HR Corner Creative freedom helps advertising agency to shine by Alex Chan With some employers, being unconventional is part of the job Probably the last thing a new employee joining any company expects to receive on the first day in the job is a carefully prepared draft of their own resignation letter. However, that is just what new recruits get as part of the "welcome kit" provided by Leo Burnett Limited, a 4As advertising agency. It comes along with tape, bubble wrap, a disposable camera and a discount card for a removals firm – in fact everything needed for packing up and leaving. Of course, there is a twist. The date shown on the resignation letter is one year from the date of joining and the text states that, despite having won multiple awards, formed lasting relationships and gained invaluable professional experience, the offer of another job at three times the salary was too good to turn down. "If you have made it to Leo Burnett, you will have already become a hot commodity in the advertising industry and a target for talent scouts," explains creative director Brian Ma. However, the company has no intention of encouraging staff to leave. They are simply making a point about one of their core values – creativity. "Actions speak louder than words," says Mr Ma. "We could just tell all new staff that we expect them to think outside the box, but words alone don't always make such a strong impact." The usual reaction of those receiving the orientation kit shows that it is indeed getting the message across as intended. After the initial surprise or confusion wears off, the irony of the situation is appreciated and newcomers realise that, from now on, they will be working in an organisation that prizes innovative thinking. They recognise that any employer willing to make such a bold introductory statement is clearly not bound by convention. The ability to collaborate is what shapes the quality of the final product New ideas "Some agencies have employees handling six to seven accounts at one time, but this inhibits their creativity," Mr Ma adds. "Our creative talent looks after three to four accounts, allowing more time for them to collaborate with individual clients and develop new themes and ideas." Each person is given the freedom and encouragement to be as creative as possible, something which is vital in the advertising industry. Confident that this was the right approach to follow, the company concluded that employees would stay if they had the chance to express their talents. This is seen as a major attraction, but there are others, including an extensive training programme, good prospects for promotion, and the opportunity to win industry awards. As HR director Elina Yip explains, "We promote based on performance, not seniority, so many of our best staff are able to work their way up the corporate ladder very quickly." Those identified as "star" performers can join a structured, fast-track training programme to develop the specific skills needed to assume roles at management level. In fact, this has helped develop many of the company's current senior managers to progress all the way from entry-level positions. That kind of ascent also exemplifies the firm's policy of promoting from within, which has been the key to staff retention over the years. In this respect, Mr Ma notes many staff remain with the creative department for over four years, which is longer than the industry average for such posts. Award winners An internal creative award system also contributes to retention and employee motivation. It is designed to promote the core values of "reaching for the stars" and always striving for the best. Using pre-defined judging criteria, a panel gets together each quarter to recognise the most creative work done by the agency worldwide and then distributes the awards to the winners. Not surprisingly, given the nature of the industry, another highly rated quality is collaboration. "Teamwork within an agency is always critical," says Mr Ma. "People in the creative department have to work closely with colleagues handling such things as account services, strategic planning and TV production. The ability to collaborate is what shapes the quality of the final product." Various events are organised throughout the year as part of a team-building initiative. For example, in early December, the company staged their annual Christmas breakfast at the Hong Kong Disneyland resort. This provided an opportunity to discuss business strategy, annual results and prospects, plus other key issues. Once that had been done, all those taking part could spend the rest of the day enjoying themselves in the theme park. Naturally, planning the event involved a fair amount of creativity. For example, in the lead-up, mannequins dressed in pyjamas were stationed at various points around the office in order to remind staff of two things – that the day would be fun and that they should be ready to think outside the box. Salient points Advertising agency aims to develop a working environment that inspires creativity Advancement is based on merit, allowing talent to rise to the top Extensive training programmes and promotion from within aid staff retention Internal awards encourage employees to "reach for the stars" Regular events are organised to improve teamwork and reinforce relationships Taken from Career Times 20 January 2006, p. A16 Your comments are welcome at [email protected]