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October 21, 2005
The On-Going Challenge of Diversity
I woke up this morning to an incredibly depressing headline in the NY Times business section "WPP Senior Executive Resigns Over Remarks on Women." Neil French, a worldwide creative director, said that "women don't make it to the top because they don't deserve to." According to the Times, he suggested that women's roles as caregivers and childbearers prevents them from succeeding in top positions. "They don't work hard enough. It's not a joke job." This type of blatant discrimination and ignorance is almost impossible to fathom in 2005, much less in an industry where women constitute over half of the workforce and much of the leadership .
But there is an even broader challenge for all of us in the agency business. Our recruiting and promotion policies are not keeping up with an increasingly diverse world. Specifically, we are not attracting and retaining the best and the brightest people of color. We lack critical mass in diverse populations so we are in a vicious circle, where new recruits feel isolated and leave. As a result of our more limited world view, we are not offering the most insightful counsel to our clients.
Why is this the case?
1) Our recruiting efforts--Most PR companies rely on word-of-mouth and referrals from the installed base of employees. In the US, colleges like Boston University, Syracuse, and USC are major feeders of talent into the system. One generation of Syracuse grads leads to the next and so on. There is nothing wrong with this system--we get excellent people from these schools. But we do not get a major infusion of people of color.
2) Our failure to sell the industry as an exciting career option--I believe that we are losing even before students arrive at college. Who are the role models being put forward? How is the industry being presented? We are not seen as a field in which you can do well financially and do good by affecting behavior of large companies.
3) Our tendency to put people of color into diversity units--There is absolutely a place for Hispanic or other specialty diversity operations. But people with talent should be in the mainstream business. I have noted the success of our JCPR operation in London, a perfect mirror of today's multiracial city, with club-saavy, enthusiastic young people who are part of the cultural fabric.
4) Our inability to offer a multinational career path--I know that all of us on the agency side want to do this. But our focus on local P&L, our desire to accommodate the short term needs of our clients and the new world of terrorism-induced restrictions on immigration are all significant road blocks. Our MNC clients are doing this better than we are--as an example, our Unilever US client on Dove is a Frenchman. If we are truly going to offer the best of global campaigns with local sensitivity, we will have to improve on this score.
Here are a few suggestions for us to consider. Why not refocus our summer internship programs on people of color instead of people with connections (I put my hand up here--I was responsible personally for four interns at Edelman NY this summer, all children of my friends--highly intelligent, hard working but they are going to be just fine without an Edelman internship). We can also create a buddy system at each firm to assure that an incoming account executive feels at home, with a committed mentor and peer support. If there are areas of specific weakness (writing, media relations), we could offer continuing education. We could make a special effort to recruit at colleges with large minority populations and try to improve the PR curriculum with case histories and volunteer teachers from the PR sector. We should also be open to taking people of color at mid-career, those who have had experience in public affairs, events or cause-related marketing. Each firm should commit to an annual reporting of progress in this area, with total transparency on number of employees, new recruits, and percentage of senior team.
Status quo in this area is not acceptable. To go along as we have is to accept a world as it was, not as it is becoming. As always I would appreciate your input.
My brother, John, has his own ideas on this subject. He recently gave a speech at the National Black PR Conference.
Find his thoughts below.
Thank you for the opportunity to participate in the NBPRS Conference and Career Fair plenary discussion "Hiring and Retaining Top Notch, Diverse PR Talent". Last year's conference launched significant activity around diversity in the public relations industry but how far has the industry really progressed?
In my view, the industry has not progressed much.. In fact, we are way behind. Greater diversity in our firms would enable us to provide better counsel to our clients. More corporations such as Merrill Lynch, Abbott, Citigroup, and Sprint among other recognize the competitive advantage of a diverse workplace and diversity generally, and if we as public relations leaders do not recognize and proactively address these issues, we will fall behind in the "race for talent" and the "race for clients".
Dr. Ford's and Dr. Applebome's research gives some useful information and practical ideas about many of these issues. Like Dr Ford's and Dr. Applebome's study, The PR Coalition, the DC NBPRS chapter, and PRSA reports recommend similar best practices ranging from diversity councils to internships to outreach to HBCUs to diversity training to partnering with multi-cultural organizations to mentoring among others. All these conferences and studies have resulted in greater awareness about diversity, but our challenge and opportunity is to move to involvement and participation and results. All of us are passionate about these issues and all of us could envision what diversity in the industry would look like, but what are the issues that still appear to be bringing us to these same forums and revisiting these same issues.
I would like to share my point of view about some continuing challenges and some specific Edelman initiatives on our diversity journey..
CHALLENGES
1) Unifying our industry efforts-all of the industry organizations have ongoing programs and leadership committees about diversity initiatives. In the past year, the PR Coalition, PRSA, Council of Public Relations Firms,and NBPRSA all have had separate conferences and forums with separate outputs of background papers and recommendations. We are one industry and we should be communicating with one voice like we counsel our clients.
2) Building the talent pool and expanding opportunities for mid-career and experienced professionals looking for new opportunities who may not have considered public relations as a career opportunity. Job-Hopping and "Poaching" of our best and brightest public relations professionals and communicators are not long term solutions to building diversity in the public relations industry. With the fragmentation of the media and the 24/7 era of web-based and instant communications channels, public relations only will grow as a career opportunity.
3) Growing the talent pool of the future by expanding the Diversity Pipeline and introducing public relations as a career opportunity at the middle school and high school level.
4) Engaging the agency and firm senior leadership in diversity dialogue and producing positive results that leads to hiring more African-Americans and other diverse employees.
5) Recognizing diversity is a global issue, and we as public relations practitioners have the opportunity to be leaders in navigating the issues for our clients, for our employees, and for our industry.
Now that I have shared a broad view of the public relations industry challenges, I would like to share specific Edelman initiatives about how we are approaching diversity in our firm.
EDELMAN INITIATIVES
1) Promotion of Michelle Deese to community relations and diversity manager. Her human resources and recruitment background is key to our diversity outreach and retention.
2) Developing an Integrated approach to diversity-ongoing recruitment outreach to HBCUs, a diversity advisory council in formation, partnerships and sponsorships like this with BPRS, and becoming a national corporate sponsor of National Minority Supplier Development Council(NMSDC) to work with minority-owned enterprises.
3) Launched a mentoring pilot program from October to December 2005 with the goal to broaden in 2006.
4) Sponsoring employee educational events such as Hispanic Heritage Month and Black History Month
5) Corporate philanthropy-we are handling public relations pro bono for the Global Business Coalition on HIV. We just completed the public relations activities for the GBC Awards Ceremony at the Kennedy Center featuring Angeline Jolie as spokesperson.
We appreciate the opportunity to be here and look forward to working with you to move from awareness to involvement to participation and results. Thank you.
Posted by Edelman at October 21, 2005 1:14 PM
Comments
Great to hear this perspective - a thought/question - why restrict recruiting of mid-career professionals (whether woman or men, white or black) to those who have specific experience related to PR (event management etc?)
I would think that one route to attracting highly talented professionals and new talent would be to find ways to attract great people - including smart, talented, creative professionals from careers outside of your "normal" realm of recruiting.
It would take a different approach to training and perhaps the workplace - but I would imagine that done well you might gain a wealth of new expertise, experience, perspectives, approaches and points of view. You could also specifically focus on recruiting professionals of color and woman - many of whom might be both seeking a new career path and/or running into glass ceilings/discrimination in their present career.
(this is brought home to me directly - I'm male but my girlfriend is a very talented but frustrated with her 10+ year career in corporate banking as she has experienced discrimination and different opportunities for men and women at her present firm - given an opportunity she could very well leap at the chance to flurish in a new career - especially one where she could see direct results and great opportunities)
Shannon
Posted by: Shannon Clark at October 21, 2005 5:00 PM
Shannon,
Excellent point
Andy Merrill who runs our financial PR unit was a banker for 10 years then switched over to PR and he is just first rate
Posted by: Richard Edelman at October 24, 2005 4:07 PM
Mr. Edelman,
As a student at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, I have been able to be a part of a giant career-counseling network, as the University plays host to a large number of top-notch companies at various career fairs throughout the year.
