Improve your agency's culture, vision and yes, profitability, by employing more progressive hiring practices in your recruiting process. Using data from a creatively driven industry -- advertising -- help your finance, executive and TA department align your greatest ambition for your business to the talent you attract.

1. 2020: a vision for a
more progressive
hiring criteria
The real issues we are facing in a creative industry, and
suggestions on how to improve from where we are.
Prepared by Beth Munce

2. introduction
“Mistress [now The Many] has been working with Beth from the start, most of our
staff came and still come thru her. Her understanding not only of our professional
staffing needs but our agency culture is truly amazing and has without a doubt
strongly contributed to our success in this talent driven business. Mistress [The
Many] loves her.”
— Jens Stoelken, Partner, Mistress Creative / The Many
Ad Agency Small Agency of the Year 2018, 2014, 2011
The quote above from The Many is prescient: it was written about 10 years ago,
when The Many was an agency of 5-ish (then 10, and now 100). They are highly
awarded, well respected, and enjoy a pretty sweet Glassdoor rating (4.3). They are
a fab example of living by their values, having an authentic and aligned culture,
matching their skills to the needs of the job and client, and by recognizing,
consistently, that we are in a talent driven business.
On that note, advertising is a talent driven business, full stop. The work you do in
advertising – or in any creatively-driven industry – is limited only by the creativity in
thinking of the people within your four walls. Talent is also likely your largest
expense, eating up roughly 50% of your gross revenue.
How much time do you spend attracting the best,
most appropriate talent for your agency?

3. table of contents
bias
the cost of bias to your company
current hiring criteria that leads to bias
introduction to a progressive hiring criteria
the candidate as your consumer

4. bias
Bias is nearly impossible to avoid.
In a way, it is how our brains make sense of a chaotic and
ill-patterned world. We tell ourselves, “if A then B” so we
can classify situations, things, and yes, people, and move
toward decision. But in assessing talent, bias is terribly
caustic.
It erodes.
It belittles.
It reduces.
And it does nothing to grow a business.
Research shows that companies with diverse leadership
perform better financially.
So while hiring someone that reminds you of yourself – the
disease in advertising recruiting IMO – may stroke your
ego, it ain’t gonna get you where you want to go.

5. step 1: be keenly aware of
bias in interviewing
…keep this page in front of you when interviewing your next candidate,
and see how often you fall into one of these biased ways of thinking
Conformity Bias
attaching your feedback to the feedback of others
Beauty Bias
60% of CEOs in the US are over 6 feet, but only 4% of the US population is over 6 feet
Affinity Bias
“You went to U of O? I went to U of O. You’re hired!”
Halo/Horns Effects
candidate goes to a highly regarded college, so you automatically deem them across-
the-board smart and qualified. Or in the horns affect, it’s the opposite; perhaps this
person worked on a campaign you didn’t like, so you deem them a hack.
Similarity Bias
surrounding yourself with people like yourself
Contrast Effect
demanding a slew of resumes to compare and contrast people vs. people, rather than
comparing each candidate against the stated skills + your vision for the role
Confirmation Bias
once you make your decision, you seek data to simply confirm your judgment

6. what does bias cost your
business?
Erosion of company culture:
positive agency culture = employee engagement
lack of employee engagement = 37% higher absenteeism + 60% more in an employee’s work
businesses with highly engaged employees = 100% more job applications
$$$$ via turnover
replacing a single employee costs you 20% of that employee’s salary, minimum
Confusion as to the agency vision
= loss of company’s purpose = reduced marketability to your clients
Hiring on bias = compliance and legal issues

7. current criteria for a
job brief:
pedigree
candidate’s current title
candidate’s number of years
in the business
candidate’s current salary

8. current criteria for a job brief:
pedigree
FACTS
Brand Coordinators at “the” top creative pedigree agency in LA make
$60,000/year.
The all-agency average is $44,000/year.
Brand Directors at another agency considered of A+ pedigree make upwards
of $195,000/year.
The all-agency average is $150,000/year.
Brand Managers at a top global agency in LA make $120,000/year.
Can you justify why you need agency pedigree to fulfill a job?
If you conclude pedigree is factually important to your
needs, expect to pay approximately 25% higher than
average for those candidates to start. THEN, you need
to further incentivize them to come to your company.*
*more on salary in the coming pages!

9. current criteria for a job brief:
current title
FACTS
Titles are not well standardized within the account management
department, and likely others, with few exceptions, and particularly
at the mid-level.
What does another agency’s titling system
have to do with yours?
Title variations in account management:
Account Coordinator or AAE: Assistant Account Manager, Associate, Project Manager (sitting within
account team)
Account Executive: Strategist (sitting within account team), Project Manager (sitting within account
team), Brand Manager (this can range in level from AAE through to Director), Associate Account
Manager
Account Supervisor: Senior Account Executive, (Senior) Account Manager, Project Manager (sitting
within account team), Brand Manager
Associate Account Director: Senior Project Manager (sitting within account team)
Account Director: “VP” titles enter here, Brand Director
Group Account Director: Senior Director of Client Services, General Manager, Director of Marketing
(likely covers new business as well), VP, Client Partner, Senior Director

