Why more employers should offer remote work (and what to do if you can’t)

As pandemic restrictions have eased, many employers have announced their intent to bring their workers back to the office. 

At Freeman+Leonard, we’re already seeing a sharp increase in the number of hiring managers writing in-office attendance requirements into their job descriptions. In our view, attitudes about remote work clearly have shifted among many corporate leaders over the past few months.

But on the talent side, nothing has changed since the beginning of the pandemic. When we present candidates with an opportunity, location flexibility is still the first or second question they ask about the role. Globally, only 20% of workers prefer being in the office full-time, and 55% of knowledge workers would prefer working fewer than three days a week in the office.

Clearly, there are mismatched expectations between marketing, advertising and creative talent and the companies that hire them.

Many reasons exist why a company might want its workers in the office. Some marketing roles simply require a physical presence to perform them, like print, photography and film production. And while most leaders agree that productivity increases with remote work, the general consensus seems to be that innovation suffers when people don’t gather in person.

About two-thirds – 66% – of workers say they prefer a hybrid model, and we’ve seen that most candidates are happy to spend at least a day or two per week in the office. The value of meeting and collaborating in person isn’t lost on them, either. But most now draw the line at a strict Monday-through-Friday attendance policy. In fact, 37% of workers would be willing to take a 10% pay cut to avoid such a policy.

Beyond the comfort and convenience of working from home (and the hours saved on commutes), 33% of workers are still moderately or very concerned about their risk of COVID-19 exposure. The pandemic isn’t over, after all – but even if it were, our previously casual, even cavalier attitude about germ exposure is probably not coming back anytime soon.

Companies that allow remote work see benefits, too – even those that can’t opt out of the overhead cost of physical office space.

And this isn’t just about keeping the workers you already have – it’s also about attracting top candidates to your company in the first place. Drawing from a deeper talent pool is just one of the many advantages companies enjoy when they remain location-flexible. By looking outside your own backyard, you could score a rock star from a bigger market, or have a much easier time finding a multi-skilled unicorn or highly niched needle in a haystack.

And so, we urge hiring managers who can offer even some degree of flexibility to do so. 

Like it or not, it’s still a candidate’s market.

Top marketing professionals aren’t settling for jobs that don’t offer at least some location flexibility. And in this candidate’s market, they don’t have to. They’ll simply pass, or find new jobs at companies that do. In fact, 70% of knowledge workers globally will be looking for a new job if they’re not happy with the level of flexibility their current employer offers.

Clearly, it will take more than a mandate to get high-performing employees to actually leave their home offices for a sea of cubicles — no matter how important in-person work may be to their employers.

We must incentivize a return to office for employees, not just command it.

If your company requires in-office attendance, the odds will be stacked against you when you’re ready to hire your next employee – but there are still ways to make your company attractive to new hires. Here’s what we recommend.

1. Make the office somewhere people want to be.

AT&T was ahead of the curve when they built the Discovery District: an urban center in downtown Dallas with water fountains, lawn space, interactive art and, of course, plenty of dining options and outdoor dining tables. 

In a Dallas Morning News article, AT&T CEO John Stankey credited this office oasis and the social opportunities it provides for helping to bring employees physically back together. “They want that social interaction,” Stankey said. “And we’ve created an environment that allows them to have that extended work life.”

Don’t have a $100 million dollar budget to build a new urban facility? There are many ways to energize your environment and make the workplace fun and enjoyable. 

• Make sure your office has plenty of areas for people to eat lunch together and socialize. 
• If your office is outdated, give it a facelift with fresh paint and modern office furniture.
• Encourage employees to form social groups, and sponsor outings and happy hours. 
• You could even let workers bring their dogs to the office, all the time or on certain days.

Essentially, give them the very best of office life when they’re onsite, so that it’s obvious what they miss by working from home.

2. Offer perks they can get only in the office.

Companies are paying extra attention these days to the perks and benefits they offer. With rising salaries and a tight job market, every little competitive advantage helps. But if there are some perks your team can  take advantage of only at the office, it’s a win-win. You’re adding value to their lives while encouraging attendance.

