The Royals, AdNews People and Culture Award Finalist

Helen Evans • June 28, 2018

Early 2018 saw in the AdNews People and Culture Award, founded by iknowho. We wanted to sit down with returning finalists The Royals and hear more about their consecutive nomination. As Dan Beaumont, Managing Partner, says: ‘Culture is everything at The Royals, it’s genuinely at the centre of who we are.’ We caught up with Dan and Kristy Camarillo, Talent Manager at The Royals to discuss their motivations, challenges and initiative successes.

What motivated you to enter this year’s People and Culture Award?

Dan – Our culture is our number one priority in the business. We know that if we get that right, everything else flows from there. If you haven’t got that right, I would argue that it’s more difficult to do great work for clients, win business and build a great agency.
It’s important for us to establish a reputation of valuing our culture and our people. We need to signal to the market very clearly that The Royals is a great place to work and we value people, irrespective of ethnicity, gender or age. That’s why we enter culture awards.

Kristy – Ultimately, awards not only attract clients but also talent. I think being recognised for something we’re heavily invested in, which has been our People and Culture, has allowed us to attract the right talent and to retain those people.

Being finalists 2 years in a row has shown consistency from your People and Culture initiatives. How do you stay on top of your game?

Dan – It’s consistent because we haven’t changed our priorities. The way we manage the agency is like an operating system; a little bit like the operating system on your smartphone. We upgrade our OS constantly; we fix bugs, add functionality and make the system operate better – that’s how we approach The Royals. So when it comes to our culture, the way we have managed it evolves and we strive to ‘get better at getting better’.
We measure the strength of our culture by commissioning Culture Amp to survey our staff. We use the data and the responses from Culture Amp to spot the patterns and insights that will help us improve each experience within the agency. Culture Amp gives us a benchmark – we’ve had two surveys since we set our benchmark of 81% and we have started to see patterns form. Our new engagement rate is 9 points over our previous level of engagement – now we’re in the 90’s. To put that in context, the average score for our industry in this country is 67%.


Kristy – The annual Culture Amp engagement surveys measure recommendation, pride, motivation, present and future commitments. We have regular pulse checks to see how we are tracking. We use all these results to help refine our focus for all our initiatives for the year ahead, so we know what is important to our people and where we need to focus. We will be launching our Learning and Development program soon, which has come off the back of consistent feedback of what has been really important to our people.


   Our initiatives come from the bottom up, not the top down. We want to ensure that the voice of all of our Royals is representated, listened to and considered.


Which People & Culture initiative do you think has created the biggest impact to the business?

Dan – Lots of little things we do have a big impact on our business. We have an unwritten rule particularly with the five partners: we give before we take.


A Christmas draw
Every Christmas we throw a name in the hat for every year each person has worked at The Royals. We draw a name and that person gets and all-expenses paid trip to SXSW Festival in Austin; this is a real celebration of the staff.



The UNconference
The unconference is an away weekend, which is 3 days and 2 nights across both offices, Sydney and Melbourne. We have been to Hobart, Byron Bay and last year we all climbed to the top of Mount Kosciuszko, where we had our first values awards presentation. We have 3 values – Audacity, Camaraderie and Revelry. Nick, our Creative Partner, has created patches for each of these values, and we award them to people who demonstrate those values. The unconference is a chance for all of us to get away together and do something we have never done before. This year we went glamping in King Valley and enjoyed everything the vineyards there have to offer, and then some. 

Monday Morning Assembly
Every Monday morning we have an all-staff meeting with both offices connected across video conference, where we talk about the week ahead. It’s about transparency, where staff can ask questions about what is going on in the business, then we have a presentation on something that is inspiring and interesting – staff members are responsible for this. It’s a big part of kicking off a successful five-day sprint in the agency.


Most Interested Day

It’s easy to get caught up in our busy day-to-day work so each month we give one Royal the day off, to get out of the office and take part in an ‘interested’ activity – it might be an advanced driving course, trapeze lessons, how to manage a beehive. The aim is to change up people’s daily working days and stretch them a bit – get them out of their comfort zone.


   So it’s not just one initiative but all the little things, and everything contributes to our daily working lives and the overall culture of the business.



How do you continue to maintain a positive culture even during stressful times?

Dan – We over-communicate; I think that is the thing that has got us through the past nine months. We use that Monday morning forum to update people. We’ve participated in several large pitches and our strike rate is excellent, which has added a significant amount of revenue, that has required us to hire 40 new people over the past six months.

The Royals are known for looking for talent from a range of backgrounds, what impact has this diversity had on the business?

Kristy – We do not have a separate diversity policy, it’s just ingrained in everything we do. A lack of diversity in our business is a lack of relevance. We have people from a range of backgrounds – a marine biologist, lawyers, accountants, military psychologists, individuals from 15 countries that speak 12 languages and span three generations. Bringing such diverse perspectives and experiences to our work allows us to create better, more effective work for our clients and it drives our business forward.



Dan – It can always be better. Dene and I spoke about merit vs quota in our last interview, and we still approach recruitment with an open mind. I like the idea of blind recruiting. We can always be more diverse, but we need to make sure new Royals have the right skill set and fit our #mostinterested culture. As for where they come from, their gender or their sexual orientation – who cares? Working with a diverse group of people makes for more interesting conversations, more interesting strategy, more interesting ideas, and that is the truth; otherwise you generate a generic ‘house-style’ body of work.

As The Royals have offices in Melbourne and Sydney, what challenges do you face for the culture spanning two locations? How do you overcome these challenges?


