In an Australian first, Advertising Council Australia (ACA) today released the findings of its Creating Space report and action plan – a comprehensive review of diversity and inclusion in the Australian advertising industry.

The report, a collaboration with global news agency Kantar, provides rich data on the makeup of the industry and people’s experiences at work – highlighting strengths, identifying gaps and identifying areas for action. immediate.

Its release follows ACA’s first creative space census in December 2021, which drew 2,600 responses from industry advertising professionals.

According to Tony Hale, CEO of ACA: “Create Space is awesome. For the first time, we have solid data to develop an industry-wide approach to diversity and inclusion.

“The data confirms that we are a diverse industry with the vast majority of people having a high sense of belonging and experiencing low levels of discrimination. Dig a little deeper and it becomes clear that this is not the case for everyone. As an industry, we need to include everyone, not just the majority.

The Create Space report reveals that the Australian advertising industry is more inclusive than many other industries around the world, ranking well above the Australian national standard and on par with overseas advertising industries.

Three-quarters of advertising industry professionals feel a strong sense of belonging to the organization they work for and 90% feel they are an integral part of their direct team, with junior staff recording levels of highest inclusions.

According to Hannah Sturrock, National Engagement Manager, ACA: “However, inclusion does not extend to marginalized groups such as ethnic minorities, women and non-binary professionals, and others who experience negative behaviors and discrimination at work.

“Create Space is about overturning an integrated culture and it won’t be a silver bullet, but if we address each issue identified in the census comprehensively and over time, the social and economic benefits for our industry will be significant in years to come. coming. “

Key data from the report reveals that women in advertising are six times more likely than men to experience gender discrimination, 58% of advertising professionals live with a physical or mental health condition and a fifth of employees are likely to leave the industry because of their experiences of discrimination and exclusion.

Twice as many people with disabilities felt uncomfortable at work compared to those without (24% vs 13%), the experience of discrimination and negative behaviors at work is almost three times higher for people who identify as Asian (31% vs. 12%), and 23% of people feel anxious about their job due to their identification as LGBTQI+.

ACA’s calls to action include adopting a series of measures to address harassment in the workplace, outlined in ACA’s new Create (SAFE) Space toolkit and action plan. 6 point action; building better support systems for people with mental health issues, including becoming a mental health first aid qualified workplace; and ensuring everyone understands the harmful impact of microaggressions to reduce their incidence, with resources designed to help identify, report and respond to everyday degrading behaviors.

ACA D&I Committee Chair and WWP Australia and New Zealand President Rose Herceg said the industry’s way forward on DEI is clear: workplaces are welcoming and inclusive for all.

“Many companies have their policies established on DEI. Adopting the report’s recommendations and creating space action plan will help accelerate progress in the most critical areas. »

Each Create Space action will be supported by online workshops that will give people the opportunity to learn more about how to implement them in their workplace.

Further actions based on the findings of the Create Space report and co-created by industry task forces will be released later this year, focusing on ethnicity, LGBTQI+ and disability. Actions related to age, social mobility and neurodiversity will be announced in 2023.

More resources, toolkits and training options will be added to the Create Space Hub in the coming weeks, with ACA committing to assess industry progress on DEI every two years.

Summary: Create a spatial census report and action plan

Industry Highlights
● Australia’s advertising industry is comparatively more inclusive than many other industries around the world, with a globally recognized Kantar Inclusion Index score of 62, well above the national average of 43 and on par with the advertising industry’s global score of 64.
● 75% of respondents feel a strong sense of belonging to their company and 90% feel they are an integral part of their direct team
● Junior staff had the highest inclusion score at 67. Those under 25 drive the high inclusion of junior staff, with the inclusion index standing at 73 for this group of age.
● The industry is not complacent when it comes to DE&I, with 73% of respondents saying their company is actively taking steps to improve in this area.

Improvement areas

● 8% of women versus 3% of men have experienced sexual harassment in the workplace in the past 12 months
● 1 in 4 female middle managers are likely to leave the industry due to their experience of discrimination or lack of inclusion, compared to 1 in 10 male middle managers
● 28% of professionals in the advertising industry are affected by a persistent mental health problem, 15% more than the Australian population
● Discrimination and negative behaviors at work are almost three times higher for people who identify as Asian (31% compared to 12% for those who identify as “Australian”).
● Of LGBTQI+ people in our industry, 32% choose to hide their sexuality at work
● Microaggressions, or negative behaviors, are experienced by nearly 50% of respondents

Creating an Action Plan for Space: Priority Areas for Immediate Action

Action n°1: fight against gender inequalities by improving the experience and retention of female talent

To help the industry ensure a safer work environment for women, ACA has developed a Creating Space (SAFE) Toolkit which provides six clear steps to address sexual harassment and victimization in the workplace.

Businesses can access self-assessment tools, fact sheets on how to address behaviors that lead to sexual harassment, a trauma-informed guide to responding to disclosures, understanding and updating plans and whistleblower policies and develop victim-centered NDAs. ACA members can also access safety and wellbeing services and ‘safe space’ training with one of Australia’s leading employment law experts, Danny King Legal. Additional resources address women’s representation in senior management, parental leave and the gender pay gap.

Action #2: Improve the experiences of talent with mental health issues

To increase awareness of the signs of mental stress in the workplace and improve support for people with mental health issues, ACA encourages industry to adopt and share the Minimum Mental Health Standards, download the RUOK? A practical workplace guide to encouraging and guiding mental health conversations and becoming a mental health first aid qualified workplace in 2023.

Action #3: To Address Reported Negative Behavior Across the Industry

To educate teams on what constitutes a microaggression, their impact, and the best course of action to report and respond to when they occur, ACA urges industry to download and implement the Field Guide of ACA to fight against microaggressions while contributing and sharing a set of microaggression and alliance awareness tools to create a more supportive work culture.