Talent Talk: Why Free Pizza Is Not a Good Company Culture
Between global pandemics, a remote working revolution and global movements calling for greater diversity, equality and accessibility in the creative industries, there has never been such a focus on talent in our business as there is right now. This series dedicated to the future of creative teams is supported by Partners in Crime (PiC). Founder of PiC, Stephen ‘Goldie’ Goldblatt, is throwing open a discussion on what’s next for talent. Hearing from some of the industry’s most forging agency leaders, heads of talent, culture and diversity, we will explore what leaders think we really need to do to retain and attract the best creative minds in the business AND deliver what clients need, in one fell swoop.
In this edition of Talent Talk, LBB’s Alex Reeves speaks with Kate Thrumble, VP, head of people & experience at VaynerMedia EMEA. She talks about the advertising function of a world-class employee experience, the real conversations that are needed on working hours and burnout, as well as what implementing a good company culture actually looks like (beyond buying overworked employees some pizza every so often.)
LBB> How do you think some of the old-fashioned hiring and retention practices are holding back agencies from getting the best talent?
Kate> A lot of departments look in the same old places for talent, rather than leveraging partnerships or embracing social platforms. There are thousands of talented people out there who are looking for roles but you’ll never find them if you’re not listening and paying attention to where they express themselves online.
When it comes to retention, really, the focus shifts to experience. From the moment they see your advert that experience begins. If an attention grabbing experience isn’t created then you risk becoming a second choice or forgotten. Your candidates, even if they don’t get the job, are humans - they speak to their friends and family about good and bad experiences. They become walking, talking adverts for your business and that means that their experience should be consistent, welcoming and fun.
The same goes, of course, for current employees. If you dismiss the power and impact of a world-class employee experience you risk people not feeling connected, lacking a sense of belonging, or feeling like just another number. Putting too much effort into operations and forgetting experience is a one way ticket to high turnover.
We must train managers to be good coaches and really listen to people. That way you pick up on the small things, which can turn into the big things that lead to people leaving.
Onboarding has modernised and handing someone a laptop and email address is no longer the right way to do things. We work in a very complex sector and many agencies are trading on their points of difference. New employees should be walked through them, giving them confidence from the off.
Later, it’s vital to set up mentoring programmes across disciplines and locations, giving people the opportunities that they may have joined up for.
Finally, we can all do more to tackle the stigma in our industry around working hours required during busy times. Burnout and feeling underappreciated are two of the biggest threats to retention. We need to ensure people are managed fairly and given access to the right work/life right balance.
LBB> What makes VaynerMedia stand out from other agencies when it comes to attracting creative people?
Kate> Ultimately, Gary and the team have created an environment where creativity can thrive. It doesn’t mean simply those who design or film our content, but extending that to professionals in non-billable roles or other areas who are encouraged to try creative ways of solving problems.
We talk a lot about not being afraid to fail and what we can learn from trying things in a different way to the rest of the industry. That also means that for many creatives VaynerMedia is a great place to try ideas and actually get them done. We all know many creatives have tons of things up their sleeves that they’ve never been given the time to try.
That comes from the top and we want our working atmosphere of creative freedom and diverse global teams who try new ideas to reach as many people as possible. We understand that creative minds need support and freedom of expression. We’re proud that our Community Resource Groups (CRGs) are there to support people and help us all show up to work as our whole selves.
As well as that we encourage people to try new things and see new places and take inspiration from there. We’ve recently sent people to events such as VeeCon and UKCF, as well as days out at Alton Towers!
We invest in our comms department to shout about our work with great brands - from tech to fashion - who have an appetite for challenging the status quo.
Our hiring process is an important element too. For entry level roles, we do not require a degree qualification, which we feel can often rule out great candidates. Instead, we favour a love for the work and passion for new ideas.
We have entry level roles across most departments and in addition run a residency programme that is built to foster the new generation of advertising professionals.
Residents learn with us for three months and are given thorough training in how our model works and how they can put it into practice. From each cohort, some will take on full time roles with us, but we aim for the project to be a good foundation for working in the industry if they move elsewhere too.
As well as this, we partner with incredible organisations such as Digilearning who provide access to the industry for people from all backgrounds. With other partners, such as The Gen Z Club, we’ve held careers fair events to reach broader, more diverse audiences.