Dan – The rivalry between Sydney and Melbourne is very much alive, not just at The Royals. We move people around a lot as they work in projects in each office. This facilitates our single agency mindset; we called it ‘1 egg with 2 yolks’. We don’t enter NSW or Victorian Agency of the Year for that reason. Some publishers try and pull us apart, but we have one P&L and that’s how we manage the business across the board. Operating as one agency/ one culture means we don’t need to duplicate services in both cities.


Kristy – We share resources, we cast projects appropriately (based on skills and experience). We try to come together as much as possible – face to face, Hangouts, phone to maintain collaboration – which is a cornerstone of The Royals.



Dan – We share finance, we share production, and it’s a really efficient way to build. If we open a third office, we would do it the same way. It’s a benefit of being independent –we can move quickly and make decisions on the spot. 

Thank you to The Royals for another great award entry. Check out what was discussed in last year’s interview. 

By Kristina Gerdov December 3, 2024
Nailing an interview requires more than just showing up and answering some questions. It’s about preparation, presenting yourself in a way that leaves a lasting impression and following up well.
By Kristina Gerdov November 25, 2024
When Five by Five Global approached our Lead Talent Partner, Sheryn - they were clear about their vision: they needed a leader who could steer their Australian operations with vision and integrity.
By Pete Budworth October 29, 2024
There are lots of great candidates on the market right now—great news if you’ve got urgent hiring needs! While it might mean you’re opting to run the recruitment process yourself, here are some tips to help protect your brand and support those out there in the trenches, working hard to get back in the game. We all know how tough it is for candidates right now, so it’s more important than ever to uphold ethical practices and give every candidate a positive experience, even if they’re not the right fit for your role. Hopefully, by reading this, you're joining me on a journey to make a real difference in the way we approach recruitment. Be Prepared and Aligned from the Start This one might seem obvious but before starting the interview process, make sure all the hiring managers and interviewers are aligned. Be clear on what you’re looking for in a candidate, how many interview rounds there will be, whether there’s a task, and who will handle what questions. When everyone’s on the same page, not only do you create a smoother experience for candidates, but you also speed up the process, increasing your chances of finding the right person quickly minimising disruption to your project deadlines and over stretched team. Plus, it sends a clear message to candidates that - you value their time and respect their effort. For help on the interview itself you can read our tips on how to deliver a great interview experience. Set Expectations with Candidates Now that you’ve set internal expectations, it’s time to share them with candidates! It’s much easier for candidates to put their best foot forward when they know what to expect. A great interviewer considers the candidate’s circumstances—some may be feeling pressure from unemployment, others might be neurodivergent or anxious. Let’s not forget about the mass redundancies over the last 18 months! When you give candidates the tools to prepare, they can focus on showcasing their true skills instead of worrying about surprises. This levels the playing field and helps ensure you’re finding the best fit for the role, not just the best performer on interview day. Show Empathy and Understanding The job market is tough right now – I’m hear the term “wild west” all too often lately! Many candidates have been out of work for a while, through no fault of their own. A little empathy goes a long way. As the old adage goes – treat people the way you’d want to be treated. Ask about gaps in employment, but do it with curiosity, not judgment. Creating a safe space for candidates to share their story shows that your organisation values people, not just their resumes. After all, we’re all human. Be Transparent Transparency builds trust. Be upfront about what candidates can expect—not just from the recruitment process but from the role itself. Share the positives and the challenges. Being vulnerable will gain respect and helps candidates make informed decisions. It’s better to have someone opt out early than to hire someone who leaves after a few months because the role wasn’t what they expected. Feedback is Key This is probably one of the most talked-about (and frustrating) aspects of today’s job market. LinkedIn is full of posts from candidates who’ve been ghosted after interviews. My advice? Even if you don’t have a decision yet, let candidates know where they stand. Ghosting can leave a lasting negative impression—not just on the candidate but on your employer brand too. Providing even a small amount of constructive feedback can make a big difference. It doesn’t have to be lengthy; a positive note and a key reason why they weren’t selected can help candidates improve for next time and appreciate the process. And if you’ve forgotten to get back to someone (because, let’s be honest, we all get overwhelmed sometimes), own it. A simple, sincere apology goes a long way in closing the loop. What matters most is showing respect for their time and effort, even after the fact. Help Where You Can If a candidate isn’t the right fit, consider how you can help beyond a simple "no." If they impressed you, is there someone in your network who might be interested in their skillset? Could you make an introduction? A Simple Thank You Goes a Long Way Candidates are juggling jobs, rearranging childcare, and coming up with creative excuses to take time off for interviews (I’ve heard Michael’s had a lot of white goods delivered this week!). Whether they advance or not, they’ve invested time in your company, and a simple thank-you can leave a lasting positive impression. Check In: Are You OK? "Are You OK?" Day is a great reminder to check in on people’s mental health, but it shouldn’t just be once a year. With the pressures of today’s economy, many candidates are experiencing heightened stress. Acknowledging the strain of job searching or offering flexible interview timings can go a long way toward reducing stress. I love when clients share tips for managing interview anxiety—it's a small thing that makes a big difference. Reflect on the Process After each hire, take time to reflect on what worked and what didn’t. Did candidates get enough information upfront? Were timelines manageable, and was communication prompt? Asking for candidate feedback can be a great way to improve your process over time. This can even be a step you introduce during your onboarding process - here is some advice on how to successfully onboard your new hires. Being open to evolving is a core part of being a responsible and ethical employer. Building an empathetic hiring process doesn’t just benefit candidates—it strengthens your brand and helps you secure top talent. If you're ready to elevate your recruitment approach, reach out to one of our talent partners at iknowho for a chat.
more posts
Share by: