17569: Overreaction Of The Weekend.

 

Mediapsssst reported a Louisiana-based White advertising agency created a $50k scholarship, supplemented by additional financial assistance, for students at the LSU Manship School of Mass Communications.

It’s another sign that DEIBA+ is DOA in Adland when White ad agencies deliver performative PR hyping scholarships for White students.

Baton Rouge Agency Creates $50,000 Scholarship For LSU’s Manship School

By Richard Whitman

Baton Rouge, LA-based full-service marketing agency DAA Media + Marketing is marking its 50th anniversary in 2026 and as part of a year-long celebration has announced it is underwriting a $50,000 advertising scholarship to the Louisiana State University Manship School of Mass Communication.  

Scholarships will be distributed by LSU in $10,000 yearly increments over five years. 

The first selected students will be awarded this fall. Criteria for selected students will be determined by the university.  

“DAA has been a valued partner of the Manship School for many years, and this generous investment reflects our shared commitment to preparing the next generation of communication leaders,” said Manship School Dean Kim Bissell.  

The scholarship commitment to LSU builds on DAA’s yearlong 50th Anniversary initiative to give back to the organizations and communities that have helped shape the agency’s success over the past five decades. 

The agency has pledged an additional $50,000 throughout 2026 through a combination of financial and in-kind contributions. It is also continuing to invest in the next generation of industry leaders through mentorship, career opportunities, and initiatives like the DAA Emerging Leaders Laptop Giveaway, which will award Apple MacBooks to five students pursuing degrees in advertising, marketing, graphic design, or communications.  

“Reaching this 50-year milestone as a company has given us the opportunity to reflect on our five decades in business and on the relationships that we have had the privilege to build throughout the years,” said DAA CEO Nancy Steiner. “That, along with our passion for mentorship, and creating the unique opportunities that our young professionals in our field need to get ahead is something that collectively fuels us as a team and as a company.”

17502: In Adland, AI Stands For Avoiding Inclusion.

 

MediaPost spotlighted a new 4As report cautioning White advertising agencies that using AI to replace new hires could adversely impact next-generation leadership growth.

 

Given entry-level hiring and recruiting has fueled global performative DEIBA+ initiatives, choosing AI over newbies shuts down critical talent pipelines to underserved and underrepresented candidates.

 

In Adland, AI fortifies exclusivity and systemic racism.

 

How Cutting Entry-Level Agency Jobs Impacts The Entire Industry

 

By Steve McClellan

 

The ad agency world has long fretted over entry-level positions and how to get to the best talent to fill them.  

 

The industry accepts that it probably won’t be the highest paying sector in the economy and that it has likely lost many potential candidates to higher-paying fields like tech and finance.  

 

More recent developments have complicated the issue further, including hybrid workforces that have put a damper on career-mentoring channels.  

 

And advancements in artificial intelligence are now enabling agencies to cut staff—particularly entry-level posts that don’t involve much, if any, strategic thinking—to further reduce expenses. 

 

But a new report from the 4As and consultant DBC urges agencies to carefully consider their use of AI to replace new hires, noting that such a strategy could stunt the growth of next-generation leadership. 

 

“By treating these roles as short-term costs rather than long-term investment, agencies risk creating a ‘hollowed-out’ middle management for the next decade,” the report, written by DBC President Bill Daddi, states. 

 

The report quotes several industry leaders and cites a Forrester study that projects that U.S. ad agencies will automate 7.5% of jobs by 2030, most of which will be entry-level positions.  

 

4As CEO Justin Thomas-Copeland states that pressure on entry-level jobs in the industry has been steadily increasing in recent years, but that AI has “hyper-accelerated that progression, where it feels much more aggressive than in any sort of disruptive time that I’ve been in the industry.” 

 

One of the report’s recommendations: Rethink and build mentorship exposure and career development into the industry’s hybrid workforce culture.  

 

“We’ve quietly killed the apprenticeship model where talent learned by being around the seasoned pros at their agencies,” states Caroline Winterton, former CEO at DDB. “If we don’t replace it with something intentional, we’ll end up with leaders who know the tools but don’t have the taste, judgment or people skills the industry needs.” 

 

With fewer people at agencies, there is also more pressure on mid-tier players to drive growth versus their traditional roles of managing teams and completing projects, the report asserts. 