LBB> What broader macro trends and market forces do you feel impacting the way you recruit and build teams at VaynerMedia?
Kate> We’re noticing values towards freelance work shift slightly. Despite the flexible working culture that has emerged and undoubtedly benefited so many of us in the last few years, more freelance employees are looking for longer term contracts or permanent roles with us. There’s an increased desire for security.
The cost of living crisis means we are regularly reviewing salary bands, to ensure we remain competitive and to look after our people as best as we can.
We are also seeing a general trend that people want to know what they’re working on has meaning, that it is bigger than just them or their team and is helping to support a bigger goal. In a world where we are all surrounded by so much information and so many opinions, we’re glad people are keen to work on something they see as valuable and encourage them to try and find that in their lives. We are all more productive, focused and passionate if we really feel like the cause we’re working for is worthwhile.
LBB> What are the key practices that keep your culture intact as the VaynerMedia network grows into new geographical areas and specialisms?
Kate> At the beginning of this year, and following the huge growth we had seen in staff numbers, we held ongoing ‘All Ears’ sessions, where staff were invited to speak about things that were on their mind, questions they had about the future of the business, or share concerns they might have. It helped to maintain honest conversations about the culture of the business, where our staff thought we were doing well and where we could improve.
We know that communication, especially in a hybrid world, is key to creating an inclusive, inspiring and high-performing environment, which is why we have a number of internal team meetings to share, listen and learn.
In our weekly team catch up on a Friday, we discuss new business pitches, client account updates, new hires and leavers, cultural events and what’s happening across the business.
They’re vital to keeping everyone on board and included. Different teams and departments have a go at hosting and we hold monthly awards to encourage, celebrate and instil our behaviours and culture. They are voted for anonymously by staff and are always a lot of fun!
We’re aware that we want to continually keep people feeling part of a whole and the wider culture at the agency. So, a lot of the work we do in this regard is structure and ensuring people have space to communicate, whether that’s critical or praise.
LBB> How does VaynerMedia build and maintain an environment that ensures inclusivity?
Kate> Our intention is to embed diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility into the DNA of VaynerMedia, rooting it in equitable practices as we recognise the needs of our employees of today and tomorrow.
Our commitment to our employees is providing an increasingly diverse working environment, building awareness and community. We're learning and adding new practices all the time. Bit by bit, we’re creating a hub of resources and services that support our various intersectional and neurodiverse needs.
To continue our training and education, we invest in DE&I and CRG surveys and have launched team sessions on unconscious bias, anti-racism, allyship, understanding gender equity, microaggressions, and trauma of exclusion, to name a few.
LBB> What do you believe is the secret to forging long-lasting cultural impact?
Kate> There are a few elements that I believe are really important to this.
First is really being clear on where your values lie. It’s very easy in our industry for businesses to say they care about company culture and then not actually make any meaningful changes. It’s become a bit of a meme and a joke that free pizza once a month doesn’t fix a chronically overworked, unhappy, or underpaid staff.
If you’re really putting culture at the top of your agenda you need to make big moves and stick to them. One of these is realising that as part of the leadership or HR teams that you work for your staff, not the other way around.
You must listen to what drives your staff and do the best you can to create a workplace that rewards and supports them in the right way. Whether it’s money, travel, promotion opportunities, social experiences, even down to things like helping them see their favourite football club or pop star. If you take an interest in these things and support them, it’s a huge step towards creating a culture where people feel genuinely cared about.
It’s important to note that there is no blanket rule for everyone. We’re all different and you need to spend time and money investing in your human resource teams to achieve this at scale.
Another really crucial element is about staff retention. If someone is making your company a lot of money but they bring a really bad energy to work, or create problems, or upset staff, and you continue to employ them - you’re making a choice that harms your company culture. Having open and honest conversations about this is vital. It’s a sensitive subject but ultimately a lot of businesses choose the wrong path and then miss out on the potential of people who leave.
It is a really big task and it’s important that we don’t get over awed by it. It takes a long time to build a long lasting company culture, it can’t be rushed. But by listening, really paying attention to your staff and reflecting on what it is needed with humility, we can all get there.
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