In this week's cover story, we chronicle the ongoing effort at advertising agency Owen Jones to build a workplace that is equitable and inclusive.
Integral to that effort has been making equity and inclusive the center of most everything. Also key, engaging with DEI specialists who work inside and outside the agency.
Andrew Saucedo is among then. Saucedo is director of human resources for Owen Jones. He joined the company a year ago. We caught up with him to talk about what his role is in the agency's continuing work on equity and inclusion and what drew him to the job.
As you were being recruited, what were you looking for in a company? And what of those things did you see in Owen Jones? I was interested in joining an organization at which I could apply my DEI experience. In my first year at Owen, I have observed and experienced firsthand, (David Lowe-Rogstad) and the leadership team’s “show, don’t tell” approach to DEI in agency operations (trainings around psychological safety, bias and core needs), Owen benefits (14 weeks of paid leave for primary caregivers and 12 weeks for secondary caregivers, our relationship with Maven Clinic that helps women and their partners at Owen with family building & fertility, parenting and menopause support) and in terms of investments for future improvements (Owen’s compensation equity work that we are currently in the midst of).
What do you see as your role in fostering the company's DEI goals? While I have and will continue to play a significant role in Owen’s growth around all things DEI, David has made clear that DEI is a major focus for him in his role as CEO and DEI is so important that it can't just be one person's responsibility. To that end, I am part of a team of leaders at Owen that is committed to fostering diversity, equity and inclusion not only because it's the right thing to do from a social perspective, but also because having a diverse, highly engaged and empowered workforce is a business imperative.
What do you see as the next step for the company to take on this journey? In my own journey, I have heard disheartening stories from others in the DEI space lamenting that DEI only shows up at their companies as a PR tool or in other such superficial ways. From my perspective, "money talks" in DEI. So, I wanted to prioritize building a solid foundation for a transparent and equitable compensation process at Owen, which is why I am so excited that Owen Jones made the investment to partner with Willis Towers Watson in creating a comp program centered on data (which will help off-set the sort of unconscious bias we all hold that breeds pay inequity.) The next phase of work will focus on how we increase earning potential and opportunity for women and our employees of color. We will also begin the process of becoming a certified B Corp business in 2023, which will help keep us honest on our social responsibilities as an agency.
