Hiring a diverse talent base

Yolanta Boti, Creative, Ogilvy UK, says: “From the agencies I’ve had access to, I’ve observed changes, but most still lack diversity at the top and, if they do have some, most can’t retain diverse talent for long enough. In 2020, many businesses and brands made promises they haven’t fulfilled. Working on rebuilding trust, fostering an inclusive company culture and implementing structures that support talent retention could help aid in repairing the issue. I’m hopeful that those of us who persevere and continue to use our talent for change will witness positive changes in our industry.”  

Recent research conducted by VCCP and reported in Campaign found that adland was inaccessible to young, diverse talent. Their Chief Strategy Officer Michael Lee had some good advice about how to fix this:

1. Reach out to schools beyond London.
2. Be careful when talking about roles – to most people account men means accountancy for example.
3. Treat interviews more like chats, don’t set traps.

Diversity, Equality and Inclusion recruitment policies should be pursued for six main reasons

1. It is morally right to hire based on talent potential and not on ethnicity, social background, disability, gender, sexuality, neuro normal, what school or university you went to.
2. It has well-known business benefits. Diversity improves financial performance. McKinsey’s latest research (Diversity Wins: How inclusion matters, May 2020) finds that companies in the top quartile for gender or racial and ethnic diversity are more likely to have financial returns way above their national industry medians.
3. Greater diversity of thought comes from diversity of people – vital in the creative industries in particular. This diversity should include age because "when an old man dies a library burns down". In an HBR 2017 study of cognitive diversity – more diverse performed better. And yet, for example, from the All In Census 2025 we find that only 19% of advertising employees come from a working class background (versus 40% in the UK), and 18% of us went to fee paying schools (versus 8% of the UK.)
4. The Empathy Delusion has shown how little we represent the mainstream, which makes communication harder. More advantaged groups make up 92% of jobs in the creative industries (DCMS 2016). Andrew Tenzer, author of The Empathy Delusion research, says: "In advertising, the white middle classes dominate the culture; they share common ethical and cultural settings and, as far as they are concerned, the whole country thinks (or should think) the same way they do. Ultimately, advertising is missing experience outside of its bubble. The industry is Emma Thompson on a first-class flight to an Extinction Rebellion lecture on carbon neutrality, but half of consumers think more like Piers Morgan.”
5. With the advent of AI and automation, the skills of neurodivergent people are going to be even more important in the future. As early as five to ten years ago processes to recruit ‘differently able’ people were running at Microsoft, SAP, IBM, Dell and many others. Neurodivergence evolved for a reason, for example because we needed people who were organised and had great attention to detail and others who were full of energy.
6. The 2024 CIPD’s Resource and Talent Planning Survey finds that only a quarter of UK organisations have recruited a more diverse workforce in the last year despite an agreed talent shortage due to challenges such as Brexit, ‘The Great Resignation’, early retirement. They suggest we all adopt more long-term initiatives and not just ‘flash in the pans’.

As Xavier Rees, AMV BBDO Group CEO and Chair of the IPA Talent Leadership Group noted: “You can’t just pledge that things will be different in four years’ time, forget about it for three years, and then quickly make some changes. You’ve got to start now, because it takes time to have an impact. Unless your strategies change the make-up of your agency, they don’t really count for anything.”

It is vital to recruit from a wider pool at entry level otherwise in ten years' time we’ll have the same problems with e.g. women in C suite, black CEOs etc that we do now. 

Schools/Sixth Forms

If you can give a talk or provide work experience to secondary school children it can provide you with a pool of long-term potentials.  Many agencies note that the IPA’s Advertising Unlocked, for example, led to a hire.

