How do we develop talent in the north?
At The Future of Media Manchester this month, much of the discussion surrounded the challenge of making the north of England and Scotland an appealing place to work.
It’s a thriving region and yet it’s under-invested in compared with London, while there are lots of benefits to building a business in the north.
Part of the wider debate, then, is about how non-London-based businesses attract and retain talent when there is such a different perception of the region compared with the capital.
The Media Leader asked three leaders to present their vision of how to solve the talent puzzle and the in-room audience voted for their favourite.
Watch their short presentations below and see if you agree with the final winner.
Northern media businesses urged to celebrate their superpower
Francesca Coia, business director, business strategy and innovation, Republic of Media
Coia identified five key principles to tackle the talent challenge.
“We need to be doing a better job around the way we’re innovating,” Coia pointed out, with young people exposed to stories of commentary around AI “taking our jobs”.
The industry should also highlight how northern media businesses can be a more affordable option than working in London. Find ways to improve their quality of life beyond salary, such as free meals and complimentary gym memberships.
Finally, Coia addressed the audience directly: “Everyone in this room has influence — please take action.”
Lisa Hughes, coach
Hughes chose to focus on three main ways to support emerging talent.
Instead of giving the illusion that people can make a difference, “give people the means to create real change”, she explained.
“The tell-and-command approach is dead,” Hughes continued. “Decentralised decision-making is the way forward.”
Hughes also asked delegates to recognise a time when someone opened a door for them earlier in their career and for them to commit to opening a door for someone else in the next six months.
She concluded: “In fact, just take the doors off their hinges and leave them open for everyone!”
Firoz Bhaiyat, associate dean for business, UA92
Data shows that over 70% of people working in the creative industries have degrees, compared with 50% in other sectors.
Bhaiyat asked: “How many times have you hired someone, or you’ve been that person, that excelled in education, that got the first, that got the 2:1, and when you landed that job, you were frightened?
This shows that the ad industry and education need to unite — not as a module in the final year of a degree but on day one.
“Our challenge is to redesign media education so that diverse, digitally savvy talent can flourish everywhere,” Bhaiyat declared.
The solution to this is for industry and education to co-design curriculum, provide practical learning opportunities and mutual knowledge exchange.
And the winner is…
Coia won the audience vote at the event — watch out for more coverage on her vision of supporting northern talent on The Media Leader soon.