10. current criteria for a job brief:
current title
INSIGHTS + QUESTIONS
Within account management titles studied:
1. On the positive: titling at the Group Director level + gets more specific by
agency, which is a good thing. I presume this means the title is reflective
of the talent the agency just selected, and the role he/she will play in that
office.
2. Do you NEED a full stack of account people or can you include a
strategically leaning person in the account team, or a project manager to
the team, as some agencies do?
3. Try to be as flexible as possible with your org chart when you are in-
market, seeking talent.
4. Many agencies no longer have both Account Coordinator and Assistant
Account Executive titles; they have been truncated to a single Assistant
Account Executive role
5. Senior Account Executive and Management Supervisor titles are fading.
Consider using Associate Account Director, and do not expect to pull
someone with a current Sr AE or MS title into your org.
6. Titling stays inconsistent across agencies until you get to Account
Director level.

11. current criteria for a job brief:
current title
KEY TAKEAWAY
The org chart should not
drive your decision-making,
the best talent should

12. current criteria for a job brief:
# of years of exp.
FACTS
Similar to titling, # of years of experience is
completely not standardized within a title, or skillset,
or across agencies.
Title: Low: High
Account Supervisor 4 9.5
Associate Account Director 6 15
Account Director 4 24
Group Account Director 7 19
Management 15 22
Range of Years of Experience
By Title, in Los Angeles, Within Account Management:

13. current criteria for a job brief:
# of years of exp.
INSIGHTS
Within account management titles studied:
1. Further than titling, # of years of experience seems to be most
informed by an individual’s skills, abilities and opportunities given
thus far, and cannot be measured by a standard ruler of sorts
2. On the compliance side, the ugly truth about looking at # of years
experience is it can easily be code for, ”How old do you want this
candidate to be?” Creative industries – the advertising industry – is
complicit in this big time. It is gross, it is ethically wrong, and it
doesn’t benefit your business in any way.

14. current criteria for a job brief:
# of years exp.
INSIGHTS
If you are not aware of the “Peter Principal”
- make yourself aware:
it is foundational to understanding why # of
years of experience is not a great measure
for assessing fit for a role.
(the moral of this story: some people make
great Account Directors (or Supervisors, or
mid level copywriters, or or or), for a
lifetime, and that is OK, if that’s where they
want to be/thrive)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_principle

15. current criteria for a job brief:
current salary
FACTS
The calculus of title + # of years = salary range needs to be reformulated
Salaries reported 2019 vs. my actual salary as an account person:
"Real Agency Salaries,”
LA, 2019:
My salary, LA,
1999-2006
Coordinator/AAE $ 44,138 low to mid $40s
Account Executive: $ 59,000 $50,000-$62,500
Account Supervisor $ 87,429 $70,000-$85,000
Meanwhile, the cost of living (CPI) in LA during the same period:
2000 = 171.6 2019 = 266
That is a 64% increase in cost of living for our employees.
And a 0% wage increase over the same period of time

16. current criteria for a job brief:
current salary
KEY TAKEAWAY
There is serious tension between what
agencies can pay and what candidates need to
live in high cost of living cities. Our industry
needs to utilize creative solutions to alleviate
this very real situation.
In what other ways can you improve your
employee’s lives in manners that are
meaningful to them?
Consider: culture – vision – skill

17. Culture
Vision
Skill
Hiring
preserve positive agency culture
reach the highest ambition and
vision for your agency
take meaningful steps to eliminate bias
and the negative consequences that
result from bias-based hiring

18. Culture
Vision
Skill
Hiring
What makes your agency unique, on the inside, from the other 700
agencies in the US?
Note: 200,000 people work in advertising,
and there is virtually 0% unemployment.
What is attractive about your agency that would
inspire someone to change the path of their lives
toward your agency’s front door?
(we have established it is unlikely to be salary, so what else you got!?)
You must be able to answer this question in order to
attract great talent.
CULTURE

19. - “Perks”
- dog-friendly
- a Holiday party
- code for why you
would rather use
bias to gauge fit in
an interview
“Perks can add value but are not game
changers. Companies tend to overdeliver
on free food and happy hours but fall short
on some other desirable extras, such as
technology stipends. When all is said and
done, employee perks have minimal
impact on workplace ratings.”
- Ad Age Best Places to work 2020
Culture
Vision
Skill
Hiring
CULTURE
- a shared belief
- the agency’s spirit
- traditions kept
- fixed standards
- perks exist to
support and
demonstrate culture
“If you have a really strong culture, even if a
lot of people think it sucks and they never
want to join your company, there will be a
segment of people who will think it’s
perfect. They’re going to find your place
and call it home. And they’re going to be
loyal and stick it out there for a long period
of time.”
Culture is NOT: Culture IS:

