Imagine this: would entertainment and TV survive without writers? After all, without writers, we wouldn’t have stories to tell. Writers from different parts of the globe have grown increasingly worried after the birth of AI, and more since the time it upgraded.
The Writers Guild of America (WGA), together with streaming platforms and network producers reached an agreement last month. After having nursed the situation for the past decades, what can staffing firms learn from the strike that happened?
In this article, we will go through the depths of what we can pick up from this current writers’ strike. As it progressed to something more serious, we saw essential takeaways that can help improve the industry.
Why the “Strikers” Are Striking
An antecedent to our generation’s strike is the ’07 to ’08 WGA strike, which lasted for three months and eight days. WGA’s 2023 strike had the same culprit, which was the failure to reach an agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers or AMPTP.
Besides pay disagreements and a perspective of unfair wages, the guild said that they saw and felt a continuous shrinking of the writers’ share of series budgets.
As a result, more and more writers are getting paid less compared to staff members in the “mini rooms.”
How the WGA Strike Can Affect the Entertainment Industry
It’s pretty evident how strikes may affect entertainment, specifically TV shows. To say the least, delays in the scripts would be the first things to happen. Talk shows, usually “late nights,” depend on same-day comedy writing–they’re part of the demographic that will heavily be affected by the strike.
At its finality, bad scripting and directionless accounts that don’t naturally flow can be the poison to their charm.
The relevance of writers–in whatever industry–is unspoken language. Whether it’s in entertainment, politics, or even in the general world, stories would be bland, and narratives would become colorless.
In the staffing industry, writers are among the cores of its raw power. From crafting exceptional pieces with high-pitched imagery to word-playing allegorical passages, they too, take part in an organization’s success.
5 Key Takeaways From the Writers’ Strike
As staffing firms, it’s important to see two sides of the story: the agenda of the producers in developing entertainment and the writers’ demands.
At the end of the day, we’re still responsible for how we treat our writers. We’re held accountable for what they are and what they’ll become.
Here are five lessons to pick up from the recent writers’ strike.
With Unity, Significant Change is Inevitable
You know what we always say, “two brains always work better than one “–the same thing applies to the professional industry. One thing that this strike teaches us is the power and influence of solidarity and unity.
As staffing firms are aware, the workforce is your power. Without them, you’ll find it a challenge to scale and develop. After all, a strike within your organization is the last thing you want to happen, right?
Let’s continue to treat candidates fairly and equitably. That, however, shouldn’t stop there–improvement and development should always be on the table.
That leaves us with one question: if the east and west WGA didn’t team up, would this even happen?
We Can’t See What’s Not In Front of Us
No matter how skilled we are, we can’t see the future–we’re not fortune tellers. What we can do, though, is take and study what happened before and attempt to mold what can happen in the future.
Clearly, producers and directors couldn’t do that as the strike that happened in the late 2000’s shares the same culprit as to why it happened.
The 12,554 employment and recruiting firms in the country in 2023 saw an increase from 2022 at a staggering 2.3%¹. Out of that, thousands of staffing firms saw failure even before breaking out. So, learning how they failed, what made them fail, and what steps they took can be pivotal to the success of your agency.
We can’t see the future, but we sure can trace our ancestries back and learn from it.
Creativity Should Be Rewarded Accordingly
One of the primary reasons why writers decided to put this strike up is because they believe they weren’t being rewarded enough. After all, their crafts are the foundations of entertainment that we know of today. Without a writer, there wouldn’t be great script for shows, there wouldn’t be enough material for reality TV–you know the rest.
Many actually even believe that the strike happening was a great reminder for employers and organizations to always have fair reward and compensation for exceptional creativity.
This can also be a strong inspiration for students and future professionals to exceed what they’re expected and to sharpen their skill regardless of their industry.
Technology Won’t Kill Us–It Will Heal Us
The first week following the release of the state-of-the-art language model, writers grew either upset or anxious. They thought the AI-powered model could replace them. And while this was partly true, using its results directly is neither good nor effective. You’ll still need human skill and intervention to make something good out of it.
A lot of staffing firms and organizations are blinded by the idea that employees should work on their own without considering how these AI models can boost efficiency and effectivity. After all, that’s what they’re being paid for, right?
Adapting to the demands of technology is something we should be open to. In fact, 97 percent of companies believe ChatGPT will help their business and 64 percent of them anticipates an increase in productivity. ²
Many people want us to consider AI as an enemy–don’t. Instead, look at it as a weapon to add to our arsenal that could bring efficiency in our operations.
Negotiation is Part of Human Nature
And last, but interestingly not least is negotiation. Think about it, if the AMPTP were successful in negotiating with the WGA, this wouldn’t have happened. The AMPTP was reluctant in even considering half of what the WGA proposed–leading to the strike.
Many, if not all businesses require negotiation. From staffing and compensation agreements to benefits and extracurricular perks, two sides should be confident enough with what’s in front of them.
It’s fine not to say yes to every proposal that comes across your desk. However, it’s imperative to let the other party know that you’re willing to consider and you’re planning to compromise with them.
With industries and candidates progressing and evolving, so should our points and perspectives. These strikes struck the course of entertainment on a slightly different scale, but for us – it’s different.
These strikes can be something we can learn from to further our development as industry leaders.
FURTHER YOUR GROWTH WITH ALLIED INSIGHT
As we enter Q3 of the year, preparation for what’s about to come is a MUST. Learn from the lessons of the writers’ strike and enhance your staffing firm’s growth. With Allied Insight, you wouldn’t have to worry about reaching your marketing goals. As a full-stack marketing institution, you can count on us from strategic staging and optimization to nurturing and establishing brand identity.
Contact us and let us know what you have in mind!
References
1 “Employment & Recruiting Agencies in the US – Number of Businesses 2005–2029.” IbisWorld. 11 Jan. 2023. https://www.ibisworld.com/industry-statistics/number-of-businesses/employment-recruiting-agencies-united-states/#:~:text=There%20are%2012%2C554%20Employment%20%26%20Recruiting,increase%20of%202.3%25%20from%202022.
2 Haan, Kathy. “How Businesses Are Using Artificial Intelligence in 2023”. Forbes Advisor. 23 Apr. 2023. https://www.zippia.com/advice/artificial-intelligence-statistics/.
