Greg Shuler is the Chief Talent Officer for JWT in MENA. Greg has more than 16 years of experience in Human Resources and Talent Management. Working in B2B services companies spanning creative, digital and technology sectors, Greg’s expertise concentrates on building and managing teams, focusing on attracting, growing and developing talent, and instilling company culture. A graduate of Ohio University, Greg obtained his MBA from Newcastle University. His subsequent career has covered UK and European HR and Talent roles consolidating skills with merger and acquisition assignments. On a personal level, Shuler likes to read, stay fit, eat exotic food, and travel to all sorts of places, and experiencing different peoples and cultures. In this interview with Bayt.com, Greg talks about the unique culture at JWT, his advice for young professionals, and how Bayt.com has helped him make better-informed decisions. 1. How would you describe your approach to hiring talent at JWT compared to other agencies in your industry? At JWT hiring is a team effort. We recognize it as a seamless experience for people, so we try to create the best experience possible. Whether they are a candidate looking to get into our industry or an experienced hire, we want to provide every person with not what the role and current opportunity is, but what a career would be like at one of the pioneers of our industry. 2. How would you describe the corporate culture at your organization? Well, first of all it isn’t corporate. We obviously have corporate clients, both worldwide and regional, but we are in the creative business and we foster a creative environment. Like any business of our size, we have tools and methodologies that support how we create our work – through ideation to execution – and allow our people to collaborate freely on their work for that given client. 3. Are there any new changes and trends in hiring practices that you are excited about? Technology has made access to a worldwide talent like never before and it has leveled the playing field. Recruitment agencies still exist but their business models obviously had to adapt and change with the rise of job sites and social media channels. Identifying exceptional talent is a skill that needs to be honed and fine-tuned, and my job is to ensure these skills develop across the region for all people within JWT. Everyone is responsible for finding talent that subscribes to our culture. 4. What would you say has been your proudest moment as an HR professional? The proudest moment was in my last role where I had the opportunity to lead work on building the company’s culture. This is extremely rewarding work, and I encourage any talent or HR professional that has an opportunity to lead something in this area, to jump at the chance. When you see individuals coming together for a common purpose and for the greater good of the company and the teams they work in, the work that is created and the environment that develops is unparalleled. Clients see this as well and want to be part of the experience. 5. The advertising industry is competitive. In this environment how do you ensure that JWT does not lose its best talent to competitors? A while back in my career I wrongly assumed that people who work in the creative industry didn’t need to have as much structure in people programmes as other industries. I was completely wrong. No matter what industry you are in, people should have clear line of sight into how they can grow their careers over time. Also, and this is where a lot of companies should focus their efforts on more, people in a lot of cases are intrinsically motivated. People want to create things, be part of things, build things – and for colleagues to be proud of their efforts. I'm working on fostering this at JWT and make it core to our work and talent initiatives. 6. What advice do you have for young professionals who want a career in advertising? Two things: First, take notice of your surroundings more. Find the things that inspire you and bring this into your work. You will need this passion. To be part of an industry where you can influence millions of people through the execution of ideas is a privilege. Second, hone your skills and prepare yourself to actively listen and receive feedback like you have never done before. It will come at you from all angles, but if you believe that feedback is provided to make things better and not take things personally, the better off you will be. 7. With over 200 offices in over 90 countries, how do you handle diversity at your organization? It’s a way of life for JWT. We are as diverse as the world we live in with people from all backgrounds, so our diversity is something that we don’t necessarily handle – it just happens! 8. Can you tell us about your experience with Bayt.com? Which Bayt.com feature do you think is the most useful to you as an employer? At JWT we want to make sure that any candidate looking at us as a prospective employer has a great initial experience and strong attraction to our brand. We are the leaders in our industry, but at the same time we want to stress that we are still learning and when young, exceptional talent come through our doors we know what they are looking for. Therefore Bayt.com’s industry insight is useful to us; indeed, we need to know our market. Do you have an exceptional employer story to share with the Bayt.com community? Drop us an email at reemb@bayt.net!
