By Nicky Harvey, director of client operations, Tangram
As companies and a lot of agencies scramble to bring employees back to the office in 2025, many of us have chosen a different path – one that embraces remote work as a core part of our culture.
Forbes reports “a staggering 91% of workers are dissatisfied with the mandate to return to the office, and 73% are searching for new jobs”. With talent increasingly difficult to retain, agencies that cling to outdated office models risk alienating their workforce.
The stats don’t lie either: productivity hasn’t suffered in remote environments. Stanford professor Nicholas Bloom’s research on remote work found that employees who worked remotely were 13% more productive than their office-based counterparts.
Not only did they complete more work due to fewer distractions, but their satisfaction increased, and attrition dropped by 50%!
Nicky Harvey
Why Office Working is Failing
Forcing people back into the office isn’t working. The reality is that leadership often doesn’t show up to the office themselves, so why should the staff? Office spaces are becoming ghost towns, void of the vibrant, creative energy they once had.
The lifestyle benefits of remote work (no commute, reduced costs, more flexible hours) far outweigh the lure of free fruit in the kitchen. Cue this brilliant Asics mental health ad featuring Brian Cox.
The cost savings associated with remote work are substantial. Both employees and agencies save on the everyday expenses of travel, office lunches, and running physical office spaces. Let’s not forget, many of the companies forcing staff back into the office are contradicting the trends we see on “Great Place to Work” lists – most of these top-ranked workplaces offer flexibility, not mandates.
“We see flexibility as a bridge to fundamentally better ways of working” says Liam Casey, People and Culture Lead at Innocean Australia.
This type of hybrid framework, Casey explains, works well when paired with trust and strong communication. “We trust our employees to get the job done and deliver great results,” he notes, emphasising that employees feel valued and included when there’s open and regular communication.
“Communication is also really important. We encourage clear and regular open communication, so that employees feel their opinions are valued and form part of the bigger picture – no two employees are the same and we value this diversity of opinion greatly.”
How Great Place to Work businesses are coming out on top
As Atlassian’s work futurist (yes, that’s his actual job title!) Dominic Price says, companies that stick to rigid office models are missing out. The talent pool for agencies that embrace remote or hybrid work is not only larger but also more diverse, with candidates who value flexibility over a flashy office.
Look at companies like Shopify that have fully embraced this and have saved on overhead costs while retaining top-tier talent.
For many agencies, a hybrid model might feel like a compromise, but full remote work can open the door to a broader, more talented workforce. I’ve seen first-hand the ability to hire globally or from different regions within a country means agencies can source the best, not just the closest.
Making Remote Work, Work for Your Agency
1. Onboarding and Integration
Onboarding is critical for integrating new employees into the company culture. I’ve seen agencies implement a buddy system– new hires are paired with someone who isn’t their line manager to help them settle in.
Larger agencies might consider running virtual coffee mornings using Donut, a Slack or Teams extension that encourages casual conversations across teams. Atlassian also launched a personal user manual for work to help teams understand how they work together.
2. Leadership and Internal Processes
Leadership becomes trickier in a remote setting, especially when it comes to managing internal processes and motivating staff. Leadership needs to set clear expectations about why tasks matter. Whether it’s business updates, setting business goals, or ensuring a sense of purpose across the team.
It’s also important to understand how time is being spent across the team, and structure how people spend their time to ensure that even internal projects, like completing timesheets, are given value.
Agency NoA Ignite and Frankly use tools like TimeJam to help incentivise staff to track time in a fun way on a daily basis.
3. Communication and Collaboration
Clarity is essential in remote communication. “My advice to any agency would be to foster clear, concise communication on expectations and responsibilities” says Innocean Australia’s Casey.
You need to clearly define which channels to use for what. Sensitive information? Use secure channels. Casual chats? Stick to Slack or Teams. But it’s not just about having the right tools; it’s about giving people opportunities to collaborate – both for work and for fun.
I don’t force virtual Friday beers with my team, but we do have an annual in-person get-together to connect, collaborate, and, most importantly, have fun. It’s about giving people the option to participate without making it feel mandatory.
People need to enjoy working together and that trust is key.
4. Work-Life Balance and Wellbeing
A successful remote agency doesn’t just focus on productivity; it fosters a healthy work-life balance by encouraging staff to set boundaries. This isn’t just about offering flexibility; it’s about aligning client expectations with employee well-being.
Policies like the Right to Disconnect highlight the need for clients to embrace flexibility, ensuring employees maintain balance without sacrificing creativity, which can be stifled by rigid in-office schedules.
Wellness initiatives, whether it’s walking challenges, virtual games like Gartic Phone (a personal favourite!), or simply encouraging time outside are essential to preventing burnout. It’s important to trust your team to get the work done, and that trust is what fuels productivity. Flexible working has to be truly flexible, not just lip service.
“At Innocean Australia, we prioritise our team’s well-being with flexible working policies, meditation and breathwork sessions, and regular mental health seminars,” says Casey.
“We host internal clothes and book swaps, donating leftover items quarterly to support the community. Our social clubs, including Shoutout Thursdays (a monthly celebration of employee achievements with prizes) help us stay connected, whether in the office or at home.
We also offer walking, running, and Korean language clubs, giving our team plenty of opportunities to engage, recharge, and foster a supportive workplace culture.”
5. The Talent Pool is Bigger, But So Are the Expectations
One of the undeniable advantages of remote work is the access to a broader talent pool. Agencies are no longer restricted by geography and can tap into a global network of creatives and strategists.
However, this also raises the bar for what employees expect in return. Flexibility, autonomy, and opportunities for professional development are now the baseline, not the bonus.
The truth is, hybrid and remote work are far more attractive to employees who value a better work-life balance.
“Remote work thrives when it’s supported with intention, not treated as an afterthought”
I’ve worked with many agencies and it’s not enough to just allow remote work, you need to foster it and nurture it. That means integrating it into your agency’s culture, investing in tools that connect teams, and fostering collaboration and trust. Remote work thrives when it’s supported with intention, not treated as an afterthought.
Agencies that fail to adapt risk losing talent and falling behind. Those that embrace remote work as a core part of their strategy will unlock a stronger, more engaged workforce and lead the future of work in our industry.