 

The industry needs to redefine what skills entry-level positions require. Traditionally, those roles have focused on executing repetitive tasks.  

 

“Future junior employees must be better equipped to connect strategy, creativity, analytics and AI-enabled systems,” the report asserts. 

 

“AI literacy matters,” states Witherton. “But so does critical thinking, storytelling and knowing when not to use the tool. We need to invest in both sides of the equation.” 

 

More from the report, “Redefining Entry-Level Agency Positions in the Age of AI,” can be found here.

17243: Representation & Innovation Lacks Representation & Innovation.

Digiday published an interview with the newly appointed 4As EVP of People, Talent and Upskilling. It would be interesting to read the job description for that title. Or maybe not.

 

Has the 4As ever made an impact on DEIBA+ in Adland? Perhaps in the early 1970s when MAIP launched, leveraging the era’s societal commitment to progress. Since then, the trade organization has mostly fabricated heat shields, performative PR, and embryo recruitment stunts.

 

The new EVP sounds like all her predecessors, promoting the same Kumbayadda yadda yadda.

 

While the popular argument declares DEIBA+ ignites creativity, the DEIBA+ conversation continues to be clichéd, contrived, and cookie-cutter—ultimately generating crumbs.

 

Why 4As’ new EVP Sylvia Banderas Coffinet is investing around ‘representation and innovation’

 

By Kimeko McCoy

 

Between the AI arms race, political and economic headwinds, the ad industry finds itself at an inflection point, reshaping how organizations invest in and talk about talent. Most notably, advertisers are grappling with the pullback from diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives — largely given President Trump’s scrutiny of DEI.

 

The 4As hasn’t been immune from that recalibration. Earlier this year, the U.S. trade association for advertising agencies overhauled Multicultural Advertising Intern Program (MAIP) and Vanguard — two of the marketing industry’s cornerstone diversity programs — to be more be more inclusive beyond race and ethnicity. The changes were meant to fall in line with cultural shifts, but sparked concern from former MAIP fellows who argued that the move diluted the original mission.

 

As the industry navigates changes to DEI and surge in AI use, the 4As appointed Sylvia Banderas Coffinet as the organization’s evp of people, talent and upskilling, to expand the foundation’s reach and strengthen key programs, including the Multicultural Advertising Intern Program (MAIP) and Vanguard.

 

Coming into the role, Banderas Coffinet is pitching diversity as a business imperative rather than a moral initiative by measuring intern hiring rates and incorporating AI into program curriculum. Banderas Coffinet came with a background in media as CEO of Latina Media Network and corporate general manager at Vox Media. She was announced as the 4As latest hire under CEO Justin Thomas-Copeland on October 21.

 

“At the end of the day, engagement, inclusion, learning — these are not nice to have. They are the economic levers that are going to make you successful,” she said.

 

Digiday recently caught up with the newly appointed 4As exec to learn more about future-proofing MAIP and Vanguard, diversity amidst political headwinds and AI’s impact on the next generation of advertisers.

 

This conversation has been lightly edited for clarity.

 

How will you approach talent initiatives given the current climate of DEI setbacks and AI’s impact on job roles?

 

Innovation is still the goal. And while technology serves as the tool, it will never replace human ingenuity. As it relates to diversity, equity, and inclusion — we can get into the semantics of the words — but fundamentally, diversity is central to innovation. One without the other doesn’t exist. Probably the greatest killer of creativity is group think. Often, we talk about diversity and inclusion is good ethics, and it is. But I also believe it’s good business, and sometimes we get caught up in these conversations that forget that the numbers and the research and the years of analysis that have been done by numerous experts still show that there is a direct correlation between diversity and inclusion, talent and more successful campaigns.

 

Is there a difference between DEI and inclusion in terms of semantics, and how does this impact talent initiatives and programming?

 

Diverse workforces are a form of creating inclusion. Inclusion and belonging are ultimately rooted in equity. And the idea that when we have more voices in the room, when we create an aperture for more just more — more thoughts — innovation is a natural result of that. It’s unfortunate that we’ve turned this conversation into semantics. Because whatever we call it, the bottom line is the facts support that it’s good for the business. 

 

Considering the current climate around DEI, what initiatives do you plan to tackle to advise 4As members?

