Agencies make significant DEI progress | WARC | The Feed

Agencies make significant DEI progress

With 12% more women and 58% more people from a non-white background in C-suite positions than last year, the 2022 IPA Agency Census indicates a quickening of change within agencies as the industry moves towards meeting its diversity targets. 

Context    

In 2016 the IPA established a set of diversity targets for the industry to work towards. These included:

• women to hold 40% of senior positions.
• at least 15% of people in leadership positions to be from non-white backgrounds.
• at least 25% of entry-level recruits to be Black, Asian and ethnic minority individuals.

While agencies collectively haven’t yet met all of these targets, the IPA reports that a number of individual agencies are close to achieving one or more of these targets.

Why it matters

Agencies need to reflect the wider world they operate in if they are to successfully promote the interests of their clients and if they are to attract talent. “The pandemic and BLM have proved to be real catalysts, and provided priceless stimulus and purpose to people who were already frustrated at the slow rate of positive change in our industry,” says Leila Siddiqi, the associate director of diversity at the IPA.

Key census findings 

• Total employee numbers within IPA member agencies stood at 26,290 (as of 1 September 2022) up 19.2% on the previous year as the industry recovered from Covid. 
• Female employee numbers increased by 24.1% to reach 14,411, accounting for 55% of the total employed base; male employee numbers increased by 13.2%.
• Females occupied a 37.5% share of C-suite roles, up 12% from the 33.5% recorded in 2021.
• The percentage of employees from a non-white background is estimated at 23.6%, compared to just 18.3% in 2021.
• In media agencies, at junior and entry levels, 36.7% of individuals are from a non-white background, up from 30.2% in 2021; the equivalent figure in creative and other non-media agencies is 27.8%, up from 23.6% in 2021.
• In terms of seniority, individuals from a non-white background account for 11.2% of employees in C-suite roles, up by a considerable 58% from the 7.1% reported in 2021.
• A pay gap* of 17.4% in favour of males exists, although this is lower than the 23.3% recorded in 2021. 
• An ethnicity pay gap* of 21.1% in favour of white employees exists, relatively unchanged from the 21.2% gap recorded in 2021. 
• The age profile of employees remains unchanged: average age is 34.4 and 6.5% of the total are aged over 50. 

*figures are for those member agencies providing relevant breakdowns.  

The All In survey, a cross-industry, individual-focused initiative takes place on 15 March. The IPA will also be hosting its Talent Conference on 19 April 2023.

Sourced from IPA