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The All In Action Plan was developed using data from the 2021 All In Census, you can download the full 2021 report below. The 2023 data shows that these actions are still very relevant today and the action plan will evolve over time to reflect latest findings.

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Action 1

Improve the experience & representation of Black talent

Adopt the BRiM framework download icon
Why
  • One in three

    of our Black colleagues in advertising don’t feel they belong in our industry – this has to change.

  • 22% of Black People

    reported discrimination due to ethnicity vs 3% of people overall.

  • Nearly a third (32%)

    of Black respondents reported that they are likely to leave the industry due to a lack of inclusion and/or discrimination experienced.

  • 12% of Black People

    have experienced verbal harassment at work.

  • Black People 7x

    more likely than the industry average to experience racial discrimination.

  • Just 1%

    of C-suite leaders are Black.

Action 2

Improve the experience & representation of Disabled talent

Audit and update your company website download icon
Why
  • One in five

    advertising practitioners with a disability are likely to leave their company – we have to retain this talent

  • Disability experience is generally poor

    across the board with 22% likely to leave their organisation compared to 12% industry average.

  • 27%

    are made to feel uncomfortable in the workplace compared to 12% of non disabled.

  • Under-Represented

    Those defined as disabled are under - represented. 9% vs 14% in the working population and 20% in the working age population

  • Millions of people

    in the UK have accessibility needs, yet they are unable to access a majority of websites. This would be a vital first step in moving towards better inclusion for people both within your organisation and those looking to enter the industry.

  • It's the law

    – as per the Disability Equality Act (2010). If your website does not meet certain design standards, then you could be sued for discrimination.

How to get started

Firstly begin by talking to your tech team and together, undertake an independent audit of your website. These can be provided by many companies such as the 2 listed below but do look around and obtain a few quotes:

Freeny Williams

A complete range of services in the fields of disability, diversity and equality including accessibility and usability audits.

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AbilityNet

Our accessibility consultants and testers help businesses, universities, charities and many other organisations to design and maintain accessible websites, apps and other digital services.

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Wave Accessibility Tool

WAVE is a suite of evaluation tools that helps authors make their web content more accessible to individuals with disabilities.

Installing a widget can help identify any accessibility issues but it is not as thorough as an audit and may miss some of the changes required to pass the benchmark.

An audit/widget will look at things like use of ALT text, Keyboard access, Colour contrast and Link text. Sites are assessed against an international benchmark for accessibility and there are three levels “A”, “AA” and “AAA” which determine how compliant your website is.

If undertaking an audit you will receive a written report outlining areas for improvement which your web team will then be able to implement. Budget will be required for both the audit and changes required and can be costly so we advise securing the budget as soon as possible or, including the amends when your website is next due an update. You could also stagger the updates over time to help spread the cost.

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Action 3

Improve the experience & representation of talent from Working Class Backgrounds

Adopt the social mobility toolkit download icon
Why
  • Almost two to one

    The number people from a professional/privileged background outnumber working class people by – we need to open up our industry to all

  • 72%

    of the industry have a degree compared to 48% of the UK working population

  • 64% vs 37%

    Those from professional backgrounds are significantly over-represented

  • 20% vs 40%

    Those from working class backgrounds are under-represented

  • 19% vs 8% general population

    Those attending an independent/fee paying school between the ages of 11-16 are over-represented.

    This increases to 28% at C-Suite

  • 21%

    of those from the most disadvantaged backgrounds are significantly more likely to leave the industry compared to just 12% industry average.

Action 4

Improve the experience & representation of Women

Take the Flexible First checklist download icon
Why
  • 10 x more

    women than men believed parental leave negatively impacted their career progression

  • Double the number

    of women versus men believed that working part-time negatively impacted their career

  • 78% of women

    worked part-time due to childcare responsibilities (vs 16% of men)

  • Almost a third of women

    believe their company doesn’t treat everyone equally based on their gender. This was significantly higher amongst ethnic minorities

  • Women are 6X

    more likely to be personally discriminated against because of their gender than men

  • 15% of women

    are likely to leave the industry because of lack
    of inclusion or discrimination experienced

Action 5

Improve the experience & representation of Asian talent

Use our guide which has been developed by the All In Asian Working Group download icon
Why
  • 27%

    of Asian respondents reported that they are likely to leave the industry due to a lack of inclusion and/or discrimination experienced

  • 15%

    of Asians reported discrimination due to ethnicity vs 3% of people overall

  • 32% of Muslims, 27% of Hindus & 23% of Sikh

    respondents are likely to leave the industry due to a lack of inclusion and/or discrimination experienced

  • Asian people were twice as likely

    than their White colleagues to have been excluded from events or activities at their company in the last 12 months (12% Asian vs 6% White)

  • Asian people were 4x more likely

    to believe that on average, religion will hinder someone’s career, 14% compare to just 3% of White people (19% of Pakistanis and 24% of Muslims)

  • Asian respondents were more than twice as likely

    than White respondents to have faced obstacles in their career progression which they believe is due to who they are (25% Asian vs 12% White)

How to get started

Be curious – Collect data, speak to your employees. Understand and recognise religious and cultural differences. Appreciate the diversity between Muslims, Sikhs, Hindus, Buddhists, Jains and other religious sects

Mentoring/coaching – Should be matched to the specific to the needs of your Asian employees

Employee Resource Groups/Partnerships – Keep them informed, engage with them and listen to their suggestions. Bring in support where needed

Diet/fasting – Cater for these needs with your on-site dining choices and at company events, some businesses have joined in the fasts to show solidarity

Alcohol – Be aware of individual preferences, especially at company meetings and events

Prayer room and washroom facilities – Should be made available in your workspace if possible

Holidays – If certain religious and cultural holidays are important to your employees, could they swap these dates for other paid bank holidays and work those instead? Or would they prefer to work from home on those days?

