Talented.Agency has introduced three groundbreaking employee financial initiatives that set new benchmarks in the advertising industry. The independent creative agency, now in its third year, has unveiled an ESOP buyback program, profit-sharing mechanism, and minimum salary guarantee.
“Most of what we’re sharing today was already communicated internally in January, but we believe that transparency is important,” said Gautam Reghunath, co-founder and CEO. “Our industry moves forward when we set new benchmarks.”
The ESOP buyback represents a rare move in advertising, where employee stock ownership plans aren’t as common as in tech. This initiative aims to build long-term financial security for team members across all levels.
Additionally, the agency has created a “Founders Pool” profit-sharing program that distributes earnings based on alignment with company values, performance, and tenure—not just seniority. This approach means junior employees may sometimes receive larger shares than senior leaders.
Perhaps most significantly, Talented has established an Rs 8 lakh minimum annual salary for all employees, including entry-level positions—more than double the industry average of Rs 3.75 lakh. Current employees earning under this threshold will see immediate compensation adjustments.
While acknowledging these steps aren’t perfect, Reghunath emphasized the agency’s commitment to experimentation: “We really want to get this right. We’re optimistic these measures will have a compounding effect over time.”
