Background
Adland is facing a recruitment challenge as the number of people working in marketing and advertising has fallen by 14% between 2019 and 2022 (Carroll, 2023). It is crucial therefore for ad companies to invest in talent retention and growth, and this was no different for global integrated marketing agency Wunderman Thompson. With research showing that mentorship is important for professional development a mentor-based programme seemed a good way to foster this growth. But mentorship schemes in the advertising industry were often not delivering, with a gender imbalance in mentoring relationships, as fewer women have female mentors compared to men with male mentors. Plus the process was often lengthy and mentees often ended up disappointed. Wunderman Thompson knew it needed to develop a more flexible and inclusive mentoring solution.
Approach
Wunderman Thompson looked to one of its six business employee resource groups to help it achieve this. RISE is its women’s network which aims to empower and build a community for the women who make up 50% of the agency’s talent. RISE’s co-founders developed Magpie, a self-serve mentoring app designed to connect women within the agency and provide ad hoc support. The idea behind the name is that the agency’s talent steals pieces of shiny advice from lots of different people with different experiences across the agency.
The app allows users to connect with the right person based on their needs as and when they want, without the need for lengthy application forms or long-term commitments. It integrates with the agency’s existing workflow platform, Microsoft Teams, and offers a directory of mentors based on various themes, ranging from maternity and motherhood, leadership, building your personal brand and managing stress. The mentor profile is inspired by the Top Trumps game, allowing users to explore their options and connect with the most relevant person to start a conversation.
Outcome
Magpie was launched on International Women’s Day in 2022 and immediately engaged 50% of the agency’s women, with 20% continuing to use the app weekly. The success of the platform led to a 15% increase in female mentor sign-ups since launch. The app gained substantial PR coverage and was so successful it opened to everyone within the UK/EMEA agency in February 2023. The peer-to-peer mentoring model has been embraced, with positive feedback on the ease of connecting with mentors and the valuable insights gained. The app has also received support and investment to be scaled up across Wunderman Thompson’s 20,000 people global network. The agency also plans to address additional topics such as the menopause, fertility and returning parents. As app co-founder Helen Lee says: “Ditching the application forms and not forcing people to commit to a long-term process that’s not right for their situation is the epitome of peer-to-peer mentoring.”
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