AGENDA

Simon Fenwick - EVP Talent, Equity & Learning Solutions, 4A's

In this session, global mental health campaigner and Founder of FormScore, Rob Stephenson, will share why it is time for employers to make the mental health and wellbeing of employees a strategic priority.  Rob will get us thinking differently about our own wellbeing whilst sharing details of his personal story of living and working with bipolar disorder.  He will give some insights into why creating cultures that prioritize the wellbeing of employees is one of the great performance opportunities of our time as well as being both the right thing to do and an essential weapon in the war for talent. Finally, Rob will touch on how we can check in on employees in remote and hybrid work models and how to mitigate against burnout.

Racial/ethnic, gender, and sexual minorities often suffer from poor mental health outcomes due to multiple factors including inaccessibility of high-quality mental health care services, cultural stigma surrounding mental health care, discrimination, and overall lack of awareness about mental health. Guests will discuss the differences in cultures having a range of implications for mental health practices includingthe ways that people view health and illness to treatment seeking patterns and issues of racism and discrimination on mental health within the workplace.

During the 2020 Inaugural 4A’s Equity & Inclusion Congress, a group of HR and Talent leaders came together to form the “Talent Equity Alliance” joining forces to do the work of continuously learning to better themselves, their agencies and the culture of the industry so all talent can thrive equitably. The panel will discuss how as white HR leaders and allies it is our responsibility to drive conversations around how our organizations are willing and open to engage in difficult conversations about respect, rights, equity and systemic change. The way organizations need to move beyond public commitments to diversity and equity to action, and how our role of HR and talent leaders as trusted advisors and consultants has shifted to holding leaders accountable for allyship and outcomes.

What got you here won’t get you there. The Great Resignation means two things: some of your people will leave, and new people will come. How do you keep your people happy, protect your hard-won diversity gains, and become a magnet for new talent looking for their next jump?
 
One agency is doing something novel to meet this moment. Meet Eleven CEO Courtney Buechert, who recently cemented a decades-long commitment to diversity by taking a chance. He hired 3% Movement’s Founder, Kat Gordon to incubate a new job called Creative Entrepreneur in Residence. Part creative therapist, part remote work rabble rouser, the CEIR is the job of the future, already having ripple effects on Eleven’s culture and workforce. Hear as Courtney and Kat sit in conversation about this bold new role.

Diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging are vital to businesses that want to be successful, robust and evolutionary. To achieve diversity and inclusion, organizations need to address the employee experience which in turn improves how we market to customers and business ROI. Employee experience is about empathy -, understanding that employees are people with hopes, dreams, families and feelings. This panel will discuss how programs like 4A’s Foundation’s VANGUARD help to raise the awareness of the Black employee journey and, how through amplifying and catalyzing the voices and actions of Black employees, leaders are better placed to improve the quality of the journey and advancing their organizations by providing growth opportunities, ongoing development, a sense of belonging, accomplishment and engagement for everyone.

We often focus too much on the talent challenges facing organizations in New York, Chicago and Los Angeles where competition and talent challenges are different to offices and agencies outside the three big cities.  This panel looks at what challenges face many independent agencies and regional offices and how these organizations are increasingly needing to find innovative ways to position themselves as alternatives to the big cities.  Leaders will also discuss how to cultivate local talent as well as find and keep talent from larger organizations through the power of purpose, accelerated advancement, a culture of innovation and work/life flexibility.

Tangie will provide the latest updates and plans from the 4A’s Foundation. Focusing on how programs are impacting our communities, plans for the future and how your agencies can get more involved to find, develop and grow multicultural talent.

Employee retention is the fastest growing competitive differentiator. An organization’s ability to hold on to its talent - especially amidst the current “Great Resignation” has profound ramifications for its ability to operate at a high level, without the disruptions that employee turnover brings. The panel will discuss how agencies need to rethink their retention strategies beyond pay. Retention starts with recruiting by identifying candidates who’ll stay the course, and share your outlook. This includes providing ongoing education and clear paths to advancement; remote work options; has a robust DEIB strategy with leaders who are allies and promoters; and who understand that workers are people first and foremost.

Given the radical shifts in today’s workplace– as well as the need for virtual collaboration and inclusive leadership, the capacity to adapt and evolve is paramount. This begins by internalizing a powerful method of Adaptive Leadership to drive change in ourselves, in our teams, and in our businesses followed by determining which parts of your history to carry forward, how to advance competing priorities across power differences, and what new competencies to grow into. Participants will leave with new clarity to address the question: "What does my future leadership and teaming need to be?"

Barb Rozman-Stokes  - Chief Talent Officer, Campbell Ewald & 4A’s Chief Talent & People Officer Council

Simon Fenwick - EVP Talent, Equity & Learning Solutions, 4A's