Building a diverse team
In a no-holes-barred podcast, Nat chatted to career mentor Sally Henderson about what’s needed to shake up the design industry to get more women into leadership positions.
Let’s get flexible
To create more diverse teams and support more female leaders the model of how agencies works with clients needs to change. The days of client as King (or Queen!) are out of date. The new workforce coming through isn’t driven in the same way and wants more work life balance, working mothers and fathers won’t stay in an industry where the cost of childcare and working hours means family life is severely compromised.
Our industry has its head in the sand when it comes to new ways of working with talent.
The majority of design agencies are clinging to archaic working practices and remain scared of flexible working. Female talent is leaving in droves as employers are not geared up to accommodate working parents. Male and Female.
There is a growing threat that talent can and will choose something different as there is vast choice available to top talent. Disciplines are so fluid in today’s modern market it is vital we adapt, evolve and stand out or we will get left behind.
The answer? The profile of the design industry needs to rise. Let’s embrace the innate humble nature and craft-based heritage and inject confident passion with a distinct voice to be compelling to talent and clients alike in an ever-crowded setting.
Tip: Any creative business can be a champion to change this and get more female role models in our industry. Start by acknowledging this is something important and valuable to your business and commit to changing the ratio. You will be future-proofing your business as a result.
Driving change
To be a champion for change and encourage more female leaders and diversity individual companies have many choices available to them. Here are just a few practical tips on how agencies can develop a strong diverse leadership team:
Make a plan for success so you know what success will look like in terms of building a more diverse and market fit leadership team
Go to market in an effective way. Identify the profile(s) you are looking for before you start looking. The more informed you get about what you want the more likely you will be to find it.
When you are hiring diverse new talent commit to what this looks like and support it. The classic mistake is that agencies reject diverse hires, because well, they are different.
Once you have found the talent commit to a professional and supportive on-boarding programme. Trust in senior hiring decisions and commit to supporting new leaders to adjust effectively. There is a misconception that senior people come without fear, uncertainty and needs. See new hires as valuable from day one, set milestones, communicate what is expected two ways and provide emotional support.
Ask yourself, have you defined, really defined, what great leadership means for your business to stand out and be distinctive? Despite the fact that 90% of design agencies employ less than 10 people you are never too small to define the leadership style and impact for your business
Your leadership is what makes your company distinctive to attract and retain the best talent as they get behind your purpose. Ensuring a good balance of male and female leadership will enable your business to benefit from a wider lens of perspective when it comes to engaging and leading your people
A quick checklist:
Get clear on where your business going in terms of purpose, differentiation, what the business stands for in the market, leadership style, diversity, team dynamics
Look at the talent you already have
Invest in development leadership shills
Recruit wisely
Onboard with kindness
Commit to your people
Commit to being a leader in the industry in terms of driving change and start by simply taking the first step
Understand what is the business you truly want to create in the world
If people truly are your biggest asset, then it’s time to walk the walk