I have been disappointed, however, at the lack of public relations firms at these fairs. In fact, I believe I have only encountered two firms on-campus in my four years of attendance. I have since been left alone to conduct my job search and learn about the PR industry. Ultimately, it has turned out quite well, as I have made fantastic contacts within the profession, but I am still concerned with the industry’s lack of proactive recruitment programming.
Firms are missing out on top-notch talent by only focusing their recruitment efforts on a few schools like Syracuse and Boston University. The past two PRWeek Student of the Year award-winners have been myself, from the University of Illinois, and a student from Howard University; schools that some recruiters may not necessarily think of often. Don’t get me wrong; the schools you mentioned are fantastic institutions with some of the best programs, but if a more conscious effort was made to inform students early on in their education about the PR field, the rise in talent would be outstanding.
Perhaps a recruitment committee needs to be established in the PRSA, or the major firms can get together to fuel some money into a joint-recruitment and educational campaign? On a wider scale, I am in full agreement with you that if public relations, as a profession, came out publicly more often to champion its successes and its leaders, rather than having to defend itself in its failures, the public perception would slowly begin to shift. If this happens, I believe there would be a rise in talent, quality of work and public confidence in the industry.
By the way, I have been reading your blog every week for a year now, and I have really enjoyed reading your insights on issues facing the industry. It has solidified my decision to go into this profession.
Regards,
Josh
Posted by: Josh Morton at October 25, 2005 5:52 PM
Josh thanks for writing
No question that the industry has been lazy about recruiting, relying on word of mouth We can't break through on diversity without good old shoe leather John Edelman will be in touch with you on recruiting from U of I
Posted by: Richard Edelman at October 26, 2005 8:55 AM
It was interesting reading this blog but unfortunately, I was disappointed in how much it lacks forward thinking or real understanding of the issues over diversity, especially in the public relations world. I'll share a few perspectives here for your consideration and evaluation.
I worked at a "major" PR agency here in Washington, D.C., and was the 'only' Hispanic in an entire 100 plus enployee office. I came in as a senior account executive ready, willing and excited to provide an additional perspective to client work but I think the agency was not ready for it and the environment was not conductive to supporting it.
Some of the major flaws that I see are the competitive nature among offices from similar PR agencies. For example, I was part of the "diversity team," which included an African American woman from my office and various other executives from other offices accross the United States. The problem with this business model is that office "A" based in Los Angeles will probably not, if at all, involve anyone from office "B" based in Chicago for any potential and 'substantive' client work related to diversity or otherwise. The simple reason is billable hours and annual budgets. It is to the benefit and the responsibility of the general manager of office "A" to keep as much, if not all, of the billable hours in-house instead of sharing it with other offices accross the network.
So while I knew that there was a great deal of diversity work being done in LA, nothing was distributed to or shared with other offices because of that reason. In fact, it was more convenient for the LA office to hire someone at my level than utilize my expertise.
Obviously, my strategy should have adjusted to this reality once I identified the problem. It did. I wrote an extensive memo to the general manager outlining ways to expand our own diversity client work in-house. I was basically positioning myself to lead this effort. But again, the agency was not ready for this opportunity. Why? The problem is how client work is done. Basically, once you win an account, a team has already been formed with some senior member leading it and serving as the point of contact for the client. Unfortunately, if a diversity strategy was not pitched or included in the original proposal -- maybe because it's usually the last thing anyone thinks about and the lack of diversity to begin with -- then it's very difficult to add a member after the fact who could expand the contract to include a diversity strategy. Client work is very territorial within an agency.
So what are some solutions? Well, I think appointing someone to as community relations or diversity manager is only window dressing. I was expecting a more aggressive approach...I think this person needs to have the full backing of the agency, the power to hire, and a substantive budget. And if we're serious about this, then this person should be an executive who should be considered among the senior leadership of the agency.
One also needs to understand that among Fortune 1,000 companies, very, very few of them are active in reaching out to the Hispanic community. But that's why a good PR agency should be able to convince (counsel) the client that investing in programs that reach out (market) to the Hispanic community makes good business sense for the simple fact that the Hispanic purchasing power in the United States is over $700 billion ($1 trillion by 2010) and Hispanics are more brand loyal than any other minority group.