 

The biggest difference is the way we’re talking about it. Before, we could openly say this was a moral initiative. And that was correct. In many ways, that seems to be not as popular now. But the reality is the support and the numbers are there. So it’s OK to then turn it into a business conversation. I’m not saying it has to be either-or. It’s very much an “and.” It also depends very much on who you’re speaking to. Most of us that have done this work and believe in this work and understand the importance of this work, know that you can call it whatever it is, representation and innovation are critical to the bottom line. 

 

Does the shift from ‘moral’ dilemma to business imperative change how the 4As pitches partnerships to agencies and others?

 

The conversation is going to be best received if it’s grounded in the dollars and cents of it all. I don’t think that that’s the only anchor point. I believe most of us in the industry are living in New York and in the world, and just the way things are now, Gen Z is 50% diverse. There is a return to wanting to speak more on things like ROI and on impact business metrics. In many ways, I welcome that we are poised to have those conversations and there’s plenty of data that supports it. And if that’s what it’s about — if it’s about doing the right thing for the business — that’s good news for us.

 

How will you measure the continued impact of your MAIP or Vanguard programs, ensuring they deliver real outcomes rather than just symbolic initiatives?

 

The full-time hire rate is a critical measure. It’s a huge investment in time and upskilling and training. These programs are really rigorous and they also support the fellows after the fact. One of the most important measures for us is, did they land that full-time job? Did the agencies hire them full-time? The national average is around 53% for most internship programs [according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) 2024 internship and co-op report]. We are at around 48%, and our goal is to get to 55%. 

 

Could you outline the expansion plans for the MAIP and Vanguard programs and how they will contribute to achieving the 55% full-time employment goal?

 

Part of that is ensuring that our curriculum and our upskilling is really responding to the greatest need of the industry — which is around AI upskilling — and to make that central. The other part of that is there’s a certain level of educating and reminding our partners that in many ways, our role has and always will be…our strategy has always been to identify and power and employ the next generation of creative leaders. That’s what MAIP is about. How we get to that 55% is very much by ensuring that our industry values and understands the importance of representation as innovation, that they can correlate how hiring inclusive talent ultimately means they see benefits in their bottom line. 

17165: On The Decline Of Adland.

 

Adweek published content with the following headline and subhead:

 

Marketing and Advertising Internships Are on the Decline The downward trend parallels a decrease in young people employed in the industry overall

 

Gee, did this really need a report?

 

The scenario is not only the result of a “decrease in young people employed in the industry”—it reflects a decrease in people employed in the industry overall.

 

Fuck internships—marketing and advertising jobs are on the decline.

 

All of which leads to DEIBA+ decimation.

17139: Adland Hiring—Exclusions Apply.

 

Adweek published content on hiring in Adland, which inadvertently highlighted greater obstacles for true diversity beyond the anti-DEIBA+ vibe prevalent today, including:

 

• Fewer opportunities for entry-level talent counters contrived and performative stunts involving minority internships, erecting special high schools, and embryo recruitment.

 

• Searching for established talent with hybrid skills favors seasoned drones already in the workforce. The advantages will continue to go to White men and White women by virtue of their existing industry dominance.

 

The White advertising agencies actively hiring position themselves as “integrated”—although the term does not refer at all to racial and ethnic integration.

 

Associated hiring practices may seem new, but the end results are the same old same old.

 

In short, the shops tagged as “growing” are expanding systemic racism.

 

As Ad Industry Sheds Jobs, These Agencies Are Growing—and Hiring 

 

As a new class of hirers reshapes the agency workforce, junior talent has fewer ways in

 

By Audrey Kemp

 

Layoffs, restructuring, and vanishing entry-level roles: the past year has brought little relief for agency talent navigating a volatile job market.

 

Since January 2022, staff-level jobs at U.S. ad agencies have declined by more than 10%, according to Live Data Technologies. Entry-level positions are being hit hardest, as agencies automate routine tasks and lean more heavily into AI.

 

The industry has yet to recover to its pre‑2023 peak of 228,000 jobs. Ad agency employment now sits at around 219,500 jobs, down nearly 4% year‑over‑year.

 

Following cost-cutting efforts at WPP and Interpublic Group—including hundreds of layoffs and sweeping reorganizations—and ahead of the latter’s acquisition by Omnicom, holding companies are increasingly adopting AI and offshoring functions to boost efficiency amid mounting profit pressures.

