Strategic Report Section 172(i) statement continued People • Our culture is one of openness and • Our aim is to grow the world’s brightest transparency, where everyone has a voice talent to create a skilled, diverse workplace, and is free to raise questions and issues producing outstanding work for our clients. of concern. • It is essential that we keep all our Monks • Our Non-Executive Director responsible engaged, motivated and productive to meet for workforce engagement, Rupert Faure our clients’ need for ‘speed, quality, value’. Walker, undertakes engagement sessions • We therefore have to provide sufficient with our people and ensures that feedback opportunities, interesting roles and new received is reported back to the Board challenges to enable our people to spend as whole. fulfilling careers within the business. • Our unitary structure, with a single P&L, How we engage with our people gives our people a sense of common values, shared goals and a collaborative • To attract the brightest new talent to our spirit. This leads to the pooling of skills and business, our practices offer student knowledge and innovative client solutions. outreach programmes, supportive Engagement outcome: examples internships and comprehensive inductions • Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) are for new hires. set up internally by Monks to support and • We help our people develop career path learn from one another, and are actively development plans, and provide mentoring, promoted to advance the understanding training and digital learning, as well as and inclusion of Monks with common life opportunities for international exchanges. experiences. All our people are welcome • To assist with the wellbeing and health of to join any ERGs. At Media.Monks a variety our people, our practices provide wellness of ERGs have been organised over the programmes and support for individuals, years in many of our global offices, such all within a strong culture of mutual respect as WoMMen in Tech, a neurodiversity and and understanding. disability group, and LGBTQ+ ERG, and one 4 • A diverse and inclusive workplace brings a for Monks of colour. The latter, S Melanin, wealth of cross-cultural advantages to our has grown to be the largest ERG at Media. people and our clients. Monks: expected to grow to 300 by the end of 2022. This global community creates a • Although we are one of the most gender- safe space where Monks of colour can meet balanced companies in the industry, we and talk about a variety of topics, with the know there is a general imbalance across aim of not only helping each other thrive the digital world. We are addressing this both professionally and personally but also through proactive female and diversity ensuring that everyone’s voice is heard. engagement programmes, supportive 4 4 internal networks and industry initiatives to • In 2021 S Melanin met with the S Capital change the status quo. board and our Executive Chairman Sir Martin Sorrell about what progress needs to be made and how we are working towards ensuring that our regional offices are reflective of each local population. Our unitary structure, Because of the transparency provided by 4 S Melanin we have made it mandatory for all managers to go through the DE&I training. with a single P&L, gives our 4 S Melanin grew from a private support group to a global force that drives more people a sense of common inclusive practices on the local level and is an inspiring example of how ERGs can make an impact, both in everyday interactions in values, shared goals and the workplace as well as on a policy level. a collaborative spirit 30 S4Capital Annual Report and Accounts 2021