We caught up with Ruby Kite, Talent Lead at The PHA Group, to dive into the world of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I). It’s a conversation that seems to be constantly on the tip of everyone’s tongue, but more often than not it’s the same buzzword answers being regurgitated, without actionable insight. We wanted to get down & dirty, explore the questions that normally remain unspoken and provide useful, actionable advice.
Obviously, hybrid working is great (yawn), but how else can agencies show flexibility in a way that works for all employees? Everyone knows unconscious bias is a problem, but what can Hiring Managers actually do about it? How can talent really assess a PR agency’s approach to DE&I beyond looking at stats on a website?
So grab a latte (pun intended) and join us as we explore the challenges and opportunities in creating a more inclusive workplace.
While the industry has made significant strides in the last few years to better reflect the demographic of our wider society, it remains a less welcoming space for those who are making a career move or have taken a break. Not only does the industry gatekeep vacancies from career movers, with ‘a black book of media contacts’ frequently cited as the golden ticket, there are a distinct lack of programmes to support such a transition for experienced professionals who can’t afford to join an internship programme on the London Living Wage, at best. When recruitment is commonly reported as one of the biggest challenges that agencies face in today’s competitive market, I hope to see more schemes, initiatives, and social enterprises dedicated to those who haven’t followed the traditional PR path, as there seem to be for so many other groups and communities.
LinkedIn Recruiter has a useful but inconsistently used tool that hides candidate’s names and photos until they have been added to the pipeline. The toggle can be found in a project’s workflow settings, and my team haven’t looked back since first activating it a few years ago. As recruiters are often the first line of contact between a candidate and an employer, it is vital that a fair process extends to passive candidates so that the hard work put in elsewhere in the process to ensure inclusivity is not wasted by unconsciously biased outreach. For the same reason as anonymising CVs, it ensures that the focus is where it should be at the screening stage – candidates’ previous experience. When their name is replaced with four random letters and their photo becomes an avatar, recruiters avoid making discriminatory decisions on occasions such as if they don’t know how to pronounce a candidate’s name, or if a profile picture looks too serious or silly for their liking.
Ask! Hearing a recruiter or hiring manager speak with confidence, or ignorance, about their agency’s commitment to and steps towards true inclusivity will paint a fairer picture than the generic language on a buzzword-filled company culture page. Remember to not only ask about the recruitment process – try to gauge how inclusive the environment is once you get through the doors.
E.g. Are there equal opportunities for promotions and pay rises, consolidated by policies? Is there fair representation of a range of underrepresented groups at all levels? How are flexible working requests dealt with, and what percentage are approved?
If it sounds too good to be true, don’t hesitate to reach out to current or former employees on LinkedIn, bearing in mind that a handful of perspectives will provide a fairer reflection than one alone.
Rather than enforcing compulsory days, giving employees the freedom to choose when they can work from home versus the office is a step in the right direction. Agencies that offer flexible start and finish times will find it easier to attract and retain talent than those with fixed working patterns. Agency leaders sometimes struggle to see how media monitoring, press release pitching, and crisis management can be performed without starting at 8:30am on the dot, but even allowing half an hour wiggle room either side of the standard contracted hours can make a difference to your employees’ enjoyment of and performance throughout the day. An alternative idea is to implement a ‘wellness hour’ one day every week that can be tagged onto the end of a lunch break to offer additional time for whatever wellness looks like to each employee in the middle of the working day.
While largely well-meaning, hiring for ‘culture fit’ can be problematic and a free pass for unconscious bias to creep into play. Hiring decisions should be based on a candidate’s alignment with the job description, rather than traits that could potentially nod to their education or socio-economic background, a neurodivergent condition/disability, parental status, or another underrepresented group. If presented with two candidates with almost identical skills, interviewers should look for ‘culture adds’ or alignment with company values, where appropriate.
E.g. Can they speak a language other than English that could benefit client work? Have they worked in another country and can bring cross-cultural competency to the table? Are they au fait with emerging technological trends that could increase innovation and efficiency in their team? Do they have a side hustle, exhibiting an entrepreneurial spirit that could help drive new business?
Considering candidates through this lens will have a positive impact on both the make-up and performance of a business.
Beyond my day-to-day job, I am enjoying my new role as a mentor on the PRCA’s Race & Ethnicity Board’s mentoring programme, through which I endeavour to offer long-lasting advice and support in my areas of specialism. The concept of reverse mentoring also excites me, and having provided feedback on hundreds of CVs over the years, I am actively looking to connect with junior talent from underrepresented groups to develop my understanding of the obstacles entering and performing in the industry, as well as my ability to facilitate a truly fair and inclusive recruitment and onboarding process in which everyone has the opportunity to thrive.
I’m not a coffee drinker, but I’m dying to try the Instagram-worthy hot chocolate with torched gooey marshmallow fluff at Chin Chin Labs, a short walk from our Soho-based office. I’ll keep you updated!
A little bit about The PHA Group
The PHA Group is an integrated communications agency specialising in PR, Digital, Creative, and Crisis solutions with offices in London, Manchester, Leeds, and Wokingham.
Our consumer, corporate, and reputation specialists deliver transformational results for household brands, international corporations, ambitious start-ups, and individuals with a story to tell. Committed to nurturing a positive and inclusive work environment, they are on a mission to support a long-term change that creates a more equal, diverse, and inclusive industry. For a deep dive into PHA’s DEI practices & policy, check out their Open Conversations Annual Report.