Shout CEO Michael Jenkins argues for service-based operations – where talent and promotion are your biggest costs – giving staff more freedom and flexibility will enable agencies to better weather this rocky economic climate while maintaining a sustainable service structure.
Without a doubt, both Amazon and Atlassian are digitally driven powerhouses – but they have set distinctly opposing views when it comes to remote working policies.
In the wake of Amazon CEO, Andy Jassy, laying down a blanket return-to-work policy, Atlassian has certainly rocked up for a rumble in the jungle. As The Australian’s Jared Lynch reported this week “Atlassian has accused Amazon of wilfully endorsing the old way as a solution to new problems after the e-commerce titan declared an end to the work-from-home era for its employees.”
As Lynch points out, Atlassian chief, Michael Cannon-Brookes, obviously has some bias in his opinion given he’s built a $41B software company that aids employee collaboration and remote work. But as a 100 per cent remote agency model, I’m already Team Atlassian by proxy.
Setting the pandemic period aside, for the 14 years Shout has been operating, creative ideas, collaboration and results have never been hindered by the tyranny of distance.
As a digital agency, we exist to bring customers to clients in an online space – and our trackable ROI demonstrates that most of the action is not happening face-to-face. Our team of 25 recently celebrated the milestone of 100 retained clients who win remotely every day.
The pandemic taught society when – and when not – we needed to meet in person, how to stay connected while apart and how to be more efficient with our resources. This obviously impacts different sectors differently and I concede there will always be some jobs you cannot do remotely – pulling teeth comes to mind.
But as service-based operators, we now have to overlay these learnings with the financial climate. When times are tough, agencies can only really cut back on two areas: headcount and promotion, which includes all the physical set dressings. It’s at this point it becomes obvious that the true value lies in between the ears of your employees, not in an exposed brick, neon-lit, Italian coffee-machine-equipped office.
As a remote agency, we have people located in more than seven locations across Australia. If we need to spend time with clients face-to-face, we can get there easily – and more efficiently in every sense of the word (time, cost and carbon footprint).
I believe the most valuable talent an agency possesses is its seasoned staffers who have amassed rich experience to sell. And these talented individuals have also built up multiple responsibilities and priorities in their personal lives. Remote and flexible working policies can support what is personally dear to those staff and demanding they be on-site at all times is both risky and unfair. Happy staff are loyal, long-standing staff, who foster younger talent.
The average experience across our team is, co-incidentally, also 14yrs of working history – they’ve been working as long as Shout has been operating. And with a firm layer of ‘middle management’ within our structure, Shout is arguably looking ‘top-heavy’ by today’s standards.
IAB Australia’s 2024 Talent Report noted “There has been a significant shift in the level of experience companies are seeking, with over three-quarters of open positions targeting people with 1-5 years’ experience. This aligns with the commonly reported “juniorisation” of the advertising workforce. The most in-demand group are people with 3-5 years’ experience.”
Our senior staff are confident in counsel and equally as confident in changing tact. Smart clients pay for sound pushback. They pay for bravery and we know the strength of our working relationships relies on us sustaining chemistry remotely.
If the ‘juniorisation’ of agency staff is the reality – how on earth are strictly at-work policies providing adequate mentoring opportunities for younger staff if they’re all mates from uni? And just how do big-brand agencies justify increases in fees when enthusiasm isn’t equally matched with experience? And are the juniors really stoked about it?
Not all of the arguments stack up. The at-work ultimatum still smells more like supervision and creating a perception of industry.
I have some sympathy for agencies held to holding company directives on staff costs that necessitate hiring a younger, more affordable staff and feel they need to keep an eye on them. But Indies like ourselves have to shout to be heard, so I’m not afraid to skite that we continue to hire experienced staff that consistently provide solid, agile strategy and safe execution due to the lower cost base of our remote structure.
The ultimate irony is remote set up is actually enabling us to deliver on the traditional level of account service for our clients.
We can also provide ample training, connection and mentoring for junior staff that join our team. Just not as much table tennis and Arnott’s biscuits. We’ll let the kids save on the commute and buy whatever snack is legitimately cool (skibbidi rizz?) these days.
Of course, like many solid arguments in a progressive world, the perfect office working policy is what works best for an individual agency. And I respect the creative opportunities and social aspects that come being face-to-face in an agency. But do we need it five days a week? Or eight hours a day? Especially in these congested cities.
Surely if we’ve learned anything from the past five years it’s that people should have a choice. Being flexible and being able to carry out work regardless of whether we can be in the same room is now the measure of success.
I think Amazon is going to repel some amazing talent, and I predict the hard line will have to soften. I think Atlassian’s balanced approach – which will, no doubt, also involve some impressive offices equipped with Gen Z-approved snacks – will prove to be just what the cultural jungle needs.
