‘Hybrid’ working the preference of most marketers

Most marketing professionals do not want to return to the ways of working they had before the pandemic, while about one in seven say they would prefer to never go back to the office at all, according to research by specialist recruitment company Alternatives.

Some 73 per cent of those surveyed said they would like a hybrid of workplace and home working in the future, with this preference apparent for both men and women and across career stages.

Two in three people in the sector said they felt more productive working from home, though almost a quarter do not believe it suits their role.

Women were more likely than men to say home-working suits both them and their role, and were more likely to feel “much more productive” as a result. They were also more likely to say they wanted to work fewer hours or days in future.

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Some 18 per cent of women and 10 per cent of men surveyed – 15 per cent overall – said they only wanted to work remotely and were happy not to return to their workplace at all.

The survey of 295 people in the Irish marketing community found that the pandemic has had a significant impact, with the Covid-19 crisis triggering widespread pay cuts and budget cuts.

More than half of respondents reported that marketing budgets had been cut, with this trend most pronounced in sectors such as drinks, hotels, tourism and travel, fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG), media and publishing.

"We all know that the Covid pandemic has deeply impacted businesses and attitudes, with some sectors and businesses hit almost beyond repair. However, our Pulse survey shows that some are finding positives for their businesses and for themselves personally," said Alternatives founder Sandra Lawler.

She said marketers were working “harder than ever” despite changing roles, reduced pay and the challenges of working with remote teams and often smaller budgets.

“Companies must redouble efforts to engage with and effectively manage their people now. They need to help them manage their growing workload and their personal stress levels. They will also need to respond to the very strong desire of this community to work in a hybrid way in the longer term.”

Personal interaction

While the majority of people surveyed were not missing the commute and almost half reported a better work-life balance, the difficulties posed by remote working were also evident. About half cited the lack of personal interaction with teams and clients as their biggest concern.

An increased workload has also become an issue for four in 10 respondents, with personal stress a key concern for a similar proportion.

Some 40 per cent have also seen a drop in their remuneration this year.

Two-thirds of marketers continue to work from home, and believe they will be doing so for the foreseeable future.

Only about one in six (16 per cent) expect to return to their pre-Covid place of work by January 2021, and only 40 per cent anticipate a return by spring 2021.

Some 6 per cent think this will not happen until 2022, and 5 per cent think their business will never go back.