What are agencies doing to ease stress burden on staff over tough winter months?

Though there have been additional pressures weighing in during 2023, the final months of the year are often even more challenging.

We asked a range of agency leaders what could be done to make the lives of their employees and colleagues easier.

How do you solve a problem like... easing the burden on staff in Q4?

Rania Robinson, CEO and partner, Quiet Storm: “While agency leaders can create cultures that support a healthier and sustainable working environment, this is hindered by the ever-increasing external pressures that are being imposed on us by erosive and damaging industry practices. The devaluation of agency services, shift away from retainer models and unreasonable pitch practices all come together to create a challenging trading environment that forces agencies, particularly independents who aren’t bankrolled by a parent company, to operate in a way that is at odds with this, often to simply stay in business.

Szymon Rose, chief creative officer and partner, Jung von Matt: “Our leadership and management are undergoing special training in how to read the signals of mental stress in employees and, of course for themselves. On top of that, we recently introduced an offer for face-to-face therapy for staff, in case things get more serious. Our staff don’t need to ask for permission or talk to their leaders about it; they may just quietly approach one of our therapists and get help. On top, we already offer wellbeing sessions like mindfulness and office yoga. We also offer flexible working, but we also think it helps if people come into the office more, as we believe they can feel more isolated and anxious at home. Coming to work gives you a chance to share the load with colleagues, so we really encourage it.”

Hannah Baker, chief marketing officer, Brave Bison: “As an ambitious and rapidly growing company, as we head into the new year, we’ve been thinking hard about who we are and who we want to become. Sometimes, when you’re in the trenches delivering on behalf of a client, it can be hard to connect what you’re doing to the bigger picture. We want to ensure that our entire team – many of whom are still fresh to the herd following our acquisition of SocialChain earlier this year – to enter 2024 with a clear understanding of where we are going, how we are getting there, and the vital value they can add.

“This has meant a new company mission, vision, and clear and concise roadmap for delivery. A critical part of this was a series of workshops with talent from across the business to co-create a new set of company values and behaviors. We asked people why they love what they do, what motivates them to succeed, how they like to collaborate and how they think we’ll achieve our mission to capitalize on complexity for clients. The output has given – for the first time – a strong cultural identity that resonates across all specialisms within our business because it’s made up of the things that make us our best.”

Kimi Gilbert, managing partner, Future Factory: “Knowing this time of year can often impact people’s mental health means agencies must lead their team with transparency. Acknowledge the struggles your team might be having, but be honest about how you feel too.

“At Future Factory we’re going to start doing “Ask Us Anything” sessions every quarter to ensure our teams feel included and heard. We’ll also be conducting employee engagement surveys to track the sessions’ impact. We hope this provides a safe environment where people feel they have a platform to share concerns. After all, a problem shared is a problem halved.”

Lewis Clayton, co-founder, GOA Marketing: ”Being a multinational business with staff across the US, Europe and all around the UK, one of our key challenges is ensuring people still feel part of a team. It’s when people feel isolated that stress heightens.

”This year we’ve been trialing new ways to connect, which we’ve done together, so everyone has been involved in finding the right solution and adopting it. For us, it’s about striking a good balance of in-person workshops, one-on-ones and team sessions – which encourage interpersonal relations and development – and emailed updates and all staff reviews, which give everyone a platform to share back. We’re also favoring a ‘New Year’ party over a Christmas one, closing up early instead to make sure balance is achieved outside of the workplace too. 2024 will become more difficult as we grow, but our ambition to keep a balanced structure is central to how that will happen, and ”a problem shared is a problem solved” is very much how the GOA team approaches things.”

Chris Woodward, chief executive officer, CTI Digital: “We’re currently going through a significant amount of change as an agency, which, although positive, can be unsettling for the team. And yes, after a tough year, Q4 is a particularly challenging time to be doing this, given everyone just wants to go and enjoy Christmas. To deliver these changes smoothly, we have focussed on three things: communicating openly about the changes we’re driving and what the future will look like; making time for the small things (including a handwritten card and gift for all staff); and having fun, with the obligatory Christmas party and team lunches.”

Hannah March, chief growth officer, Fold7: “I believe if a culture is genuinely people first, it naturally eases the burden on staff not just in Q4 but all year round. But what does that culture look like? It’s one where people feel safe to speak up when the burden is too great. One that is support-led and free of blame. Servant leadership prioritizes the growth, well-being, and empowerment of employees.

“What a people-first culture means in practical terms is taking actions that are consistent with the ethos, like being firm on unnecessary post-Christmas deadlines or pitches that come in with expectations to work over the holiday period.”

Tamryn Ker, Co-Founder and CCO of Hijinks: ”Here’s how Hijinks beats the Q4 blues:

”We’re all-in on hybrid working with no set or mandatory office days. We enjoy coming together, but we equally enjoy being able to pop dinner on at six.

‘No meetings Fridays’ are a great way to give people some headspace in the week and go into the weekend having ticked off some to-dos. Planning each week carefully helps us work out how we can support each other to cover everything from school pickups to meetings with tradespeople to simply going for a run and getting a bit of fresh air during the day.

”Lastly, we’re closed for a full 3 weeks over the Christmas break so that we can all have a well-served rest. It’s one of the only times in our industry that we can ring-fence our time with minimal impact. We hope that fellow agencies and clients see the benefit and adopt this in the future.”

This is our last debate of 2023, but if you’d like to join in the discussion next year, give me a shout: sam.bradley@thedrum.com.