• by Steve McClellan  @mp_mcclellan, October 7, 2021

Staffing and workforce solutions company Kelly is out with a new campaign designed to highlight the importance of stamping out unfair hiring practices. The work is from Erich & Kallman.

Kelly's new Equity@Work campaign shows how workplace inequities can affect children at a young age and shape perceptions that impact their future aspirations.

The ad anchoring the campaign takes place in a grade-school classroom where the teacher inquires what students want to be when they grow up.

Two kids say  they want to be a fireman and an astronaut, respectively. All good so far. Then a third child, who is Black, raises his hand and says, “I want to be a teacher, just like you.” The teacher, who is also Black, responds that less than 2% of teachers are Black, so that “the chances of you becoming one aren’t very high, are they?”

A girl declares that she wants to join the army and then be a businesswoman. The teacher responds that she won’t have a college degree and while she may a veteran with many skills, the chances of realizing her career dreams are minimal.

“It only sounds unfair because it is,” the narrator intones. The call to action: “Join Kelly and create an equity at work for all.” The end of the ad directs viewers to the firm’s Equity@Work movement. The target  audience is the business community. The company hopes to spark a conversation about unfair workforce barriers and inspire business leaders to join Kelly in dismantling them.