A Jewish colleague recently asked when a Happy New Year memo for Rosh Hashanah would be released to agency employees, citing a note sent to them during the month of Ramadan reminding employees that we have an interfaith prayer room available to all. We often do need reminders to look at the diversity of those around us. ?
As chief diversity officer at Draftfcb, I have the honor of balancing our multicultural employee palate, celebrating both our uniqueness and similarities. I help drive best hiring practices and sponsor recruitment fairs with organizations supporting people of color, various ethnicities, religions, sexual orientations, genders and physical and mental abilities. The ad industry admittedly has a long way to go in terms of diversifying its ranks, as it was long private and thus late to the diversity and inclusion table. ?
Hosting provocative events that combine thought leadership with innovation and creativity create vehicles for sharing who we are and help us attract top diverse talent. In June, for instance, music producer, songwriter, recording artist and social media trailblazer Ryan Leslie shared the secrets to his grassroots success at a Draftfcb New York-sponsored Black Music Month celebration. Our president and CEO Laurence Boschetto entertained the audience while promoting our mantra of unfettered diversity. ?
Our primary responsibility remains boosting our clients’ businesses, but we need to make sure diverse consumers hear honest brand messages from marketers. The diversity of our people will ensure that we do just that.
