According to a Flexijob report, 75% of workers have experienced burnout. Therefore, in-house agency leaders need to prevent and address burnout effectively. Creative leaders will never entirely solve the problem, but they need to understand the causes of burnout and know what to do about each of them.
Here’s the good news for in-house agency leaders: You don’t necessarily need to pay workers more or hire more staff! Most of the causes of burnout have nothing to do with compensation. We’re talking company culture, from the creative directors to the interns.
Five things to think about
- Rewarding creatives who finish tasks on time instead of those who work late hours
- Finding out why creatives are working more—is creative production taking up most of their time?
- Is your team using the right tech tools to automate or simplify some tasks?
- Implementing smarter and more creative strategies rather than longer hours
- Consider outsourcing elements that are creating overwork for the team. This could be creative production, video editing, or transcreation.
Redefining Workload Expectations
To break the cycle of overwork, it's essential to redefine workload expectations. Matching team expectations with their capabilities helps prevent burnout in in-house agencies. Could you set more realistic project scopes and achievable goals for your creative teams?
Embracing Automation and Technology
Automation and technology are valuable tools for reducing overwork. By leveraging these tools, creative teams can save time and energy for more innovative and rewarding work.
Outsourcing creative production
Outsourcing creative production enables creative teams to focus on what they do best rather than worry about mundane and non-essential tasks. Something we often hear at EKCS is, “Why would I outsource creative production when I have a great in-house team?"
While you may well have a fantastic in-house team, it’s not realistic that your employees are always going to have the creative production skills you need, especially given the speed at which digital production is evolving. The Great Resignation has seen skilled workers leave their jobs in droves on both sides of the Atlantic. This has resulted in some in-house agencies losing key expertise. Outsourcing provides access to a wider talent pool.
Of course, the words ‘outsourcing’ can cause concern for team members, but it is important to realize that outsourcing today isn’t all about reducing FTE costs. Sure, you can save on freelancers and paying overtime, but a key selling point is that outsourcing enables your department to do more interesting work.
Offshoring creative production isn’t about handing over huge elements of work. Creative production outsourcing is about enabling staff and your IHA to do more. Communication with your team is key early on in the process.
Want to learn more?
Download our free e-book, Breaking the Cycle of Overworked Creative Teams for in-house agencies and brands.
Join our free webinar on March 26th, 2024
Overwork and burnout are not badges of honor. They’re silent dangers that erode creativity. Former in-house creative leader Michael Storey checks in with in-house agencies to ask, ‘How are you getting on?’ Building upon his session at Creative Production London*, Michael will share recent ‘hot-off-the-press’ findings. You'll realize that you are not alone in your overwork challenges and will discover ways to keep work/life in balance in an industry where this can sometimes seem impossible.
Michael and Robert Berkeley, CEO of EKCS, will join forces on March 26th. Robert has spent over two decades leading diverse and busy teams at a global creative production agency. Both will be on hand to answer your questions and offer advice. *Please note that if you attended their session at Creative Production 2024 on March 1, new ground will be covered. And if you couldn't make the event, this webinar is essential for anyone facing burnout and/or managing overworked teams.* Register for free here.