Each office should be self sufficient regarding diversity. Meaning that there should be a senior executive who would lead a diversity team and be included in strategy or brainstorming sessions or even review every proposal to include a diversity component regardless of client needs. Some may question, why give the client something that it did not ask for...well because we're suppose to give them not only what they ask for but also what we think they should do. We need to be proactive and forward thinking...that's what the client expects of us. And diversity work is forward thinking.
I stayed two years with my agency. After that, I decided to move to the association world and work for a Hispanic organization that works exclusively with Fortune 1,000 companies in diversity (procurement, employment, philanthropy and governance). Now, I'm the director of communications and corporate relations and can see that there is still so much more to be done in this area. Good luck in your experiment.
Posted by: Omar V.W. at October 26, 2005 5:28 PM
Thank you for your comments and commitment to diversity, and to your work in advancing the profession as a whole.
I was in the audience while John spoke at NBPRS, and I agreed whole-heartedly with his comments and his proof-is-in-the-program initiatives. Edelman stood out from the crowd that day, not only as a company willing to chastize the industry, but (as usual), to ask the hard questions of itself and make way for lasting change.
I think it's also important (as you wonderfully admit) to avoid placing friends of likeness in positions and to become comfortable with diversity as a whole, because diversity is fundamentally not about color or race, but about differences. Innately, people gravitate toward what is familiar, and there is a natural tendency to open that channel only so far.
We must challenge ourselves, our employees and our programs to widen our views and stretch the limits of our cultural comfort zones if we are ever to stop slotting people in entry-level positions and stopping them in mid-management.
Until we take the time and the discipline to knowingly open ourselves to the talents, skills, viewpoints and values of others who are not like us, we will always limit our interaction with them because we are uncomfortable.
Embracing diversity really means that we have to allow ourselves to experience people of difference to the point where we begin to not only see them as equals, but as leaders.
Cross-pollination programs are an excellent way to create change at a lasting level. Why not have planned inter-cultural exchanges between offices where the majority become the minority, etc? For minority accounts, have non-minority account executives sit in on briefings, and vice-versa. This requires a commitment of resources but it also prevents the type-casting and narrow-listing that goes on with people of color working for minority accounts.
Edelman again is taking the lead on improving the profession, not only in words but actions. I look forward to how you will change not only your agency, but the profession as a whole through your commitment to these and other programs.
Best,
Margo
Posted by: Margo Mateas at October 26, 2005 7:57 PM
Thanks for the willingness to open this dialogue and cast a constructively critical eye on our own practices at Edelman. As "pioneer thinkers" in areas of communications, we have the same opportunity -- obligation in fact -- to innovate and find new ways to recruit and retain diverse talent. Not only does it enhance our thinking and service to clients, it adds positive energy to the workplace. The JCPR setting is ideal - one where diversity is not "something we're promoting" but simply "the way we operate" and an inherent value we offer clients. Let's develop training and development modules that ensure all Edelman employees have the technical and functional skills to succeed with clients and live up to the agency's reputation; people of color do not necessarily require added or special skills training in that regard. I would add, developing internal affinity groups and access to networking for professionals of color need not stop at the junior levels; it would be beneficial across levels/disciplines, and may help create ties with the agency that truly bind and last over time.
Posted by: Cheryl Overton at October 27, 2005 6:54 AM
I like the idea of cross pollination
Thanks for compliment to John
Posted by: Richard Edelman at October 27, 2005 11:33 AM
Your story is exactly why I wrote my blog We are doing a poor job of making people like you feel welcome and well utilized
You are correct we need to have a senior person in charge and responsible
And to overcome the local office P&L pressures
This must be a top priority and watch us to keep us accountable!
Posted by: Richard Edelman at October 27, 2005 11:34 AM
Cheryl,
I had a fascinating dinner with Mayor Ken Livingstone of London on Sunday night. He said that the strength of the city is now its diversity, its ability to attract the best and the brightest from all corners of the world. We should aim as an industry to be a microcosm of this city, where great ideas are the product of a truly multicultural work force. You are right about the need for mentors for more senior people as well. Please help me and the industry to do this, and soon!
