AdNews is following the WFH Diaries with a series of Perspectives, asking two questions: What did you learn in 2021 and what are you looking forward to in 2022? We've also encouraged the industry to glam, dress for the best, and face next year with optimism.
This article first appeared in the November-December 2021 AdNews magazine.
Aimee Buchanan, CEO, ANZ, GroupM:
We were lured into a false sense of security as we entered 2021, with a lot of Australian industry (outside of Melbourne) having not really felt the full pinch of COVID-19 until this year. In 2020, the COVID-19 impact was economic, constant reforecasts and scenario plans as we saw ad spend grind to a halt. In 2021, the impact has been much more human. Against this backdrop, we have seen the discussion on the great resignation, and we are desperately feeling the talent shortage as an industry that has long come to rely on people from overseas, as we saw our borders stay closed in 2021. Churn is at an all-time high in adland here in Australia and vacancy rates the highest they have been in four years. With so much outside of our control, the pressure is mounting on our staff to keep the wheels on and many people managing their work and kids in the confines of their home. It’s no wonder that many people are questioning their professional futures and looking for change, in one of the few areas that they can change.
I am one of those great statistics, having resigned from my incredible role and team at OMD, to venture on a new career adventure at GroupM. I was fortunate to be put on gardening leave and I was quickly designated the head teacher in our household. It wasn’t the gardening leave I had imagined, but I think it was what I needed. For the first time in over 20 years, a chance to stop and reflect on where I was, to spend time with my family and to think about what I wanted to achieve in my new role. I was exhausted and I had only done a month of the home school juggle, but the stress of leading through the last 18 months with two small children was real. I’ll be forever grateful for that time and here is what I have learnt:
There is no going back to a pre-COVID-19 world. Conversations about the future of work are around hybrid worlds with flexible working but we need to go beyond that. We need to be talking about outcomes, not geography, and embracing new ways of working. We know they can work and our people will expect it. Jobs are now advertised including their approach to flexibility as part of the description, and leading companies are putting a stake in the ground.
People need purpose like never before — the value exchange needs to be more than just money. This isn’t new news, but in an employee market, people will make the move because of it. One of the key things that drew me to GroupM was the vision of “making advertising better for people”. This needs to have substance and tangible proof points for people and I am excited to bring this to life, particularly around responsible advertising, sustainability and new models of working. Having a purpose that translates into something valuable beyond economics will be critical for businesses wanting to attract and retain the best talent.
The great resignation will soon be the great migration — as we see the world opened up for travel, many of our younger staff will be wanting to take the gap year they have been waiting for or the overseas working experience they’ve dreamed of to broaden their horizons and shape their career. We can be ready for this or not.
Inclusivity will be the focus for driving more diverse teams and workforces — the opportunity for a more diverse industry is huge and I strongly believe needed. As an industry, as we work to remove the barriers for employment and find new talent sources, the focus will need to quickly shift to how we are making our businesses more inclusive. This is much harder to change and, in many instances, will require huge cultural shift. This will be the make or break of most companies’ diversity charters.
Reflection is a good thing and I am excited about the path forward into 2022. The great divide between a pre- and post-COVID-19 world offers boundless opportunity to think about how we engage our people and create a workforce for the future, the capability we need for our clients and the cultures we want to foster. In an industry where people are our only major asset, it forces the focus to be on what matters, our people.
Have something to say on this? Share your views in the comments section below. Or if you have a news story or tip-off, drop us a line at adnews@yaffa.com.au
Sign up to the AdNews newsletter, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for breaking stories and campaigns throughout the day.