DEI

Calls for greater social justice following the murder of George Floyd in 2020 raised awareness of the urgent need for greater diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. These calls were particularly strong within the communications field, and while Padilla had begun its DEI program in earnest in 2019, the murder of George Floyd, which happened only a few miles from our headquarters, compelled us to accelerate our efforts.

We recognized that we needed a holistic approach to strengthen our commitments and actions toward addressing the industry’s DEI challenge with innovative and effective initiatives. To proactively develop a DEI program to bolster diversity at all levels, we began by reiterating our commitment to DEI clearly, then we walked the walk.

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Padilla established a DEI Council to ensure we are being intentional in creating a more diverse work environment. The Council – with guidance from Senior Leadership – focuses on the following key areas: Recruitment and Retention, Agency Training and Content, Client Work and Community Engagement.  

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DEI client counsel is part of the work we provide within our Corporate Advisory Group – and specifically, the Social Impact Consultancy. We also appointed a VP for Workplace Culture and DEI, who serves as a member of our Senior Leadership Team. To supplement Padilla’s internal expertise, the DEI Collective, comprised of external advisors, helps to ensure an inclusive and culturally appropriate approach to public relations and communications for our agency and clients.

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When our recruitment process revealed missed opportunities to connect with and hire more diverse candidates, senior leaders had candid conversations with hiring managers about the importance of their role in the agency’s commitment to DEI recruitment and hiring efforts. We strengthened relationships with diverse organizations and participated in college recruitment events and class presentations with various universities, including HBCUs. We held a variety of internal trainings for staff and developed an internal speakers’ series called the Bubble Break, which brings in diverse contributors, including musicians, academicians, visual artists, writers and industry experts to explore DEI topics.  

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Additionally, we’re one of six agencies that established the Take Flight, an inclusive communications career exploration program for college students.  

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As part of our Padilla Plugged-In corporate responsibility program, the agency established a Diversity + Inclusion Day of Service (DIDS). Padilla offers employees one day off annually to perform community service related to DEI.

Since starting our DEI program, Padilla has seen a 56% increase in BIPOC employees from less than 10% in 2020 to 15% at the end of 2023. The progress we’ve made – including greater diversity among our employee ranks – has emboldened our commitment to contributing to DEI solutions within our industry, and the industries that our clients represent.