Clyde Group's Inaugural IDEA Report Reveals Movement & Commitment to Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion
PR Agency Urges Industry Partners to Follow in Prioritizing Transparency and Accountability
WASHINGTON, Jan. 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Clyde Group, a Washington, DC-based public relations and public affairs agency, released its first annual report around its DE&I efforts, joining other larger organizations with a sincere belief in transparency and accountability toward pursuing a more diverse, inclusive, and equitable workplace.
Founded in 2015, Clyde Group is a principle- and purpose-driven agency motivated by its vision to be the best agency to work with and the best agency to work for. The LGBTQ-founded and led firm specializes in DE&I communication strategies for several of its clients past and present, and the 2021 Inclusivity, Diversity, Equity, Accountability (IDEA) Report recaps its work over the last year to fulfill that vision for its own staff.
"From its founding, Clyde Group has made progress toward greater diversity, equity, and inclusion, both internally and for our clients, but commitments and progress mean nothing if not paired with rigorous accountability," said Clyde Group Founder & CEO Alex Slater. "This report is a step toward that accountability, but only a step. We have much to be proud of, but by the very nature of this area, we have a long and continuous journey ahead."
The report explores changes to Clyde Group's demographic makeup over between 2020 and 2021, relying on an agency-wide voluntary survey with optional and self-identification. This second annual survey, and the first with year-over-year results, found that:
- 16% of Clyde Group team members identify as LGBTQ.
- Team members identifying as non-white increased to 21%, up from 16% in 2020.
- Clyde Group staff felt more strongly this year that senior leadership encourages diversity, equity, and inclusion (managing partners at 4.56 and senior advisory team at 4.29, both on a scale of 1 to 5).
In addition, the report details Clyde Group's activities to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion. Examples include:
- A series of internal educational opportunities around bias, race, gender, and the immigrant experience;
- Agency-wide trainings and celebrations for PRIDE, Black History Month, and Hispanic Heritage Month; and
- Donations and pro-bono support for marginalized groups, including advocates for youth who are experiencing homelessnes and/or identify as LGBTQ (Mobile Hope and Casa Ruby).
"The IDEA working group was formed to help guide and implement Clyde Group's internal DE&I efforts—to help us live by the principles we profess," said Contessa Kellogg-Winters, Senior Vice President and head of the working group. "By working to become more diverse and using this report to hold ourselves accountable to continued progress, we hope to inspire other organizations and agencies to follow suit."
The 2021 IDEA Report can be found on Clyde Group's website, www.clydegroup.com, and is being distributed directly to current and past clients as well as other industry groups.
SOURCE Clyde Group
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