• Advertising Unlocked – the IPA arranges for schools and colleges to visit your agency once a year. 
• Futures For All partner with Speakers For Schools to provide work experience for 11-19 year olds from state schools, some virtual; plus there are talks live, virtual, recorded.  The IPA has taken part as guest speakers and tutors. 
• You can volunteer to help The Ideas Foundation founded by ad legend Robin Wright.  ‘We believe access to high quality creative learning experiences make a big difference to social mobility and improving life chances.’  Agencies can help by mentoring, workshops, giving resources such as briefs, showcasing etc ‘Industry people tell us they’re learning just as much from our students as our students are from them. Teachers who support the programme say they’re more creative in the classroom. And lots of our students are now on the path to a creative career for life. Some have already got jobs.’  Here Wright celebrates his favourite 10 briefs from the 25 years of IF.
• Uptree are another outreach partner who can help you reach 14-21 year olds, especially those with social mobility problems.  Publicis Groupe are active partners for example hosting webinars, plus there are live events to learn more about how the agency offers apprenticeships, placements and internships. 
• For a big outreach from as early as Key Stage 3, The Talent Foundry mission is to improve social mobility across England/Wales/Scotland because  Today, you are still 60% more likely to be in a professional job if you were from a privileged background than from a working-class background” (State of the Nation 2020-21, Social Mobility in Great Britain). At least one agency works with them.  Seems to be a good stepping stone into being offered an apprenticeship.  Which works for social mobility in that there is a living wage salary and qualification.
• Ada, industry-leading sixth form college and apprenticeship programmes not only develop students’ tech talents but offer opportunities for young people from diverse backgrounds to connect with future employers. For example, placements during T Level quals at Amazon. 66% of their apprentices are from ethnic minority backgrounds, 47% from lower socio economic groups.  They offer Data Analytics apprenticeship (level 4) along with software apprenticeships, have a London and Manchester base and work with RAPP and C4.
• The  Comino Foundation works in the North West, and we know of one agency that partners with them. It might be a way to have a pipeline. It has three aims:
  • Social opportunity – which to the Foundation means finding approaches/initiatives which help young people, whatever their background, to live fulfilling and productive lives in whatever ways have meaning and value for them.
  • Personal capabilities – developing approaches which enhance young people’s personal capacity to cope with the demands of growing up and with adult life.
  • Improving practical capability – especially that which relates to designing and making, to innovation and to manufacturing. It was founded by an engineer, hence the emphasis on practical application, problem solving.

Tech solutions

• Start your own virtual or live incubator such as these agency taster programmes. 
• Or you could advertise on the IPA jobs board - you can't apply a filter but on the other hand it is free! (And lots of entry talent ads do appear there especially for digital...). 
• You can also advertise for apprentices via this Government Website. Most training providers would advise you to do so.
• Of course, there is always LinkedIn recruitment and this is still the main way many agencies look for professionals of all ages.  You can do several things to increase applicants' diversity. For example, they can help you by hiding photographs, names, genders, and age to help unconscious bias.
• The Dots is a professional network for all types of creative roles. You can post jobs, showcase yourself, apply for jobs, get advice, join projects. They use the platform to spotlight underrepresented groups. The founder Pip Jamieson is "famously dyslexic". Many agencies post roles – current ones are Account Exec and Paid Performance Exec.
• Digital Future – Future Talent The Digital Futures Academy provides 12-weeks of free, structured training designed to prepare a candidate to excel as an AI and data consultant, with certifications.  They then sell them to companies – lots of media owners.  They say inclusion is important, but we couldn’t find any detail on that. 
• Vizzy is a new, and free, software tool that’s here to challenge the restricting, limited and outdated CV. A hiring and a team connection solution, Vizzy champions personality, culture, and potential, giving people better opportunities to express themselves without total dependence on education and work experience – regular barriers to identifying talent.

