement specific retention strategies such as mentorship, leadership develop­ment and team building activities.

FEEDBACK Conduct exit interviews and use this feedback to make the necessary improvements.