AdNews asked industry figures for their assessment of 2022 and outlook for next year
Ferrah Dagli, Chief People Officer, dentsu ANZ, and Chris Bower, CEO, dentsu Solutions, ANZ
2022 is the first year of uninterrupted work since the pandemic. It’s also the first year we’ve been able to get a good sense of the toll it has left on us in its wake. We’ve rewired as a society and pivoted our business, and now we finally have the space to process these changes and what they mean to dentsu, and ultimately our clients.
Flexibility is no longer a competitive advantage. Dentsu knows this, and we’ve been fostering a positive environment where our employees are encouraged to deliver their best work, location agnostic where possible. We lean into dentsu’s Japansese philosophy of Sanpo Yoshi - what’s great for our people is great for business, our clients, and society, and ultimately, when we get the workplace humming along (wherever it may be), we as a business can tackle bigger problems for our clients and partners, after all, that’s what we are here to do.
There are definitely trade-offs with these flexible arrangements – for some, working from home can be lonely and isolating; we’re pressured by the always-on mentality of technology; and we have yet to understand how all this affects career development. But we also know the benefits flexibility has on productivity. It’s about getting the balance right - supporting our people better to fuel performance. And when that’s happening, our clients are winning just as much as we are.
Since the pandemic, we are intent on making sure we support our employees, but also continue performing and delivering great outcomes as a business.
That means, ensuring that our employees’ physical and mental wellbeing is at the forefront of our people agenda. In addition to their personal and annual leave, employees have access to three Wellness Days a year, in which our people are encouraged to switch off for the day and do what they love, so that they can return to work more energised than before.
We’re making sure that people know that a career at dentsu means possibilities for growth - from multiple courses available for employees to access through dentsu University to the opportunity for global mobility.
Celebrating and cultivating diversity has always formed a core part of dentsu’s culture. This will be something we’ll continue to focus on for 2023 and beyond. Diverse teams remain the soul of our capabilities - we work across a diverse cross-section of client work with skills brought in from different crafts and sectors.
Having assembled some of the industry’s brightest minds, we draw inspiration through our talent experiences every day aiming to disrupt the status quo and create the solutions we’re renowned for. This is why we’re growing our people, where one shared philosophy really helps: Sanpo Yoshi; doing good by our people brings great results for business, our clients, and society.
Ferrah Dagli
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