 

While executive- and director-level roles have remained relatively stable, junior talent looking to break into the ad industry are facing a shrinking pipeline of traditional entry-level roles.

 

“We’re seeing the erosion of the apprentice model,” said Jay Pattisall, principal analyst at Forrester. “Agencies are playing the role of editors now—orchestrating workflows, managing creators, content pipelines, influencer strategies. That requires seasoned professionals.”

 

AI-related job skills are also becoming standard; mentions of AI in global job listings for advertising and marketing roles have jumped more than 67% year over year, according to a recent report from Autodesk.

 

As the agency job market shifts, a new wave of independent and private equity-backed shops is hiring in earnest—and reshaping the profile of ad industry talent.

 

The New Agency Hirers

 

Independent full-service agency Known is currently hiring for 30 open roles, representing about 7% of its workforce. The hiring spree comes as Known is growing between 20% and 30% year over year, according to CEO Kern Schireson.

 

“It’s driven by demand for the things that we do—and that’s inseparable from the talent we hire,” he said.

 

DEPT, a global agency backed by PE firm Carlyle Group, is seeing similar momentum. It is growing double digits and has more than 130 open roles across the Americas—nearly 10% of its regional headcount. Most of those roles are mid- to senior-level.

 

Croud, a digital agency backed by ECI Partners, is hiring for 11 to 15 roles in the U.S., accounting for about 10% of its U.S. headcount. Open positions span mid- to senior-level, including planners, media buyers, analysts, and social strategists. Multiple director-level roles are open.

 

On the creative side, new shop Cape Agency recently made its first full-time hire and is recruiting for another full-time role, as well as eight fractional roles. Most are senior-level jobs in creative, strategy, and account management, though mid-level positions are expected to open soon.

 

And Nice&Frank, a 23-person creative agency, has seven to 10 open roles across creative, design, account, production, and strategy—primarily mid- to senior- level.

 

“Director-level talent is our sweet spot,” said Cape co-founder and CEO Casey Ritts. “People who are confident decision-makers but still love rolling up their sleeves.”

 

What They Have in Common

 

Many of these shops have commonalities that set them apart from the legacy agency business.

 

DEPT and Croud both have PE backing, fueling their investment in more senior talent as they experiment with AI. Both agencies, as well as Known, offer modern, integrated services with capabilities in data, technology, AI, commerce, influencer, and other growing media channels.

 

“We’re not a holding company. We’re an integrated, end-to-end business,” said Carryn Quibell, CEO of DEPT Americas. “Gone are the days of agencies with layers and layers of management and red tape.”

 

Integration, plus the fuel of PE investment, is allowing these agencies to grow organically by landing clients in one area and expanding the scope from there.

 

“We don’t tend to win $40 million AORs,” said Quibell. “We tend to win with an area of expertise like commerce and see those clients expand.”

 

On the creative side, clients are flocking to small, nimble agencies like Cape and Nice&Frank, which can deliver great work quickly—without as much overhead.

 

“In the smallest organizations, hiring is often funded by good work and over-investment,” Forrester’s Pattisall said. “They don’t suffer the same commercial model issues that large, scaled holding companies have to deal with. What CMO doesn’t want to hire a startup that’s willing to do twice the work for half the price?”

 

The New Skill Sets

 

As these agencies create new models that work at speed, they’re looking for a different breed of talent than the classically trained agency employee.

 

Kris Tait, chief business officer at Croud, said that though the agency is recruiting holding company talent, it is looking for people with hybrid skills that understand how to translate creative work across social platforms, “not just get the creative and put it in the platforms.”

 

“We need people that are open to this new world,” he said.

 

Schireson said Known, which receives up to 4,000 applicants per open role, has a job requirement that every employee—from legal to analytics—uses AI in their daily workflow.

 

“If you were an analyst spending 80% of your time crunching numbers and 20% thinking strategically, now you get to flip that,” he said.

 

In addition to embracing new tech, agencies want talent that’s curious and able to work cross-functionally.

 

“The question is, what is your mindset?” said Schireson. “What is your personal story that demonstrates to us that you have what it takes to engage and collaborate?”

 

“Nobody knows exactly what’s going to happen over the course of the next five years, but if you…lean into the change and the evolution, you can win,” Quibell added.

 

What About Junior Talent?

