IPA Census: women and non-White employee increase behind target

The share of women in leadership roles, as well as female and non-White employees generally, accelerated across the Institute of Pracitioners in Advertising’s (IPA) member agencies in 2022.

However, the improved diversity numbers are still short of IPA targets originally set in 2016.

The latest IPA Census found that the number of women in IPA member agencies grew 24.1% to 14,411, now accounting for 55% of the total employed base — a two-point increase in share from 2021.

It comes as overall staff numbers within IPA agency members increased by nearly one-fifth (19%) year-on-year to surpass over 26,000 members for the first time. The number of employees in media agencies also increased 19% to 11,647.

Females, however, still do not hold the IPA’s target percentage of 40% of all senior positions despite growth in this area. Female share of C-suite roles grew 4 percentage points to 37.5% in 2022; in media agencies, share of female leadership grew at a faster clip (+6.2 percentage points) to reach 39%.

Notably, a gender pay gap favouring males (17.4%) remained across IPA member agencies, despite improvement from 2021 (23.3%). The IPA notes that the pay gap is considerably higher in creative and other non-media agencies (21.1%) than at media agencies, where it fell from 18.9% in 2021 to 14.3%.

The percentage of employees from a non-white ethnic background increased more than 5 percentage points to account for 24% of IPA members’ workforce. Further, ethnically diverse hires now account for 11% of C-suite level employees, up over 4 percentage points from 2021.

IPA targets aim for at least 15% of people in leadership positions to be from non-White backgrounds.

Ethnic minority individuals now occupy 33.3% of entry and junior-level roles, however, up over 6 percentage points from 2021. This figure is also higher in media agencies (36.7%) than creative and non-media agencies (27.8%). IPA members have thus further exceeded the goal of having at least 25% of entry-level recruits to be Black, Asian and ethnic minority individuals.

An ethnicity pay gap also exists, though, and it is practically unchanged from a year ago across reporting agencies. The pay gap is 21% in favour of White employees, with the differential higher in media agencies (22.5%) than creative and non-media agencies (16.1%).

IPA director general Paul Bainsfair called the latest Census figures a “much healthier pace of improvement than in previous years”, adding that the industry “must continue this great work to ensure our business is fully representative and inclusive for those working within it and attractive to those considering a career within the agency world.”

Leila Siddiqi, associate directory of diversity at the IPA, added: “This year’s Census findings paint a hopeful, much improved snapshot of the industry. […] Now is the time to double down on our collective efforts by paying extra attention to the areas of fair pay, equal opportunity, and creating inclusive, flexible workplace cultures which enable all underrepresented groups to thrive and reach their full potential.”