Page 82 - AdNews magazine Mar-Apr-May 2023

EMPLOYER OF THE YEAR (HEADCOUNT UNDER 75) FINALISTS
This Is Flow
Adhesive
As the agency has expanded, there has been a significant focus placed on staff investment, training and development. “We built the ‘Flow Academy’, creating tailor made courses with our training partners for Evolving Managers, Evolving Leaders and an external course for our clients.
“As an agency Flow continues to shatter industry norms and thrive – growing significantly over the last three years, and the last 12 months were no different.
“What would normally be a pressure cooker of stress in a global staff shortage turned out
to be the opposite as Flow hired, retained and continued to cultivate the most incredible culture that most agencies crave.
“By design, our purpose is built on Positive Impact. Not just feel-good words, but six core pillars linked by powerful strategy and relentless execution - driving people, process, product, clients, customers and our community.
“In order to build a strategy
to support Flow employees, we developed The Growth Playbook which documented employee centred initiatives that drive our values and create a culture with so much passion and comraderie that is now renowned across the industry as one of the best places to work (quite literally – officially named 3rd on Australia’s Great Place to Work List in 2022).
“We further supported their professional development
with additional personal and emotional development too. We brought in key speakers, ran customer inspiration sessions with mentors like Rob Pyne and gave our staff paid off-site days to enhance the focus on this personal development.
“The result of our focus on staff development has been significant and this has translated into our staff seeking additional involvement and interest in the broader industry. We currently have Flow Staff members on the NGEN committee, as active MFA5+ mentors as well as a MFA board member. We’ve also leveraged a partnership with Western Sydney University as a way for our ex- WSU alumni to give back and the opportunity to positively influence future graduates.
“Another positive indicator of the investment into our staff has been the impact on our retention and churn rates, as well as our volume of internal referrals.
“We have shifted to a flexible working arrangement where the full team is in office together on Tuesday - Thursday, whereas Monday & Friday are optional ‘work from anywhere’ days. This flexible arrangement is coupled with a full paid Passion Day every year, where staff get to harness the things that they love.”
“We are focused on attracting, developing and retaining the right talent to build a creative, engaged and performance-driven culture. 2022 is our 10th anniversary and to celebrate, we flew staff from across Australia and New Zealand to the Great Barrier Reef for a three day celebration. This was a chance to recognise all those who helped build the agency we are today, as well as look forward to what is to come in the next decade.
“Beyond our formal training budget, all staff are given
$1,000 to spend as they please on personal development they believe will help them grow. From acting classes at NIDA to film courses at AFTRS, staff are empowered to use their passions to power their profession.
“Internally, we have Adhesive Academy, an always-on program that develops staff. Courses
span pitching and account management to strategy, creativity and corporate. Our focus on career development has led to nine staff being promoted during the financial year, with two of those staff rising from AE to AM and AC to SAD during their Adhesive tenure.
“We support the growth of team members in ways that are meaningful to them - and are flexible with the approach we take to role and career progression. This is founded on
our commitment to supporting team members to grow, even if it means outgrowing Adhesive. This has been brought to life through lateral moves from team members into Yellow - our influencer agency – senior moves
away from execution and into client services, as well as into in- house roles.
“We’ve recently launched a Cultivating Culture award where we give employees the chance for a funded enriching and cultural activity anywhere in Australia valued at $3,000. Cultural experiences, such as a visit to MONA in Tasmania or exploring Uluru, diversify thinking and
help to bring creativity into the workplace. To be awarded, team members need to demonstrate how they live Adhesive’s values, their performance in our Pitch Perfect training program and sponsorship from another Adhesive team member.
“Our commitment to an open minded and creative culture is further enriched with our Culture Club, which is funded
to celebrate staff’s individual cultural differences. From celebrating Tamil New Year
with an afternoon tea event to attending the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, or supporting mental health awareness through webinars, we are a better agency for this diversity.”