 

As agencies experiment with automation and prioritize senior and mid-level hires, junior talent are left without as many avenues to break into the industry. To combat that, agencies are broadening their internship programs and recruitment pipelines.

 

Croud recently expanded its 12-week summer internship program globally, giving underrepresented, early-career talent experience with clients, projects for their portfolios, mentorship, and exposure to agency talent. The agency has also partnered with COOP, a fellowship program that supports first-generation college grads, helping it recruit from schools like Columbia, Emerson, and NYU. And it has dropped degree requirements to broaden its applicant pool.

 

Other agencies are changing the way they train junior talent once they have broken in. At DEPT, for instance, new hires choose a subject to “major” in and another to “minor” in, allowing them to develop cross-functional expertise from the get-go.

 

At growing creative agencies, the path to bring in junior talent is less clear.

 

Cape Agency is in the early stages of hiring junior talent, working to establish a formal internship program through university partnerships. And Nice&Frank, which began with a mostly senior team, is starting to focus more on bringing in and providing support to early-career talent.

 

“Our youngest employees tend to hit us with the hottest takes that keep us rethinking how we’re growing a new kind of agency,” said Nice&Frank co-founder Graham North.

 

While these agencies are searching for ways to bring new, young talent into the fold, the reality remains that these roles are shrinking—which could lead to a dried up industry talent pipeline down the road.

 

“There are secular and structural things happening in our industry,” Schireson said.

17062: Will Broadening 4As DEIBA+ Heat Shields Ultimately Expand Systemic Racism?

Adweek reported the 4As “broadened” its DEIBA+ programs originally focused on racial and ethnic groups—MAIP and Vanguard—to include “underrepresented groups such as those with neurodiversity, disabilities, and socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds.”

 

Outgoing 4As CEO Marla Kaplowitz insisted the heat shield expansion is not a response to President Donald J. Trump’s anti-DEIBA+ platform, claiming the decision was made before Trump’s return to supremacy. According to Kaplowitz, “We were constantly hearing feedback from [White advertising] agencies saying: ‘This is such a rich program. I wish we could expand it and offer it more broadly within our company’.”

 

MAIP stands for Multicultural Advertising Internship Program. Is a rebranding coming soon? How long before MAIP and Vanguard start welcoming White women?

 

Can’t help but think the Adweek report goes beyond performative PR—it smells like blatant bullshit.

 

4A’s DEI Programs Were Broadened After Agency Feedback, Says Marla Kaplowitz

 

CEO confirms eligibility for MAIP, and Vanguard was expanded before President Trump's second term

 

By Audrey Kemp

 

The 4As’ outgoing chief executive (CEO), Marla Kaplowitz, said it broadened the eligibility and curriculum for two diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) talent programs based on industry feedback.

 

Since 1973, the 4A’s Multicultural Advertising Internship Program (MAIP) has provided internships for people of color, while Vanguard, launched in 2021, was an initiative to help non-white advertising professionals develop their leadership skills.

 

However, since fall 2024, the trade body has widened the application process. It officially announced the change in May 2025.

 

In the face of directives from President Trump regarding DEI initiatives, businesses, from Amazon to Verizon, have been rolling back on DEI commitments and talent programs.

 

However, Kaplowitz told ADWEEK the 4A’s decision stemmed from ongoing feedback from agency partners and different companies in the media marketing sphere. She also confirmed it was made before the Trump administration took office.

 

“We were constantly hearing feedback from agencies saying: ‘This is such a rich program. I wish we could expand it and offer it more broadly within our company,” she said.

 

The move comes as the CEO prepares to step down at the end of the month, with Justin Thomas-Copeland set to take the reins as her successor.

 

Expanding Eligibility

 

The expanded eligibility for the programs now includes underrepresented groups such as those with neurodiversity, disabilities, and socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds.

 

Kaplowitz said that the shift was about embracing a broader definition of inclusivity, giving more people from different backgrounds an opportunity to enter the industry.

“With MAIP, we recognized that there was an opportunity to expand the aperture on what it meant to be inclusive… and to look at everything, from sexual orientation to ability to neurodiversity,” she said.

 

Some critics are concerned these changes might dilute the focus on race and ethnicity at a time when 90% of agency leaders identify as white, and the industry as a whole is lagging on representation. However, Kaplowitz remained firm that the core mission of both programs has not shifted.

