The talent crisis has long topped the agenda in the creative industries. The  ‘great resignation’ triggered by the pandemic has been a catalyst for people rejiging their priorities and seeking to work in a place they feel is rewarding, fulfilling and purposeful. A shift which has created an even greater focus  on building an environment where talent can thrive and people from all walks of life have the opportunity to reach their full potential. 

To create the best, culturally relevant and rewarding work, diverse talent is essential, but attracting this talent still  poses a challenge for some agencies. 

The past year has brought with it much change. There’s been an increase in talent schemes and new educational programs that champion people who may not have had opportunities before; to continue to meet the rising demands of staff, businesses must keep up by innovating. The talent crisis underlines the need for a healthy trade off in which businesses and their people both benefit, working together to ensure people are happy and the best most fruitful work can be created. 

As the world redefines the workplace and its position in people’s lives, how can agencies create a future-proof plan with talent top of mind. With this in mind we asked industry experts; how do you solve a problem like advertising’s talent crisis?

We asked ourselves some big questions during COVID, challenging the idea of what is truly important and the role that work plays in our lives. The talent ‘crisis’ stems from these questions and for our shared desire, and impatience, for the future to be better, for ourselves and for others.

I personally hate the term ‘back to normal’. Progress is never made by going backwards and this ‘crisis’ is indicative of how long overdue change really is. There is no single answer but a good start would be to remain open-minded, have integrity (both as an employer and an employee) and instigate change that is in the interest of the many, not just the few.

We’ve made a start at Superunion by establishing a culture committed to personal growth, a varied diet of work and a company where everyone is valued. We don’t have ‘junior’ in our titles, we believe in coaching, not appraisals and we support empowered flexible working - acting like a team and trusting each other to do phenomenal work wherever we are.

But we’re still learning and there’s a lot to be done.

One definition of a crisis is when important decisions need to be made. We’re now taking decisive action and embracing differences in every aspect of our company, especially talent. From working with partners such as D&AD Shift and Brixton Finishing School to focusing interviews less on experience and more on future potential. We now ask what someone can add to Superunion, whoever they are, wherever they’re from and wherever they need to work. 

We’ve been running the Joint Apprenticeship Scheme since we first started in 2012 and it continues to evolve at pace. Because future-proofing our industry means creating an environment where talented individuals with diverse experiences can fulfill all of their personal and professional potential.

So, when we recruit into the Joint Apprenticeship Scheme, we prioritise personal qualities above all else and we partner with the likes of Creative Access to ensure as broad a base of candidates as possible. Once the scheme starts, we aim for a very particular immersive experience that balances training and crafting skills with opportunities to contribute to the business from day one. 

We have found that young people entering the industry today have a voracious appetite for having a positive impact in all sorts of ways and we lean into this. Perhaps the clearest example of this is around Joint’s culture, which we always want to keep moving forward. We see new Apprentices joining as a fantastic opportunity to do just this and we make our induction process less ‘This is how things work around here’ and more ‘What shall we all do next?’

The advertising industry is not immune to the recruitment and retention crisis we find ourselves in at the moment. But at Croud we have always focused on attracting and nurturing the next wave of digital marketing leaders. 

Croud Campus is just one of our initiatives to support and become ‘the home’ of future digital talent. From the graduate programme, targeted at university graduates aiming to become digital experts in the near future, to the apprenticeship scheme focused on digital marketing and data, which welcomes passionate individuals whether or not they have any prior formal qualifications. There is also the internship initiative which offers experience and insight into digital marketing to those hoping to explore the industry a bit more. 

At Croud we also know that offering flexibility and autonomy is key for attracting and retaining talent, which is why we offer Croud Campus online so individuals can take charge of their career progression no matter where they are and at their own pace. The platform features over 150 courses to help professionals expand their digital skill set, and covers topics such as SEO, PPC, copywriting, localisation and more. Right now, Croud Campus is only available to our Croud employees, but the ambition is to open it up to anyone in the wider industry looking to sharpen their digital proficiency.

The creative industry is facing a talent crisis, and it’s much bigger than the impact of Covid. It goes to the very heart of what we offer the world: creativity.

Creativity is all about diversity. Different ideas, attitudes and perspectives that shape the new and drive change. It should be boundless. And if the industry does not reflect the diversity of the world it serves, then is its potential to be creative for that world somehow diminished? We believe it could be and call on all creative businesses to support and encourage diversity in all its forms to maximise our creative potential.

One way we’re looking to do this at venturethree is by making the industry more accessible to young talent from underrepresented groups. We’ve spent the last year and a half building a partnership with Creative Shift at UAL. Our first 8 week programme together was developed in collaboration with one of our brilliant and long standing clients, NOW, and focussed on a live brief with ongoing v3 mentorship. It tackled a real NOW brand challenge, but also encouraged students to tap into something they feel particularly passionate about. All geared towards making the experience as meaningful and rewarding as possible. With funding cuts affecting university budgets, v3 and NOW also offered financial support to help make it feasible for students to participate.  

Our experience confirms that there is a genuine challenge with the creative education system. The model is dated, and some lecturers still follow old curriculums lacking relevance to life and to the creative industry and how it operates. So beyond not inspiring creativity, it also doesn’t prepare students for the transition to work. Connecting with business is key to both those things. We hope that what we’re doing will encourage other companies to do the same, creating greater opportunity for young creative talent, and ultimately acting to improve diversity in our industry.