Partners

• Work with organisation such as Brixton Finishing School. Very well respected as Ally Owens has a brilliant pipeline into underrepresented group. ‘Research has shown there are three key barriers to industry entry - awareness, perceived attainability and access. Our award winning programmes work to resolve these barriers and open up our world of careers for talent from 14 years onwards’.  They will train them up and then 'sell' them to the many supporter agencies. But please note again - they are therefore possibly not suitable to be accepted onto some apprenticeships because their knowledge/skills/behaviours may already be too advanced and Government won't let levy money go to train them in these scenarios.   In 2025 they worked with the IPA’s AdUnlocked scheme to provide somewhere for the teenagers to go to after the event.
• Arctic Shore have wowed at least one network we know of with their (apparently AI proof) task based assessment.  Hiring managers get nice insight reports and consistent scores.
• If you are keen to reach beyond the classic middle-class nature of the industry you could partner with/pay Commercial Break. "We're a transformation agency focused on increasing working-class representation in the creative and marketing industries.”  They are very hot on making sure that acquisition isn’t the end – that you retain the person you’ve tried so hard to find. 
• But there are other places to find underrepresented groups, such as The King’s Trust and we have had good feedback on partnering with them.
• The IPA Fairness Hub lists some people to partner with.  Possibly worth a look to help you find talented working class entry level interns are The Social Mobility Foundation. or Creative Mentor Network.  CMN say ‘Our Jobsboard is perfect for hiring entry and mid-level talent in the creative industry. With access to our alumni community of nearly 2000 creatives and a wider reach through our network of over 15,000 people looking for jobs and opportunities in this industry, we can help your listings reach the right people. Our network has 1000s of creatives looking for work across the creative industry.’
• Creative Equals run various programmes to help underrepresented creative groups, the cohort about to start in the UK in 2026 is aimed at disabled, neurodivergent, or those who live with mental health or chronic health conditions, now in its 3rd year.
• The ERIC app may be a good place to put a profile so that 16-25 year old Gen Zs interested in creative industry careers can learn about you and maybe approach you direct. They index really well against underrepresented groups. The IPA have a profile up which includes case studies from young people who have joined the industry, and we post content or films every month. You can sign up with them for your own agency, the content of which you can edit and adapt. For more about the ERIC app please contact co-founder Mae Yip.
• WYK Digital – It’s What You Know. ‘Hire the next generation of digital marketers with confidence. We specialise in helping businesses access a pipeline of passionate and talented professionals. Graduates from our programme have the necessary skills, mindset and attitude to succeed in a digital careers. By working with us you can support young talent, reduce recruiter costs and increase retention rates.’ They work with some big agency groups such as WPP and Omnicom, and seem to have secured Government boot camp funding.
• The Department for Education runs a scheme called SWAP (Sector Based Work Academies): which gives jobseekers who are 16 and over, and claiming benefits, the opportunity to apply for jobs.   This programme can last up to 6 weeks and includes pre-employment training, short work placement at the end of which you have to give them a job interview for a real job.  'A SWAP is a partnership between your business, Jobcentre Plus and a training provider.’ It is not clear if you could have just one person and every so often.  In addition, the DWP has turned JobCentrePlus into a recruitment partner and runs lots of webinars featuring employers extolling its virtues.  So far it seems to be businesses with a low wage but volume of people need but we are monitoring it closely.

Neurodiversity

• The Future is ND: "We’re a neurodiverse network united by a common goal – to champion and empower neurodiversity in the creative and tech industries. By raising our voices together, and owning our narratives, we aim to celebrate our achievements, share our challenges, and lead the way in this new frontier of diversity. We do this through a program of evening events and advocacy work within organisations. All our work aims to empower NDs with the inspiration, insights, and tools they need to turn up as themselves and thrive, as well as educate and inform businesses on how to support them best." 
• A couple of agencies have taken young people via Ambitious for Autism’s work experience push.  They provide training before the young person turns up, and they want you to employ someone for a minimum of eight weeks.  There are toolkits you can download.
• Exceptional Individuals provide consulting, recruitment and employment support to employers and individuals with dyslexia, dyspraxia, ADHD and autism.  And they point out the benefits such as gaining people with creativity, hyper focus, different ways of problem solving, enthusiasm, energy and innovation.  They offer training e.g. on unconscious bias, help with designing job ads, access to those registered with them.  McCann London are listed as a client.
• NDSA (Neurodiverse Self Advocacy)  They provide autism training, mentoring and recruitment help.  ‘A lot of existing programmes intended to help autistic people in employment are infective because they are designed based on a non-autistic functioning and fail to address key barriers in ways that works for autistic employees. Our programme is effective because it is designed by leading academics with extensive input from autistic people and run by a team with extensive experience in business. We provide autism training, employee mentoring and inhouse mentor training.’  77% of autistic adults are unemployed.  They can also help employers understand and adapt to autistic employees and reap the benefits of this neurodiversity in the workforce.
• Autistica are a registered charity currently designing a work readiness programme.  Because a third of autistic people aged 16-24 are not in education or employment.  We’ve been watching this for a couple of years now and not sure how far they have gotten.  They are also doing a trial of a toolkit (which will help both autistic and ADHD people).

