Weber Shandwick Shows DEI Progress Amid Industry Setbacks

8/12/2024 7:18:14 PM

(MENAFN- PRovoke) NEW YORK - As the PR industry grapples with a broader corporate retreat from DEI initiatives, Weber Shandwick is doubling down on its commitment to DEI, reflected in progress documented in its latest“Impact of Inclusion” report.

However, Judith Harrison, Weber Shandwick's chief DEI officer, said the agency is not immune from the challenges facing the larger industry four years after the murder of George Floyd prompted PR firms to act.

"We are proud of our gains, but we know we have a long way to go," Harrison said. "It's not a straight line, and there are steps forward and backward."

The agency's data shows incremental improvement. In the US, Weber is seeing“positive progress” across all races at the professional and mid-senior levels (VP/SVP) and surpassed hiring targets with BIPOC talent making up 32% of all US hires and 36% of the agency's 2023 intern class.

Among all employees in the US, BIPOC representation increased from 21.2% in 2020 to 27% in 2023. During that same period of time, BIPOC representation increased from 24.8% to 31% from in the professional category and from 14.3% to 21.2% for SVP/VPs.

Also, between 2020 and 2023, Weber saw voluntary attrition rates among BIPOC and Black talent reduced at a significantly faster clip, reducing by 14.9% and 23.4% respectively compared to a voluntary attrition reduction of 9.9% among white employees. The agency's voluntary attrition rate in the US is now relatively equal among all employees.

Harrison credited much of the progress to Weber Shandwick's inclusion-focused programs - mentorships, employee resource groups, DEI councils and leadership training among them. The agency's regional approach to DEI initiatives is a factor as well, she said.

In APAC, the Champions of Change initiative enables local teams to establish their own DEI priorities and action plans. The agency turned the UK's National Inclusion Week into an EMEA-wide event.

Harrison, however, said agencies need to look beyond their own businesses in order to help boost diversity & inclusion across the industry, particularly as companies, including PR firms, are pulling back on their DEI efforts amid backlash.

"We as an industry are part of the larger picture," she said. "It's everybody's part and everybody's responsibility."

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