Nov. 9, 2018
The 3% Movement partnered with VMLY&R to get a genuine perspective on the reality of being a parent and working in today’s advertising industry. The results of the latest survey, Parenting In Adland, were unveiled at the annual 3% Conference in Chicago.
Parents in the workplace deal with a unique set of challenges that range from missed promotion opportunities, outdated parental policies and lack of flexible scheduling. The 3% Movement wanted to learn how agencies are supporting parents and where they’re falling short. The Parenting In Adland survey was designed to gain insight about workplace parental policies and stereotypes about caregivers, and whether they have evolved or remained stagnant.
Out of 528 respondents: 384 were mothers and 144 were fathers. Respondents answered questions about: the way parenthood has affected their careers, parental policies in place at their agencies, whether or not they feel supported by leadership, and more. The feedback provided revealed new insights, including:
91% of mothers and 82% of fathers agree that “the advertising industry is a challenging place for parents”
While 93% of mothers agree that "fathers can thrive in advertising," only 76% of fathers agree with that sentiment
80% of mothers and 64% of fathers have considered leaving advertising to achieve better work/life balance
2 in 3 fathers feel supported by company leadership, but fewer than half of mothers feel supported
Only 4 in 10 parents at large agencies (250+ employees) feel supported by executive leadership at their company
Mothers are generally at the center of the discussion about parenting in the workplace. After learning that dads also struggle, The 3% Movement wanted to dive a little further into their perspective and hosted focus groups for fathers in the advertising industry.
“From our previous research, ad women have told us of the many challenges they have face trying to integrate work and family, and now we know ad dads are facing similar challenges," said Lisen Stromberg, chief operating officer and partner of The 3% Movement. "If we truly want to stop the brain drain of high caliber talent from leaving our industry, Agency leaders can no longer view work/life fit as a women’s issue. This is a hiring and retention issue. In other words, a business issue."
“Together with the 3% Movement, we are committed to creating a culture of shared opportunity and support for mothers and fathers,” said Jon Cook, Global CEO, VMLY&R. “We were thrilled to work with 3% to delve into this important issue affecting the future of our industry. These results show it’s never been more pressing to create solutions that help parents grow both their careers and families.”
Based off the feedback from the Parenting in Adland survey, The 3% Movement is taking a deeper look into what parents need from their agencies to feel supported. The micro actions created in response to the survey will serve as a roadmap for agencies looking to improve the way they treat their employees with families.
Read the full report at www.ParentingInAdland.com.