Working at an agency is a well-known source of potential stress, as most agency professionals can attest. It’s not uncommon for advertising, marketing and PR pros to face burnout, given the high-paced, always-on nature of their work.
This year, agency executives who are leading partially or fully distributed teams have the extra responsibility of ensuring remote teammates feel supported, engaged and satisfied in their roles. Below, members of Forbes Agency Council share the ways their agencies are planning to better support remote employees in 2023 and beyond.
Members pictured from left to right.
Photos courtesy of the individual members.
1. Doubling Down On Communication And Culture
We have been remote since our agency’s inception and work to continually connect with our team, communicate and ensure that we are culturally conscious. From weekly mental health check-ins and fun emails to frequent one-on-one chats, in myriad ways, we never take culture for granted or think we are communicating enough. – Kirsten Ludwig, IN GOOD CO
2. Checking In With Them On Life Outside Of Work
Our agency provides the essentials for remote work—ergonomic chairs and stand-up desks—but more than that, we make an effort to connect with remote individuals regularly to check in on their workloads and their lives outside of work. It’s essential, especially in a hybrid situation, to ensure that the camaraderie that makes office life enjoyable doesn’t require an in-office presence. – Mike Gunderson, Gunderson Direct Inc.
3. Utilizing A Virtual 3D Office
My company knows that supporting remote employees is crucial in today’s world, and we firmly believe that consistent communication is the root of all support, personally and professionally. One game-changing service we’ve been heavily utilizing is a virtual 3D office where we mimic an in-person office environment as if we are side by side, and our team can easily access everyone and anyone at any time. – Mark Cunha, My People Know
Forbes Agency Council is an invitation-only community for executives in successful public relations, media strategy, creative and advertising agencies. Do I qualify?
4. Paying For Equipment, Wellness Expenses And A Retreat
We have always supported our remote employees by offering them stipends for in-home office equipment and reimbursing them for wellness expenses as well as professional training. This coming year, we plan to do our second annual company retreat and fly everyone to a fun location to spend time together in person. We also plan to give out more spot bonuses and gifts for exceptional work. – April White, Trust Relations
5. Encouraging Play
Remote employees are working from home. There will be distractions and easy access to recreation; embrace it. Encourage spending time outdoors and taking breaks to go to the beach. Strong team members deliver and make meetings top priorities. Technical or software-oriented work lends itself well to such accommodations. Non-technical teams will have different challenges. – Andy Etemadi, EYEMAGINE
6. Getting Good Messaging Tools In Place
The most important task for any team moving forward is to make sure that the tools …….