There’s no escaping the fact that the UK’s illustrious advertising industry is tainted by a crisis of talent.

With record staff turnover of 32.4% in 2022, and only a marginal improvement in 2023 at 31.2%, it risks losing its kudos.

The offices of any large organisation can be an intimidating space at the best of times, but agencies know they need to entice and keep the best strategists and creatives to remain at the top of their game. And Havas Media Network is no different.

From low pay and arts cuts to insidious gatekeeping, the barriers to entering the ad sector can seem never-ending – and these barriers become even harder for people from disadvantaged backgrounds.

In particular, working-class women from ethnic minorities face layers of discrimination, including racism, workplace harassment and financial disadvantage.

In a move which marries Havas’ need for talent with living up to its ‘force for good’ motto, the wider team has been working with East London-based charity You Make It as it aims to draw in a broader intake.

Founded by Asma Shah, the social impact initiative creates partnerships with businesses across different sectors to provide women from black and brown backgrounds with mentorship and an opportunity to engage with different industries.

As well as working with major names in the advertising and media space including Havas, Wunderman Thompson and Publicis Sapient, You Make It also partners with organisations from sectors as diverse as fashion to finance.

Of working-class Pakistani heritage, Shah was motivated to set up the organisation after working within the creative sectors in “very middle class, white spaces”.

“I had a miserable time and I think if I just had some people around me who just got me, understood me and could offer me a safe space to talk through what I was going through, it would have been incredible,” she adds.

For Havas Media Ledger Bennett’s head of business growth Sarah Baker, encouraging the organisation to partner with You Make It was inspired by its wide-ranging cohort, which includes people who have been to university as well as those who left school at sixteen.

“We do a lot of work on how we can access different parts of the country and talk to different people, but if it’s always the same people making campaigns then we’re just going to have our own inherent bias about what we think works and what they’ll engage with,” Baker adds.

Getting beyond the access block: ‘I did everything right on paper’

Asia Kareema, who went through the You Make It scheme and is now part of Havas’ Platform internship scheme says this was “eye-opening”.

Although she had studied media at university, being around a group of motivated individuals with a range of experiences made her realise that – beyond paper results and networks – there are an array of soft skills that come from life experience.

“I think it’s a matter of the business and industry tapping in to that resource and seeing that this person may not have gone the traditional, typical route but has skills over here, and over here,” she says.

In addition to meeting with their mentors at Havas, the mentees come together each Friday allowing the cohort to support each other and create an anchoring and positive network.

There are also other opportunities within the programme – including access to therapy, running clubs, and anti-racism workshops directed at employers.

Kareema explains that prior to joining the You Make It scheme she was aware she had “done everything right on paper” but still felt there was an access block because the industry was removed from the types of environments she’d grown up in.

“I think for the first time I was able to be in a room and know there was help I could access.”

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Crucially, mentors like Baker have established themselves within the industry and are able to offer honest professional guidance.

Baker herself initially learnt about the sector when a family friend offered her work experience. She was later able to apply to a graduate scheme because she had been to university, and her career stemmed from there.

She puts this down to luck, because of her background, family support and financial situation. She adds that being aware of privilege is key to having open and genuinely supportive conversations.

“I think we need a real recognition that that’s not the same for everyone. We do a lot of schemes with schools and things and there’s lots of great work that’s happening across different agencies, like Havas, but I think there’s things we don’t think about – like that the cost of a train fair might be too much for someone and their family.”

Havas: ‘Let’s help change your mindset’

Shah echoes this in her rallying cry to get businesses to draw on You Make It’s insights.

“By partnering with you we can create opportunities to engage with talented, brilliant capable wonderful women who’s CVs you might have otherwise crossed off,” she says.

“Let’s help change your mindset on what makes for a brilliant employee and talent within your company.”

Baker has acted as ‘self-entrepreneur’ within Havas, putting a business case forward about the value of the partnership for the agency. Yet she’s vehement that agencies shouldn’t look for easy fixes or quick tick boxes.

“It’s a really dangerous way to measure if something is working because us having someone like Asia isn’t going to suddenly mean there’s a totally different work environment. But if we commit to these things long term, the measure is going to be so much better than if we just look at the immediate impact.”

“Looking beyond into charities that are not media specific, I think, is really important, because otherwise we’re not breaking out of the same kind of people,” she adds.

Baker is hoping the partnership will be expanded across different areas of Havas London including the creative side of the business, PR and more.

Ultimately, there isn’t a quick fix to ridding the world of inherent biases, nor will there ever be a flawless way to get people to join the sector.

Does a big agency like Havas have a responsibility to do better? Clearly, but mentoring and access schemes must be just the start of a much wider conversation. And in the end that comes down to individuals.

As Shah puts it: “Life feels better when people from different backgrounds take the time to get to know each other.”