Building digital capabilities is a central focus – whether it’s through recruiting digital natives, or the development and training of current staff. There is huge potential in university graduates that are experimenting with the latest advances in digital. We’ve created an environment at ZenithOptimedia where these early adopters can take their ideas and develop them in a real market setting.
No longer do we simply deploy staff to buy media space. We have planners, strategists, creative content creators, data scientists, digital experts, mathematicians – the list goes on and on. It takes a huge variety of skillsets to build a modern media agency.
For example, data sciences is a fascinating area that is a relatively new space in the media agency, utilising the latest data insights to delve into the effectiveness of advertising, discovering the best placement for adverts and their interaction with consumers.
One of the most recent additions to the media agency world is the creative content offering, which has introduced a swathe of creative recruits. The career paths that have opened up in modern media agencies are almost unrecognisable from 10 or even five years ago. There's something for everyone; from analysts and developers to creatives to solid economists and mathematicians.
One of the most exciting elements about having such a diverse workforce is that it creates a wonderful culture of respect and collaboration. Everyone appreciates the different skills others hold, but they all rely on one another in order to create the best result for the client.
Equally, we're always looking to future-proof the agency by predicting what our clients will need further down the line, and then equipping staff with the skills to meet those needs. The market develops so rapidly that it's essential we hire the best calibre talent from a variety of backgrounds, who will able to meet and predict the latest trends in the marketplace.
A path we've taken to ensure our staff are equipped with the right skills and can flourish is to give them the chance to own their development. We give employees the chance to identify the skills they'll need and where they want to go in their career, and then we help them to get there.
To keep things fresh we also offer a programme where staff at any level are offered the chance to live the life of a colleague for two weeks in any of our global offices. This year 11 people will travel from Australia to China to New York to discover what it's like in that workplace and culture. When they come back they’ll share that rich knowledge with their colleagues, which brings the whole network closer together.
By far the most refreshing aspect of working in a media agency these days is that you don't need a specific education or even a degree. All you have to be is smart and passionate about the space, with an inquisitive mind.
With such a diversity of opportunity I can't think of a more exciting field to work in right now.
Audrey Lucy is chief talent officer at ZenithOptimedia, a corporate media and marketing agency