20. The same advice you give clients + brands holds true for your agency + staff:
Culture
Vision
Skill
Hiring
Your vision is your highest purpose for being in business: think of it as
your future self. What is your highest purpose for being in business?
Have you stated it? Have you communicated it to your staff? Your
clients? Is it part of your agency’s PR plan? Do you put it in a job brief
for candidates to buy-in to (or not)?
VISION
From Forrester’s predictions: “In 2019, purpose will regain meaning as a strategic
priority for entirely pragmatic reasons — and to answer critical questions that go to the
heart and soul of driving growth: 1. As brands try to connect to customers’ lifestyles
and habits, what real purpose do they serve in those moments? 2. As digital entrants
emerge, industry lines blur, ecosystems form, and commerce platforms encroach, how
do brands make hard decisions about core competencies, such as where to fight and
where to partner? 3. As Millennials choose career paths and employment based on
purpose, how do brands position to win the hearts and minds of talent? 4. As brands
try to engage the tribal, outrage-driven social arena, how do they pick and choose
sides? What is authentic?...Purpose will be the essential ingredient, acting as the
strategic compass or the rudder in the storm.”

21. Thought starters for the hiring manager + recruiting/HR:
1. Watch out for the blind cutting and pasting of legacy ideas into a job brief.
Ø ex: does your job need truly require a college degree?
2. Some agencies house project managers in their account team, a few agencies
house strategists in their account team
Ø ex: could a hybrid person fit better with your client needs?
3. Look at your client’s org this person will service, do you have staff to mirror their
needs and skills?
4. Consider a more modern org chart that is cross functional, hybrid, and flatter if
necessary.
5. Again, consider a somewhat fluid org chart that can accommodate the talent you
find in-market who meet your culture and vision requirements:
Culture
Vision
Skill
Hiring
SKILL
I will be blunt: 90% of you can take a torch to your current job
descriptions, and you know it! Start with a blank piece of paper, have
the hiring manager start it (covering skills), and have recruiting or HR
finish it (covering culture and vision). Do not route it around like an ad,
do not pass go. Two hands touch it (hiring manager + recruiting), and
off you go.

22. Culture
Vision
Skill
Hiring
SKILL
AD: $150
Assoc. AD: $115
AS: $85
AE: $55k
AAE: $40 + OT
AD: $150
Sr PM: $100 Assoc. AD: $115
AE: $50k PM: $50k
Consider going
from this…
To this.

23. The candidate is your
consumer
This concept should be entirely rudimentary to ad agency staff:
pretend you ARE the client. The candidate is your consumer.
Who is your target consumer (see: culture, vision, skill fit)?
What is your product proposition that will improve their lives (see:
culture, vision, skills that lead to engagement and a happy work life)?
How do you communicate to them? See: your job description.
It’s time to communicate on a job description like a dream client:
authentically, transparently, with humanity, maybe some humor or
emotion, and with respect to your consumer’s – your candidate’s –
intelligence.
Here we go.

24. The candidate is your
consumer
What candidates want to see on a job description, in priority order*:
Salary
Bonus Potential
Benefits: Full, Family, PTO
Department
Hiring Manager
Product Delivered/Direct Responsibility
Team Size
Seniority Within Organization
Professional Development Opportunities
Length of Hiring Process
Is This Job Live, or Are You Prospecting?
Tenure/Turnover
Will you Accommodate Visas or Relocations?
Is job Remote or Onsite? Flex?
(if it’s remote/flex are “OK” with that, or do you ”embrace” it?)
*source: Twitter crowdsource

25. “…in this talent driven
business…”
…make sure your recruiter is talented.
Happy to answer questions:
310-422-0736
beth@bethmatthewscollective.com
www.bethmatthewscollective.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/bethmatthewscollective/
“Beth is hands down the best recruiter I've ever worked with! She is
our go-to when we need any outside assistance with recruiting. She
understands the agency world, our culture, the roles, the business
needs and truly functions like she is part of our internal agency
recruiting team when she is working with us. Beth always presents top
quality candidates, with interesting and unconventional backgrounds
and I know I can rely on her to cover territory and candidate groups
that are not necessarily within our wheelhouse. Whether working
directly with hiring managers, or through our recruiting team, Beth is a
collaborative and trustworthy business partner.”
- Amy Small, Talent Director, Team One Advertising

26. Thank you.

27. Sources:
- https://www.socialtalent.com/blog/diversity-and-inclusion/9-types-of-bias
- https://learning.linkedin.com/blog/engaging-your-workforce/see-the-
industries-with-the-highest-turnover--and-why-it-s-so-hi
- https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/u/1/d/11obKJpckWJNyEYPdhHM0i
aGp0x4QoVk_7aitRC5zVlc/htmlview?urp=gmail_link&sle=true#gid=707
10369
- https://www.bls.gov/regions/west/data/consumerpriceindex_losangeles_ta
ble.pdf
- https://adage.com/article/agency-news/agency-report-2018/313257
- https://mktg.forrester.com/predictions-
2019?utm_source=prnewswire&utm_medium=pr&utm_campaign=predic
tions_2019&content=capstone
- https://smallbusiness.chron.com/percentage-budget-should-spent-payroll-
64862.html
- https://hbr.org/2015/12/proof-that-positive-work-cultures-are-more-
productive
- https://www.fastcompany.com/3058282/why-a-negative-work-culture-is-
better-than-no-culture-at-all