Specific Groups - Diversity

• 10000Interns used to be called 10000BlackInterns and after five years it has hit that milestone.  Although we know some agencies trialled it we can’t see any listed currently, however it is clearly a great way to recruit black talent.
• BYP Network (Black Young Professionals) ‘BYP Network facilitates employment, mentoring, networking and up-skilling for our members…With a focus on recruitment, retention and reputation through our job board, shortlisting of candidates, webinars and connections to Black/BAME internal networks to help mobilise change. BYP Network helps organisations with their DEI goals by attracting, retaining and engaging Black talent. We do this by helping clients position themselves as employer of choice through brand visibility, mentoring programmes, talent acquisition and educational training programmes.’  Ogilvy are listed as a partner.
• Lollipop Mentoring ‘Our core offering, fostering diversity and inclusion by connecting Black mid-level professionals with senior industry mentors, remains at the heart of our mission. We are building on our existing database of active mentors and mentees, extending companies the opportunity to utilise lollipop mentoring as a valuable resource to support their young diverse hires.’  So not strictly entry level recruitment but useful nonetheless.. Here is an article in Campaign about Lollipop.
• Rare Recruitment say they are leaders in graduate diversity recruitment. It sounds like only the most academic candidates are on their books. They do their own research reports such as Closing The Ethnicity Stay Gap.
• Another well-known provider of creative talent with a diverse policy is the D&AD New Blood open worldwide competition on a real brief.  Effectively free to enter and with mentoring, but only to students at higher or further education.  A good place to recruit from if you get involved as many agencies do..
• However, completely free but time-consuming is D&AD Shift, months of night classes taught by industry professionals, with mentoring and many networking opportunities. More likely to be diverse as only open to those without degrees and fitted around people having day jobs.
• The Other Box ‘Our job is to shift culture to a place where every person from every background can thrive. Through our training programmes, jobs board, community, creative work and consulting, we challenge norms, question outdated ways of doing things, and galvanise people into taking positive action against long-standing injustice and inequity.’  While they have clearly been busy running training worldwide such as ‘Diversity Dictionary’ there are few jobs posted at present.
• The Responsible Resourcing Agency have experience of recruiting at all levels and all roles across the agency ecosystem. They believe that diverse and inclusive hiring accelerates agency business success. They partner or support Bloom, MEFA, D&AD, the IAB, AdNetZero and have strong connections with schools/universities and are part of high-level industry WhatsApp groups. As well-connected experts, they can represent talent on their job search and also use their connections and experience to headhunt and deliver high-quality candidates for agency roles.  They also offer training and HR consultancy.

