Did you know that 39% of employees are likely to seek a new role within 12 months? This was just one of a number of eye-opening insights we discovered from a recent presentation by Claire Quansah – all about the challenges and opportunities agency leaders face around talent management.
Lease Loop partnered with The Agency Collective – a peer-to-peer community supporting agency leaders – as a trusted Mac supplier in 2024. Being part of this network means we get to connect with more leaders who share the same experiences as many of our current agency clients. It also means we get to meet great people like Claire, and shout about the valuable work she is doing to support agency leaders.
Introducing Claire Quansah (Quansah Consulting)
Quansah Consulting is a self-proclaimed one-woman-band run by Claire herself, providing ‘clarity to the chaos that is growing an agency’. She draws on her many years of agency experience to help leaders improve their processes, achieve more consistent ways of working, and improve how they manage their people.
We sat down with Claire to hear her takes on the latter, tucking into topics around talent management and having the right approach to tools and technology for the job…
Lease Loop: How did Quansah Consulting come about?
Claire: I’ve worked in PR and comms agencies all my life, from junior level – having to adapt to processes – up to operations lead, putting processes in place myself. Having seen pretty much every corner of how an agency operates, I understand the growth challenges leaders face and the way a team thinks and reacts to their environment.
After being made redundant a few years ago I decided to put this experience to use. I began chatting to a number of growing agencies to better understand their challenges. From there, I identified a consistent lack of support for leaders who needed operational guidance but didn’t have the resources to hire someone permanent.
Small agency leaders in particular often set up solo because they’re masters of their craft and want to lead from the front with it. This hands-on approach is so inspiring, but it also leaves little time for them to focus on operations. This is where I come in!
What top-level talent management advice would you give to growing agencies?
The agency sector is evolving, and so are the expectations of employees. 2 in 5 employees leave due to poor management and only 18% of employees report being highly satisfied in their roles. With these figures in mind, agencies must take proactive steps to create environments where employees feel valued, supported, and motivated to stay.
How can companies recruit the best talent?
Growing an agency is about strategically attracting talent that aligns with your vision. Understanding talent pools and building inclusive and effective job descriptions are important here. But appreciating the value of diversity is too. Underrepresented, diverse talent comes with diverse ideas and approaches that can take your agency higher.
Tap into this by using diverse or targeted job boards to reach wider talent pools and train hiring managers on unconscious bias to ensure fair evaluations. It’s also important to have a clear and consistent hiring process that’s agreed from the start.
And how should they retain that talent?
View your team as individuals rather than one entity. Take the time to connect and communicate with them in order to identify what they need to do a good job. Remember that different generations have different expectations, and ambition looks different for everyone. Not everyone wants to be a CEO so it’s important to understand individual motivations and create an inclusive environment that nurtures this.
What role do tools and technology play here?
High-performance tech is part of people’s everyday lives now, and employees aren’t afraid to expect or even ask for better if you can’t deliver this. In practice, it’s less about having the swankiest laptop on the market, but about ensuring the devices and tools you provide are efficient enough to perform at a level that enables the individual to thrive in their role. I’d also be mindful of any additional needs people might have.
Failing to do so can not only affect organisational performance, but give the impression that you aren’t willing to go the extra mile to support your employees with the tools they need – even if you are! Again, it’s about understanding people’s individual priorities and meeting them where they are. Don’t hold onto outdated ways of thinking.
Any particular focuses for the future?
I’m really enjoying getting into the ‘people’ side of things – helping leaders manage mixed multi-generational teams. This is where the sector needs help at the moment and I know agency leaders are looking for guidance to navigate this. I’m looking forward to giving those agencies the tools and techniques to help them better understand and manage their people – and ultimately grow!
Providing the tools for success
A huge thank you to Claire for scratching the surface of her wisdom around talent management – just one of the many areas that her consultancy can support agencies with. Learn more about Claire’s takes here, visit her website to see how else Quansah Consulting can support your growth, and connect with her on LinkedIn for more insights and advice: @Quansah Consulting | @Claire (Aniteye) Quansah.
On a final note from us – the role of equipment in talent management is ever prevalent. We’ve seen first-hand the positive impact that Apple Macs can have on efficiency, productivity, and overall employee experience. Read our blog about breaking old habits and adopting faster devices to speed up your business – and discover how Lease Loop can support you with the latest Mac tech, without the financial headache.