All In, the joint industry initiative fronted by the Advertising Association, IPA and ISBA, has made three key updates to actions focused on black, disabled, and working class talent as part of a plan to bolster its campaign for a more inclusive workforce.
The three new actions have been informed by the results of the March 2023 All In Census, which saw its largest-ever response of 19,000 respondents and tracked industry progress two years on from the 2021 inaugural survey.
The eight-step action plan was introduced in 2021, and also covers gender, Asian talent, older talent, mental health, and LGBTQ+ talent.
Action 1 – Invest in a sponsorship programme. Companies are asked to invest in a sponsorship programme, whether internal or external, or showcase how they are attracting and retaining Black talent within their organisation. According to the 2023 All In Census, just 2% of Black respondents were in C-suite positions, while 31% of Black respondents also reported that they felt undervalued compared to colleagues of equal competence.
Action 2 – Ask your staff or visitors if they have any accessibility needs. Companies are asked to provide the opportunity for current staff or visitors to their premises to share if they have any accessibility needs. The All In Census data revealed that for 39% of disabled people, their company was unaware of their disability/health condition. Of those whose company were aware, 53% felt their company was very supportive, 28% felt their company was supportive but could do more, 13% neither supportive or unsupportive, and 4% unsupportive.
Action 3 – Adopt the new Early Careers Social Mobility toolkit. Companies are asked to assess how they are developing working class talent, with a focus on those in the early stages of their careers, through a toolkit developed by the All In Social Mobility Working Group. Data from the All In Census showed that working-class professionals continue to be underrepresented in the UK advertising industry (20% compared to the national average of 40%). Those from fee-paying schools were also overrepresented in the industry.
Inclusion Working Group chair Kathryn Jacob OBE, who is also CEO of Pearl & Dean, said: “The 2023 All In Census results highlighted that the All In Action Plan is still just as important today as when we launched it in 2021.
“Progress has been made, but there is still more work to be done. The road to inclusion is complex and ever-evolving, and that is reflected in the updates to the All In Action Plan. Our objective is to continue to promote, encourage, and advocate for better representation, inclusion, and equity in UK advertising’s workforce.”
Details of the full Action Plan can be found on the All In Hub, alongside a summary of the 2023 All In Census findings and a directory of resources to help employers build an inclusive workplace, including over 100 DEI initiatives that can be easily accessed.
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