Specific Groups – Inclusion and Social Mobility

• Some agencies already mentor within XLP and give work experience – but it is only for inner London:  They run two programmes: Young Leaders is for 16-18 year olds and helps them engage with education, gain employability skills, apply to university.  ‘The Ready to Work Project is a six-week course designed to help young people overcome obstacles to entering and maintaining steady employment. Our approach includes strengthening essential soft skills like resilience, perseverance, and confidence.  Working with corporate partners, we provide structured sessions on CV writing and interview techniques. Additionally, we offer opportunities for gaining relevant experience and qualifications in the young person's chosen field.’
• MyGWork: Leading global networking and job platform connecting LGBTQ+ professionals with inclusive employers.  “We are passionate about creating a safe space where LGBTQ+ individuals can thrive in their careers, connect with supportive communities, and find meaningful employment opportunities aligned with their values.”  As it is global there are about 60-80,000 jobs on offer at any one time, but agencies can partner with them to find what they need/show they support the community.  They also run a virtual annual global career’s fair.
• Key4Life: You cannot get more diverse than young offenders. They work with over 100 corporates to give these kids a chance.  You can mentor or you could host a 3-day Work Taster to help diversify your workforce: "carefully pre-screened, coordinated work tasters are low-risk ways to meet talented, diverse people you wouldn’t have otherwise met." 
• If you want a shot at recruiting the 25% of working-age adults who are disabled, chronically ill, and neurodiverse you would do well to work with SIC. There are many talented disabled people but the employment rate is only 54%
• Some agencies – particularly those who are Disability Confident employers - use Evenbreak to recruit and retain disabled talent.  They run a global jobs board for disabled people.
• BITC notes that millions of people want to work – so their site connects us with carers, veterans, disabled, homeless, refugees, ex-offenders…  Not seen agencies use this charity but they have been going for 40 years and their patron is King Charles III.
• If you think veterans would help your agency look at RFEA, the Forces Employment Charity – for example their TechVets programme which gives them digital skills.
• Here is a story of how a refugee web designer was helped by the Refugee Employment Network to get a job with CapGemini.
• If you are anxious to recruit more science/tech/engineering and maths youngsters in your local area become a STEM Ambassador.
• The 93% Club is a not for profit members’ club for university graduates who went to state schools. ‘Despite making up 93% of the UK population, state-educated people are vastly underrepresented in virtually every top institution, with private school alumni making up 65% of FTSE 350 CEOs, 57% of Peers, 52% of diplomats, 44% of columnists, 46% of corporate lawyers, and 59% of permanent secretaries. This disparity is driven by the exclusive networks private schools provide, offering lifelong opportunities and connections that state school students often lack. That's why we're building the UK's least exclusive members' club. Our mission is simple: to give state-educated people the same access to powerful connections, knowledge, and opportunities that have historically been reserved for the privately-educated.’
  They work with employers – both on campuses and via their digital platform.
• Career Ready: Young people from under-represented backgrounds are less likely to enter further and higher education, secure professional jobs, and receive higher earnings.  If anything, they say social mobility is getting worse.  Employer partners can mentor, give paid internships (even if an SME), tutor skills masterclasses or arrange workplace visits. Career Ready help with volunteer training, data, area managers. In return they say employers get help with their talent pipeline, D&I representation, brand awareness, employee engagement and ESG (environmental, social, corporate governance) – that last being very helpful for pitch tenders!
• Making the Leap have been working for 30years + in London and can partner companies with young people (18-30) who could do with some social mobility help. Companies can mentor or teach and they make the same ESG points as before.  We know of one person who got an agency apprenticeship this way.
• Downs Syndrome Association Workfit: This is an employment programme which brings together employers and job-seekers who have Down’s syndrome. It is a tailored service dedicated to training employers about the learning profile of people who have Down’s syndrome so that they can be supported in the workplace. 'We focus on finding the right employment opportunities for people who have Down’s Syndrome and ensuring that they have the support they need to be successful in the workplace.’

Specific Groups - Age

• If you are interested in balancing the skewed age of our industry and employing people over 45, you could take leaf out of WWP’s book and support something like Visible Start.  This programme helps mid life women back into industry.  ‘Partner with us to sponsor a Visible Start Programme and benefit from cost-effective recruitment, all while boosting your DEI impact and long-term workforce sustainability.  At the same time, you also gain access, for a full year, to our Visible Start Alumni, securing a sustainable pipeline of experienced talent.’ 
• Grey Matter ‘Intelligent recruitment for the digital, marketing, media and technology sectors. Based in London, we partner with brands, media owners, agencies and technology businesses to find talent in London, across the UK and internationally.’  They used to be a suggested partner for The Advertising Association’s All In Hub when they covered those things and they still have a jobs board with only senior positions.
• Back2Business celebrates its 13^th year.  ‘The programme’s mission is to open doors for experienced professionals ready to re-enter the industry after a caring career break, through a free six-day reorientation bootcamp. Following a successful collaboration in 2025, Havas Media Network UK returns as headline partner.’  VCCP also support this.

Apprenticeship Training Providers

Apprenticeship training providers provide training against apprenticeship standards (see this section for standards and providers). However, some also find apprentice candidates for you.

• Apprentify are midlands based and work with some agencies.  ‘Our weekly assessment centres focus on core digital and technical competencies and overall attitude, meaning we find candidates with the greatest potential for impact. We’ll match you to apprentices that perfectly fit your requirements.’
• Manchester based ‘The Growth Company is a leading provider of education, skills, employment, youth and offender rehabilitation support.’  They are an apprentice training provider and offer many other adult education programmes and certificates.  Their division Aspire Recruitment offers many recruitment services.
• Agencies have reported using Apprenticeship Fairs such as this one in Leeds to find candidates for apprenticeships.
• Creative Alliance offer several of the apprenticeship standards used in our industry and often advertise vacancies on behalf of their clients.