 

“It’s challenging because MAIP has been around for over 50 years, and what was important to us is, how do we evolve the program and preserve it?” Kaplowitz said.

She added: “We needed to evolve the program to continue delivering on it and meeting the evolving needs of the partners. We are still focused on our core mission, which is, how do we create possibilities for people who are not necessarily given opportunities?”

 

She said education remains a central focus for the 4A’s, through scholarships, MAIP’s support for high school students in New York City, or Vanguard’s leadership development opportunities.

 

Practical Changes

 

Updates to Vanguard, which focuses on mid-career professionals, include an expanded leadership training component to resemble a “mini MBA,” aimed at better equipping participants with the skills they need to grow within their companies.

 

Practical changes to MAIP, which inducted 75 fellows in 2024, include an enhanced curriculum, incorporating AI training, business etiquette, and an understanding of how agencies make money—skills identified by industry partners as essential for success in today’s workplace.

 

MAIP will continue its summer “Labs” program and expand its partnerships with organizations like the VCU Brand Center to enrich fellows’ experiences.

 

Similarly, Vanguard’s leadership track is evolving to partner with a university to provide a “mini MBA” experience.

 

Kaplowitz expressed optimism that the revamped programs will continue to serve as a vital resource for underrepresented talent in the advertising industry. She said a main goal was to get more agencies and partners “to raise their hand and want to have more MAIP fellows, knowing that they come incredibly prepared.”

 

She also emphasized the 4A’s commitment to staying connected to the alumni of both MAIP and Vanguard.

 

“We have over 4,500 alumni from the MAIP program, and we’re still very much committed to those communities and staying connected to them,” she added. “We want to ensure they are part of the evolution as we move forward.”

16752: Probing Potential & Privilege For Interns.

 

At The New York Times Magazine, Kwame Anthony Appiah presented provocative perspectives on privilege pertaining to interns. There are implications and considerations for Adland, where most White advertising agencies’ internships are rife with privilege, politics, performative PR, and prejudice—from nepotism to cronyism to sexism to school favoritism.

 

16310: How SCOTUS Affirmative Action Ruling Might Affect Adland.

Digiday Media’s WorkLife published a report listing four ways that the Supreme Court’s affirmative action ruling for colleges and universities might affect employers in the business world.

 

Not sure if the four business world predictions directly apply to Adland, but here are some thoughts:

 

1. Employers could lose pipeline of highly qualified future workers and business leaders. This one is probably irrelevant, as Adland’s pipeline—which is a pipe dream—essentially involves embryo recruitment and patronizing partnerships with HBCUs. However, White women will still benefit from being categorized as diversity hires and diversity suppliers.

 

2. More pressure on DE&I goals. Also irrelevant, given the typical White advertising agency doesn’t even have DE&I goals. Expect a steady—and likely declining—flow of heat shields and performative PR backed by crumby diversity budgets.

 

3. Future of ERGs put in question. In Adland, the present of ERGs is already questionable.

 

4. To speak out or not. Will Adland speak out on the issue? Definitely not.

 

In summation, it’s a safe bet that Adland will continue to promote affirmative inaction.

 

Supreme Court’s affirmative action ruling — what it means for employers

 

By Cloey Callahan

 

On Thursday the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that colleges and universities must stop considering race in admissions, putting an end to affirmative action in higher education.

 

The court’s conservative majority overturned precedents reaching back 45 years by ruling against admissions plans at Harvard and the University of North Carolina, the nation’s oldest private and public colleges.

 

The decision will have many ripple effects, especially for businesses. Making hiring decisions based on race is already illegal in the U.S., so the decision won’t change anything on that front, but it will have other implications. Employers have long been caught in the crosshairs of decisions like these, leaving them to navigate how government decisions will impact business, when to speak up about issues and, in this case especially, what effect it will have on diversity, equity and inclusion strategies.

 

At the same time, Kara Govro, Mineral’s chief HR legal expert, doesn’t want employers to panic, either. “I don’t think employers need to panic that there’s going to be a massive wave of litigation just because affirmative action has been shot down at colleges,” said Govro. “On the whole, attorneys aren’t going to take these cases.”

 

Here’s what you need to know about the impact the Supreme Court decision has on employers.

