The Battle for the Next Generation of Agency Talent

In recent months, the labor shortage has slipped somewhat from public debate. After years of economic stagnation, unemployment has ticked up slightly. And yet, the number of people in work remains close to an all-time high. The demographic reality is stark: the young cohorts now entering the workforce are barely half the size of the peak baby boomer class of 1964. For every two boomers who will retire over the next decade, just one Gen Z entrant will step into the labor market. Agencies, meanwhile, have a comparatively young age structure. Almost half of agency employees are 34 or younger, and 80 percent are under 45. In other words, agencies are disproportionately competing for a shrinking pool of young talent. All the more surprising, then, that the industry’s efforts remain underwhelming. There is no agency- or industry-wide awareness campaign, and the presence at schools and universities is still far too weak.
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The result is that most young professionals stumble into agency life more or less by accident. All six members of the GWA Young Board admit as much. In episode #126, I spoke with Geena Schindler and Maylin Vural, who both joined the board in 2024. Geena prefers to call it a “shortage of energy” rather than a shortage of skilled labor—because it’s not just expertise that’s missing. The reality is simple: our industry has no choice but to collectively promote itself if it wants to attract more people. And the truth is, we should have started doing this long ago. The funds are there—if industry associations like GWA, ADC, and BVDW joined forces. What must not happen is for egos to get in the way, with arguments over who gets to develop the campaign. The best idea should win, full stop. That would be money well spent. What we need is an industry-wide campaign—not plastered randomly across billboards, but platform-native, speaking the language and style of the very people we’re trying to reach.

Instead, an outdated narrative continues to circulate: long hours, low pay, and agencies as little more than production workshops. In reality, working hours in the industry have become far more civilized—though, as a service business, we still adapt to the pace of our clients. The upside is clear: it positions us at the forefront when it comes to topics like artificial intelligence and emerging platforms such as TikTok. Agencies are home to a remarkable breadth of expertise, from which newcomers can learn enormously. The close collaboration within teams often sparks friendships that extend well beyond the workplace. And the range of roles and working models has expanded so much that the industry is no longer attractive only to the “classic creatives” willing to spend evenings and weekends immersed in their craft.
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The fact that the GWA Young Board exists at all shows there is genuine interest in nurturing young talent. For newcomers, the entry point and the opportunity to quickly take on responsibility can be a real draw. But to make that known, we need to be present in schools and universities when careers are introduced—something that still happens far too rarely. The perception of a salary gap between agencies and corporate jobs also persists. Yet agencies offer a different kind of compensation: the chance to work for a wide variety of clients and to learn from many different people and disciplines—a particularly exciting prospect at the start of a career. Still, salaries must be fair and competitive so that young professionals can build a sustainable life in the industry.

The days when top agencies could get away with offering interns nothing more than the prestige of a name on their résumé are long gone. What attracts young talent today is the diversity within agencies. Few industries bring together such a wide mix of perspectives, social backgrounds, cultures, and career changers. Out of this blend grows a distinctive culture—a shared passion among everyone involved in the creative process. That said, there’s still ground to cover on diversity—not just in age distribution. While women are well represented in agencies overall, the top leadership ranks remain dominated by men. National diversity also lags behind. One barrier here is language: agency life is often conducted in German, and switching to English still proves difficult in many places. For the younger generation, the talent shortage has heightened awareness of their own value. The new dynamics of the labor market are pushing for fairer pay and shining a spotlight on issues like part-time work, work-life balance, overtime, and burnout. It’s a clear shift of power in favor of increasingly scarce talent. And this generation is demanding more from leadership. An annual performance review isn’t enough. They’re used to immediate feedback—recognition when something is done well, and a strengths-focused style of management. Rather than dwelling on weaknesses, they want to develop their strengths and, if needed, take on tasks better suited to those strengths.

Das verlangt allerdings auch ein Umdenken seitens der Agenturen: Anstatt Menschen in starre Rollen zu pressen, sollten sie die Aufgaben an den Stärken der Einzelnen ausrichten. Gerade in einem angespannten Arbeitsmarkt ist es entscheidend, Talente dort einzusetzen, wo sie ihre natürlichen Fähigkeiten am besten entfalten können. Das ist zugleich der einzige Weg zu echter Exzellenz. Wer ständig damit beschäftigt ist, eigene Schwächen auszugleichen, wird nie so wirksam sein wie jemand, der seine Stärken gezielt ausbaut und weiterentwickelt.
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Das Gleiche gilt für Führungspositionen. Manager zu werden sollte weder Zufall noch die zwangsläufige Folge einer Karriereleiter sein – ohne dass je gefragt wird, ob jemand die Rolle überhaupt will oder dafür geeignet ist. Führung gehört in die Hände von Menschen, deren Stärke darin liegt, andere zu inspirieren und ein Umfeld zu schaffen, in dem alle ihr Bestes geben können. Reine fachliche Exzellenz ist dafür nur selten ein verlässlicher Maßstab.
Parallel zum Wunsch nach guter Führung wächst der Anspruch auf Freiheit und Eigenverantwortung. Entscheidend sind dabei klare Kommunikation und Transparenz. Wenn Verantwortlichkeiten von Beginn an eindeutig geregelt sind, sinkt das Risiko von Missverständnissen – und der Spielraum für selbstbestimmtes Arbeiten wächst. Dennoch bleiben regelmäßige Check-ins und Sparrings wertvoll, um Entwicklungsfelder zu erkennen und Verbesserungen anzustoßen.
Nicht zuletzt haben Agenturen die Chance, ihre kreative Kraft im Sinne des Gemeinwohls einzusetzen – indem sie sich mit den großen gesellschaftlichen Fragen auseinandersetzen. Vor allem junge Menschen erwarten, dass Unternehmen Haltung zeigen. Diese Erwartung richtet sich auch an Agenturen. Wer sie erfüllt, tut nicht nur der Gesellschaft etwas Gutes, sondern steigert zugleich seine Attraktivität als Arbeitgeber.