Note: Every employer and employee is different, communication will help to achieve the right solution for both parties. Employee responses must be voluntary as some people may not wish to disclose their preferences. Explaining why you are asking – i.e. to accommodate everyone’s needs – is critical.

Use our guide which has been developed by the All In Asian Working Group

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Useful resources

All In How To Session: How to implement Action 1 – BRiM preview image
Resource
All In How To Session: How to implement Action 1 – BRiM

This session went through the key findings from the All In Census regarding the representation and experience of Black people within the industry as well as how to use, and get the most out of the BRiM (Black Representation in Marketing) framework.

See the full resources directory
Action 6

Improve the experience & representation of Older talent

Implement our Shared Experiences policy download icon
Why
  • Only 4%

    of respondents were aged 55-64 compared to 17% of the UK working population

  • 15% of respondents

    were 45-54 versus 23% of the UK working population

  • 40% of the 45-54 age bracket

    and 43% of the 55-64 age bracket feel age limits their career

  • 13% of respondents

    in the 55-64 age bracket have felt personally discriminated against due to their age

  • 44% of the industry

    are aged between 25-34 compared to 23% of the UK working population

How to get started

Shared Experiences policy – a step-by-step guide.

Ageism exists within the advertising, media and marketing industry. The retention of older talent is mainly within c-suite roles despite the working population getting older and working for longer.

Men and women over 40 are leaving the industry for a number of reasons including caring responsibilities, lack of more flexible working opportunities and the industry’s unconscious bias around youth. Older people often don’t feel valued, seen or feel that they belong.

Shared Experiences is a reverse learning programme which pairs those with more than 15 years experience working in the UK advertising industry with those who have less than 5 years experience. The programme has been designed to provide a mutually beneficial opportunity to learn, unlearn and relearn from each other.

Download our Shared Experiences policy

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Action 7

Support the mental health of our colleagues

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Why
  • NABS lost £1.75m in revenue

    during the pandemic whilst experiencing a 23% surge in demand for its services. They cannot continue their vital support to the industry without your help

  • Two thirds (66%)

    of those with mental health conditions were aged under 34

  • One in five (21%)

    of those with mental health conditions are likely to leave their company due to a lack of inclusion and/or discrimination (compared to 12% across the industry)

  • Less than half

    of people with mental health conditions have made their company aware of their condition (42%)

  • Half of people

    with mental health conditions feel consistently anxious in their job (vs 29% industry average)

  • 40% of people

    with mental health conditions are likely to feel undervalued compared to colleagues of equal competence (vs 28% industry average)

Action 8

Improve the experience of our LGBTQ+ talent

Welcome the use of gender pronouns in your organisation download icon
Why
  • LGBTQ+ representation is just 7%

    at C-suite compared to 10% across industry

  • 28% of LGBTQ+ talent

    report a mental health condition vs 12% industry av. and 45% report stress/anxiety vs 31% industry av.

  • More than double

    the percentage of LGBTQ+ colleagues are disabled compared to the industry average (21% vs 9% respectively)

  • LGBTQ+ employees are more likely

    to feel consistently anxious in their job (38% vs 28% heterosexual)

  • LGBTQ+ employees were more likely

    to have been made to feel uncomfortable in the workplace (20% vs 13% heterosexual)

  • 17% of LGBTQ+ people

    are likely to leave the industry due to a lack of inclusion or discrimination

How to get started

Why is using pronouns important?

Pronouns provide:
– A signal to non-LGBTQ+ people that inclusion matters
– A signal to LGBTQ+ colleagues that they are accepted, respected and welcome to be out if they wish

How can this be implemented effectively in the workplace?
– Leadership must start the process and be unified and consistent in their support
– Colleagues should be engaged and informed in a timely, open, and transparent way
– HR and D&I colleagues should be ready to support individuals who may be triggered by the activity
– Colleagues should be encouraged to participate although no-one should feel uncomfortable through their involvement
– Review your wellbeing support and ensure it has LGBTQ+ specific support services on offer
– If colleagues object, participation is completely voluntary. Non-participants should not be isolated or discriminated against
– Encourage the use of gender-neutral language in day to day conversations/comms and ensure they are in all employee communications including employment contracts and employee handbooks

This video helps to explain more about Pronouns

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Action 9

Improve the experience of Disabled talent in the workplace

Use the BDF Accessible Premises checklist download icon
Why
  • Just 2%

    of those working in advertising have a physical disability vs 7% of the UK working population

  • 43% of physically disabled people

    believe their company could offer more support in dealing with their health condition

  • Two in five (40%)

    of physically disabled people sometimes feel left out at work (vs 22% industry average)

  • People with physical health conditions

    were twice as likely to have been personally discriminated against than those with mental health conditions (11% vs 5% respectively)

  • People with physical disabilities

    were significantly more likely than the industry average to be bullied or undermined in any way (22% vs 12%)

  • Over 1 in 5 people in the UK

    are disabled – over 14m – a number that continues to rise as people live longer and treatments and technology in healthcare improve.

    Family Resources Survey: financial year 2019 to 2020: DWP