 

1. Employers could lose pipeline of highly qualified future workers and business leaders

 

Almost 70 employers, including General Electric, Google and JetBlue Airways, warned in a brief to the court that without affirmative action they’ll lose access to “a pipeline of highly qualified future workers and business leaders” and will struggle to meet diversity hiring goals.

 

Without affirmative action, colleges can no longer consider race in their admissions decisions. That might mean that we see fewer people of color in higher education and graduating with degrees, heading into the workplace.

 

Employers have already begun moving to degree-free hiring, but the Supreme Court’s decision will underline that as an important strategy for those wanting to maintain their workforce diversity. Giants like Delta, Google and IBM have already moved in this direction. Last week, Kellogg’s UK joined the fray, stating that employees no longer need a degree to apply for a job at the company, citing efforts to widen its talent pool and promote inclusion.

 

Melanie Naranjo, vp of people at compliance training company Ethena, said that skills-based hiring will become even more important now that affirmative action has been gutted.

 

2. More pressure on DE&I goals

 

“The idea behind affirmative action is to level the playing field so that everyone has opportunities and equal access to higher education and then that feeds into the employment sector,” said Naranjo. “When you start to remove this affirmative action, now the playing field is even less level than it was before. Employers now have to compensate for that lack in order to then continue to prioritize diversity, equity and inclusion.”

 

She said employers will have to learn, more than ever before, the systemic biases that are at play.

 

“Employers have been able to rely somewhat on other efforts,” said Naranjo. “Now they’re going to have to look at the whole picture and really understand what is holding people back so that they can try and help mitigate that.”

 

3. Future of ERGs put in question

 

Naranjo said she worries the ruling could spell the end of employee resource groups (ERGs). Companies have put their DE&I strategies in high gear since the summer of 2020 after the Black Lives Matter movement prompted by the murder of George Floyd. The social justice movement gave rise to ERGs that are centered around discriminatory areas like race or sexuality so that workers can share their experiences.

 

“We don’t know what could be on the chopping block next,” said Naranjo. “ERGs could be seen as discriminatory if people say ‘this is for one specific group and it shouldn’t be because it’s for everyone.’”

 

She said the Supreme Court decision will be a blow to a range of DE&I strategies, with ERGs as just one example. While it’s illegal in the U.S. to make hiring decisions based on race, some companies have diversity goals requiring that their workforces comprise a certain percentage of people of color. Naranjo said she worries that might also be compromised as a result of the ruling.

 

“If things like this start to get shut down, we are going to have to be prepared to rethink and restructure how we approach inclusivity,” said Naranjo. “Rather than having a race-based ERG, we would then call it an inclusivity group, and it would have the exact same goals.”

 

Govro said she is even more concerned around affirmative action for federal contractors. “They are encouraged to match the actual population to their talent pool,” said Govro. “They’re not supposed to use race in the end, but they’re supposed to make efforts to have their body of employees look like the population. That includes acknowledging population numbers. If you’re in a 10% Asian community, is your talent pool 10% Asian?”

 

“This is probably what’s next on the chopping block,” she continued. “I could see that coming down. It will be easier to go after than private employment.”

 

4. To speak out or not

 

Employers need to think about the messaging that they send to their employees following this decision.

 

“It’s important that every company is thoughtful in their communication to their employees, but I do think they should be proactive,” said Naranjo. “Silence is very loud and your employees really hear that. It’s better to say something rather than nothing.”

 

That could look like anything from dropping a note in a DE&I Slack channel saying, “We’re aware of this, please reach out if you need,” to asking managers to make room in their one-on-ones if they see fit and without any pressure. From there, companies can also monitor if people are suffering at work and are unable to focus after the decision. “Be thoughtful, proactive and have an open door policy,” said Naranjo.

 

Almost exactly a year ago, the Supreme Court made another landmark decision. Roe v. Wade was overturned, ending the federal constitutional right to abortion in the U.S. During that decision, employers had to consider quickly if they were going to make a statement, either internally or externally, or not.

 

Just how much an employer should get involved is a question that comes up time and again in politics. While some firmly believe a company’s corporate social responsibility dictates it mustn’t stand silent, others argue it’s better that the employer stays well out of political matters, particularly polarizing ones.

 

For Naranjo, employers must look to the needs of their employees. “Many employees are going to be impacted by this, whether it’s from a mental health perspective or their children applying to colleges or just the general state of the United States and how they feel about these decisions,” said Naranjo.