WPP's Fellowship Programme is no easy ride but its positive effects are far-reaching, writes Jon Steel Aa eee JON STEEL Needed: a Jack of all trades and master of everything THERE was 9 cime, not too long ago, when the people who ran advertising agencies had usually ‘worked in such agencies for their entire careers. The same was true ini PR, media, research, and design companies. Ageney leaders tended to be lifer, who wore masters oftheir discipline. ‘More than 20 years ago, Martin Sorrel (he was not yet Sir Martin) predicted that in the focure, such ‘people would be regarded as dinosaurs. His ambition {for WDD was to work with clients across national boundaries, and in every marketing communications discipline, And this, he realised, would require a new kind of agency leader: person able to move seamlessly between different disciplines, and also between culeures, A Jack-of-ll-tades, and master of everything. TThe problem as, our industry stil tended to hire and train young recruits in single agencies, in one specialist area, in one city. If Martin was going to find the kind of people he wanted, he was going t0 have to try something different. Tn 1995, four young university graduates were hired by WPP as the first members of a unique recruitment and training programme: the WPP Fellowship. They worked for a year in each of three different WPP operating companies ~ each ina different discipline, and each on a different continent. With each year came a new, front-line, client-facing role, and the kind of responsibilty that frightened both them and their host company. Te also offered a fast tack into management positions. “Two decades later, 530 WPP clients are served in four or more disciplines, accounting for more than 553% of group revenues; group companies also work with around 430 clients across six or more countries (Current and former Fellows now work on every continent (except Antarctica), in every part of ‘WP's business. Many — even those hired in recent years — now occupy senior management positions. In total, around 170 Fellows have joined WPP since 1995. And as we celebrate the 20th anniversary of the programme, the majority of those recruited zemain with WPP. ‘There is no such thing es atypical’ WPP Fellow. Bach year the aim is to reeruit people who are both different from previous Fellows and different from ‘each other. As might be expected, many are arts or social science graduates, but many others come from ‘engineering, law, medicine, music, biochemistry, mathematics, and numerous other academic backgrounds, The subject itself doesn't matter ~ the ‘objective is simply to find interesting, interested people who are good at whatever they have studied, and now want to apply their skis ro marketing Market Leader Quarter 4, 2015 ‘communications. What all have in common isa fascination witha business that applies creativity to solve business problems. Fellowship recruitment lierature has always asked for ‘ambidextrous brains’ - rains that have the logical, analytical sills to understand a problem, and the intuitive, creative skis to suggest solutions. Such people are a rare breed. Irs why, each year, we hire only eight to 10, Fellows from a pool of 1,500 to 2,000 candidates. “There is also na such thing asa “typical” Fellowship journey. After the first year, when the company matches them to the most suitable and useful roles, Fellows make their own choices ‘They are assisted in such decisions by senior parent company mentors, and by the widespread network of former Fellows. While most spend their three years in WP operating companies, some take on bronder parent company roles, while others have been seconded t0 special assignments beyond the boundaries of WPP, such as placements with the bid teams for the 2012 London Olympics and the 2018 Football World Cup, and 2 communications role in 10 Downing, Street. One Fellow is currently embedded in Hillary Clinton's Presidential election tam. ollowing the three-year rotational programme, Fellows become permanent employees of a WEP operating company: And two years later, they become eligible for selection to an external ‘programme that is designed to test the erat and leadership skills they have developed, while also doing some good in the world, Through @ partnership with The Intemational Exchange (TTB) over the past six years, Fellows have worked in disadvantaged communities in Broil, Africa and North America, on issues ranging from child literaey to human rights, rainforest protection to domestic violence, helping local organisations plan and execute their campaigns. The communities thoy serve have benefited greatly from the Fellows’ work, but so too have the Fellows, all of whom have returned with a broader perspective, heightened confidence in theie own abilities, and an enhanced sense ofthe value and potential of communications. “This, in surn, benofitstheie operating companies. No pare ofthe Fellowship is easy. Much of a Fellows time is spent outside their personal comfort zone ~ so much so that one once said that being comfortable made him uncomfortable. But ashe said it, he was smiling Jon Steel is WPP’s group planning director, ‘and director of the WEP Fellowship jonsteel@spp.com 37