Posted by: Richard Edelman at October 27, 2005 3:27 PM
Thanks for your note, Richard. I agree with Mayor Livingstone; I wish more shared his view. I am happy to contribute in any way I can and have been playing roles in the BPRSA and the PRSA Diversity committee in addition to mentoring African American PR practitioners at Edelman and elsewhere. Please consider me poised and ready to serve as needed in a more formal capacity. Thanks for reading the blog comment...cro
Posted by: Cheryl Overton at October 27, 2005 3:27 PM
The issue of diversity in PR goes beyond colour and ethnic background to also include social background and sexuality. In the US, ethnic background and social background often go together but in Europe the distinction is well worth making. I grew up in a working-class neighbourhood of an industrial town in the north of England and the cultural references and what matter to my peers from back then is very different to the experiences of many UK university graduates.
Regarding sexuality, one of the most cringeworthy experiences I have ever had was being pitched by a rival agency of Edelman for consumer work, where at the end of their presentation they had two slides highlighting their gay credentials with one of their team positioned as a gay uncle Tom.
Posted by: Ged Carroll at November 1, 2005 7:39 AM
I only wonder that with all the concern over diversity, cultural awareness, is it driven by corporate greed? or the will to want to "Do the right thing"? Are PR firms being driven by the possibility of lost revenues as a result of years and years of racism in the industry? Does it only matter when you can't land a "Sean John" account or a "Phat Pharm" account? because as a firm you only have 1% black, 3% asian, 96% white?
If I owned a minority owned company with a budget of 2-3 million dollars to allocate towards marketing, advertising, and such, It would certainly make me want to take my business elsewhere. I wonder if that wasn't the case, would this even be an issue.
Posted by: Ricky LeFLore at April 21, 2006 11:20 AM
I think recruiting at big PR agencies needs an overhaul or some new thinking on many fronts, not just this one, although it is extremely important.
In my experience recruiters don't get the big picture. They hire people with just the right experience in a specific category. I think it's because they don't truly understand that in PR, the ability to adapt to new industries is a crucial skill and one that most people can do if they have a strong foundation in media.
Some out of the box thinking is truly needed at the big agencies.
As a former journalist with eight years of weekly newspaper experience and an additional eight years of solid pr experience at smaller Manhattan and Long Island public relations agencies, I can't get my foot in the door at Edelman.
Why, I don't know. If it's a question of only taking people from the top schools then that is a problem for all of us who didn't have a brand name education.
I think Richard hits the nail on the head when he questions his policy of giving his friends' kids internships. These kids would benefit from finding an internship on their own; there is no greater lesson their parents could teach them than success doesn't come from having things handed to you.
Posted by: Kathy Gerber at October 25, 2006 12:12 PM
I'm not sure if this message board is still being reviewed, but this topic is more important today than when it was started in 2005. American industry cannot afford to leave millions of poor and minority youth unprepared for 21st century jobs and careers. Thus, they need to develop new channels of reaching youth with the types of critical thinking, problem solving and communications skills kids need, but are not getting from inner city public schools.
I host a conference in May and November each year where these ideas are discussed. Until business leaders get involved at this level of networking, their strategies and goals won't connect in the neighborhoods where minority youth are going up. The conference web site is http://www.tutormentorconference.org
Posted by: Dan Bassill at April 21, 2007 11:45 AM
Like what Dan Bassil said, I am not sure if this message board is sitll being reviewed, but I want to share my experience anyway.
I moved from Indonesia to New York about one year ago. I have eight years experience in public relations but I have been finding it very difficult to enter the industry here.
I had numerous interviews with big and small agencies and so far here's what they always say: You have a great experience or You are a strong candidate, BUT WE ARE LOOKING FOR SOMEONE WITH US EXPERIENCE AND MEDIA CONTACT.
This frustrates me because all the skills are transferable. It shocked me to learn the the US PR industry is still pretty much US focused.
So how can you implement a diversity program if you are not willing to open yourself first?
Posted by: Debbie Wibowo at October 23, 2007 2:33 PM
I'm also not sure if anyone still reads this blog, but I would love to speak to anyone willing to be interviewed on this diversity in public relations topic for my master's thesis. I have 10 years experience in PR and marketing communications. Please send e-mail to lindam@the-rma.org.
Posted by: Linda McElroy at November 27, 2007 7:35 PM