Thanks for the very positive gift of feedback and suggestions for my new fortnightly Mediaweek spot Sparrow’s Nest. LinkedIn went off and the response has been overwhelming.
Remember to send career advice questions to me at [email protected].
During Covid, I believe the industry has navigated the pandemic pretty well and done a good job managing client expectations, people resilience, flexibility and working from home.
Wellness and mental health are now on everybody’s radar, not just on RUOK day, and it’s top of mind every day as it should be. However, I believe we are at a crossroads … two years into the crisis talent burnout and fatigue are at their peak. The gruelling hours and relentless pressure on agency people are taking their toll.
We are masters of spin, as an industry, we have the talk on our people and culture programs however now is the time for less bullshit and real action!
With a collision of factors – the great resignation/reshuffle/realignment, record industry churn, open positions, lack of international talent etc – burnout and fatigue are critical issues. We need to stop nibbling around the edges and address the issue head-on.
Sending a wellness pack to someone’s house, or free brekkie, yoga, or meditation classes when they return to the office, isn’t going to cut it. I wanted to share a relevant personal story that I think is ironic.
At a past agency, I attended a brilliant wellness one-day offsite workshop that was truly inspiring. I was so grateful and thought the agency should be applauded. Then several weeks later I was made redundant as part of a major cost-cutting exercise.
Well, guess what … my wellbeing would have been so much better if I hadn’t lost my job. So, on one hand, agencies are walking the talk … while their actions and behaviours are the opposite.
I’m currently hearing disturbing comments from agency talent, e.g. “Our agency is decaying from the inside out”, and “Our churn is the worst it’s ever been and we are all so fatigued.”
How do we reduce talent burnout and fatigue, what is at the root of the issue?
Margins are too low, clients’ expectations are sky-high, salary costs are ballooning, transparency is mandatory to build trust however it can reduce revenue streams both in production and media, cheap global contract fees aren’t sustainable in Australia with our high staffing costs, client procurement screwed our fee to unsustainable levels and we allowed it to happen …These are difficult areas and challenging conversations we need to have with clients but we must have them.
A special group of clients value their agency partners and are prepared to pay for the best services and talent, however not all. Clients are both parts of the issue and part of the solution. Have a courageous client conversation around the scope of work and metrics that drive business growth, talent shortages and cost implications, future team structures and needs, and of course fair fee arrangements for the best teams and services now and in the future.
Great leadership will walk the talk, now more than ever we need to address talent burnout and fatigue with actionable long-term solutions that make a difference. This is a must-do now for our valued talent plus the long-term health and survival of our people, clients and industry.
Read the first Sparrow’s Nest column here.
Greg“Sparrow’’Graham: Advisor/Coach/Trainer/Pitch Doctor & Founder of The Nest Consultancy, and now Mediaweek columnist, contact me at [email protected]