-“Let me ask you something. What do women want?”
-“Who cares?”
Mad Men quote, or 2016 reality?
While this quote was (thankfully) an exchange between Don Draper and Roger Sterling in AMC’s take on the agency world of the ’60s, the latest news of the departure of Kevin Roberts, global chairman of Saatchi & Saatchi over his claims the gender diversity debate is “over” are yet another reminder that the issue of gender equality in the agency world is actually far, far from over.
Edelman Canada president and CEO Lisa Kimmel.
As a female leader in the industry, I am often asked to speak about the advancement of women in the agency world, and what we can do to impact the balance, particularly at the senior levels. It frustrates me to no end that we still need to talk about it, but the fact is that we do.
The reality is this: while we have made strides in Canada, with some very impressive women leading some of the top agencies, we still have a ways to go. This industry is heavily dominated by women. But, when you look at the executive level, that’s simply not the case. In fact, around the world women still make up less than half the executive committee roles at most large agencies. Specifically, they represent about 70% of the PR workforce, yet only hold about 30% of the top positions in the industry. As well, a 2014 study by the 3% Conference found a meagre 11% of creative directors are women.
Those numbers are consistent for us: more than 70% of our workforce at Edelman in Canada is female – yet when we get to the executive/senior management levels, it’s about 50/50. We’re making strides to improve this: since the launch of our Global Women’s Executive Network (GWEN) in 2011, Edelman has increased the percentage of women within the global senior ranks from 34-to-44%. And, in Canada, three of our five offices are led by amazing women. We’ve done this by creating an environment in which women can succeed. We allow for flexible work arrangements. We created a maternity buddy program to ensure that women still feel connected – to the extent that they’d like – while they are away from the agency. But, we know there’s more to do.
Overall, the agency world and business world in general is not yet doing enough to create an environment where women can lead and succeed. Poorly behaved CEOs aside, sexism is still an issue for women either in or aspiring to leadership positions.
In fairness, sexism isn’t the only issue: women are also increasingly self-selecting out of management roles, a trend reflected in the agency world as well – and in some regions, like Asia, it’s becoming even more prevalent. In fact, a study by Bain & Company found 43% of women aspire to top management within the first two years of their position, compared with 34% of men. However, after more than two years of experience, 34% of men are still aiming for the top, while only 16% of women are doing the same.
So what can be done? Here are a few thoughts:
Treat gender diversity like any other strategic business imperative
If you’re not currently tracking the representation of women in your workforce, you need to start. Measure yourselves, and be transparent in sharing the results with your employees – this will allow you to make real, meaningful structural changes in your workplace.
Promote sponsorship – not just mentorship
Male leaders need to act not just as mentors, but as sponsors to up-and-coming talented women. Sponsorship happens when both men and women are advocating on an employee’s behalf when she’s not in the room, and promoting her accomplishments in front of her peers.
Women agency leaders need to speak up and be role models
Evidence shows us that women tend to shy away from the spotlight, and aren’t comfortable speaking about topics on which they are clearly experts. A study from Informed Opinions found male voices outnumber female voices by a factor of four to one in Canada’s most influential print, broadcast and online news media. There’s no question that a lack of female role models will perpetuate inequality both in our industry and in society at large.
Women need to empower other women, too
Sexism and harassment in the workplace absolutely needs to end – from both men and women. Women can be judgmental of other women’s success, and double standards abound. To give a personal example: I’ve been asked if I feel guilty being away from my children when I’m away on a business trip. Would a man be made to feel the same? Instead of tearing each other down, we need to empower each other, share our success stories and have zero tolerance for gender inequality in the industry.
When my 10-year-old daughter is asked what she’d like to do when she’s older, her response is that she’d like to either be an orthopedic surgeon,= or lead an agency. As an industry, my ask of you is simple: Let’s commit to creating an agency culture that will allow for the latter to happen – should she so choose it.
Lisa Kimmel is president and CEO of Edelman Canada
