New PSA Confronts Hiring Challenges Of Employers And Millions Of Unemployed Youth In The United States

Experience the interactive Multichannel News Release here: https://www.multivu.com/players/English/8143651-ad-council-grads-of-life/

The campaign works to shift employer perceptions of Opportunity Youth from social liabilities to economic assets, and help hiring professionals broaden and diversify their talent pools to include these skilled, motivated young adults. The goal is to spur employers to shift their perceptions of what talent looks like and develop Opportunity Youth talent pipelines for their companies. The PSAs are targeted toward HR managers and C-Level executives who are looking for skilled talent, but are frustrated by a hiring process that often screens out qualified candidates. Research indicates that two-thirds of employers have trouble finding qualified applicants for their job openings, but this may be because they are relying on traditional educational accreditations, and are not thinking about who may be the best fit for the job.

"This is such an important campaign because it reinforces the necessity of diversity in the workplace," said Ad Council President and CEO Lisa Sherman. "And that means diversity of experience, background, and circumstance. Everyone has something that they can bring to the table, and the employers who've worked with Grads of Life partners have seen real business benefits including increased retention and employee engagement. To date, more than three hundred employers have already reached out to Grads of Life to partner with workforce training organizations to access skilled, resilient talent."

"In this economy and as a result of the Grads of Life campaign and other efforts over the past few years, employer demand for Opportunity Youth is growing," said Elyse Rosenblum, Principal for Grads of Life. "Employers are engaged and eager to build talent pipelines to bring these young adults into their companies and are using Grads of Life as a resource to do so. For example, regional managers from Chipotle have been using the Training Provider Directory on GradsofLife.org to find workforce training partners in areas where recruitment has historically been a challenge and have been pleased to find a new source of local talent."

The campaign, entitled "More Than What's on Paper," was driven by the insight that hiring managers spend 7 seconds reviewing a resume on average. Given Opportunity Youth do not have a traditional resume, the campaign was designed to show employers that these young adults' life experiences have given them critical skills like drive and tenacity that are important in the workplace but difficult to convey on a traditional resume.  The body of work was created pro bono by Atlanta-based ad agency 22squared and includes five online videos entitled "7 Second Resumes," featuring real Opportunity Youth sharing powerful personal stories and articulating how their life experiences make them viable, valuable candidates in only 7 seconds. To impact the lives of Opportunity Youth beyond advertising efforts, "7 Second Resumes" have been created at events for real Opportunity Youth to share on their LinkedIn profiles for employers to see. The plan is to continue to create more "7 Second Resumes" for this unique talent pool in the future.

The campaign also includes three other spots, entitled "Don't Skip This Talent," "Mute" and "Hard to See." "Don't Skip This Talent" plays on the video SKIP pre-roll function, as an actor portraying a job candidate successfully convinces the interviewer to not skip over him just because he lacks a traditional resume. "Mute" shows an actor portraying a job candidate who gives a compelling explanation to an interviewer to consider her during a Skype interview. In the final spot, "Hard to See," an actor portraying an untraditional candidate tells his interviewer how his life experiences have shaped him into a uniquely qualified job candidate. As he speaks, his compelling story comes to life on screen through paper art, literally showcasing that he is more than what's on paper. Print, radio, OOH, and digital elements complete the campaign and all feature real Opportunity Youth.

"We're honored to work with the Ad Council and Grads of Life to encourage employers to take the time to look beyond the resume, and recognize the life experience that uniquely shapes the skill set of each individual candidate," said 22squared Creative Director Ryan Stafford. "We took a very personal approach for this body of work, bringing to life individual stories of courage and talent of actual candidates we talked to. We believe this work will make people stop and think about the true, deep value in real world experience and open opportunities to the many talented Opportunity Youth job seekers."

Grads of Life is partnering with national workforce development organizations like LeadersUp, Year Up, and others to help develop sustainable Opportunity Youth talent pools and to design replicable employment pathway models that support organizations seeking to build a 21st-century workforce.

"LeadersUp is proud to partner with Grads of Life by incorporating the 7 Second Resume into our hiring events and career readiness trainings for the hundreds of young adults we serve," said Jeffrey Wallace, CEO of LeadersUp. "I've seen firsthand how the 7 Second Resume makes the interview process equitable for Opportunity Youth who may not have traditional work experience. It provides them with the tools to concisely articulate their lived experiences, skills, work ethic and drive as an asset to employers, giving them a better chance at starting their careers."

The Grads of Life PSA campaign initially launched in September 2014 and, to date, has received more than $81 million in donated media support.

Employers interested in participating in the program are encouraged to visit www.GradsofLife.org for resources and tools that can help employers develop sources of talent by creating customized employment pathways, such as training, mentoring, internships, and hiring initiatives. For daily updates, follow Grads of Life via social media on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube.

ABOUT GRADS OF LIFE
Grads of Life is a national initiative that catalyzes market demand for Opportunity Youth (ages 16-24) by transforming employer perceptions and hiring practices. Grads of Life places an innovative focus on the demand side of the talent marketplace and harnesses the power of the private sector to catalyze an employer-led movement to create pathways to employment for Opportunity Youth nationwide.

ABOUT THE AD COUNCIL
The Ad Council is a private, non-profit organization with a rich history of marshaling volunteer talent from the advertising and media industries to deliver critical messages to the American public. To learn more about the Ad Council and its campaigns, visit http://www.adcouncil.org/, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or view our PSAs on YouTube.

ABOUT 22squared
22squared is one of the nation's top independent advertising agencies. We blend smarts, leadership, and creative talent to give rise to decisive action and positive impact across business and culture. We embrace a bold ethos: Together, We Give Rise to Change. We are privileged to partner with some of the most recognized and iconic brands around, including the Ad Council, Baskin-Robbins, Dunkin' Donuts, Publix Super Markets Inc., Southeast Toyota Distributors, and The Home Depot, among others. We are 375 fiercely independent thinkers and makers, based in Atlanta and Tampa. Visit us at www.22squared.com  to learn more.

SOURCE Ad Council