From chef-catered meals to childcare, a state-of-the-art gym to onsite medical services, what benefits can you give your team that they can receive only when they’re onsite? Don’t be punitive about it – this is about adding perks that, by their very nature, must be enjoyed in-person.

3. Be flexible where you can – especially about work hours.

Even if your company can’t embrace remote (or even hybrid) work, there are other ways to add flexibility to many marketing and advertising roles. Relaxing the specific hours certain employees must be in the office is an easy one. Many professionals simply do their best work at different times of the day, and family and childcare commitments can make it difficult to follow a strict business-hours schedule.

Besides, we all carry the internet in our pockets now. The lines between home and work are inherently blurred. There’s no need to expect perfect punctuality when many are likely putting in overtime at home anyway. Be flexible about what time you expect people to arrive or leave and focus more on the work itself.

4. Reward outcomes, not attendance.

“Presenteeism” is as much of a risk as absenteeism or attrition for all companies, but especially those without location flexibility. Simply commuting and showing up to an office after years of not being required to can feel like a monumental effort for many of your employees. If they’re not enthusiastic about the change, their motivation is likely to plunge. All of this is a recipe for lower productivity, even among your star employees.

To combat “presenteeism,” do everything you can to combat the idea that being present is all that matters.

Instead, emphasize performance and measurable outcomes. Ensure expectations are clear and benchmarks and targets are well understood. Help employees see the “why” behind their work. Encourage their own development, and cheer them on as they navigate challenges. And most important, reward them often for their accomplishments with quarterly and surprise bonuses, gifts and recognition.

You may still be requiring your workers to come in, but at least they’ll know how you really want them to show up.

5. Offer “focus days” and limit unnecessary meetings.

The modern workplace is filled with distractions – especially workplaces with open floor plans. A commonly cited reason our candidates prefer working from home is that they simply focus better there. On top of that, a calendar packed with seemingly endless meetings can make real productivity impossible.

So take after tech companies like Airtable and Asana.

At Airtable, one day per month is declared a “recharge day,” where taking calls and checking email are discouraged. They also have “focus weeks,” which limit internal meetings so employees can focus on their actual work duties. At Asana, “No-Meeting Wednesdays” is a longstanding tradition. Everyone agrees to not schedule meetings – unless absolutely necessary – in the middle of the week, allowing everyone at least one day where they know they can buckle down and get into the zone.

6. Allow remote work in structured doses.

Maybe you need everybody there at the same time most of the time. Or, perhaps your company struggles with hybrid models where it’s harder to predict exactly when people will or won’t be together.

But with a little structure, you can still offer location flexibility without totally disrupting your broader team’s productivity and workflows.

At Google, employees are offered four “work from anywhere” weeks per year. That may sound extreme, but longer periods of time can actually be easier to adapt to than individual days here and there. And with a little coordination, you can minimize the impact on key clients or campaigns, and ensure no two team members are remote at the same time.

7. Reduce the workweek.

Many advertising agencies have long offered “Summer Fridays,” with employees encouraged to take Fridays off or leave early for the weekend during slower summer months. 

Now, startups like Basecamp and Buffer are on four-day workweeks – some seasonally, some year-round. These companies say they’ve seen no noticeable shift in productivity. (Maybe we’re not all that productive on Fridays anyway…)

Sound like a fantasy? Considering the changes we’ve already endured over the past few years, maybe not. The future of work is here, and ready to be shaped by today’s leaders. If your company must be firm about in-office attendance, what other rules about work can it break instead? 

If shortening the workweek isn’t within your power, there may be other ways you can help give your team a little extra downtime, like encouraging them to take off a little early on Fridays if their work for the week is done.

8. Give your employees more PTO.

If none of these options is available to you, the only other way your team will be able to get out of the office is to actually take time off. 

Giving your employees a little more paid time off than they’d have gotten otherwise may be enough of a concession to keep them around as you transition back to the office. Don’t be surprised if top candidates negotiate for more PTO as a result of your in-office requirements, too.

Remember: The carrot is more persuasive than the stick.

Even if onsite attendance isn’t negotiable, you can still make it worth employees’ while. When they feel appreciated and enjoy sharing a physical space, it’s evident to every candidate who walks through your doors.

Before making your next hire, reach out to the talent experts at Freeman+Leonard. We’re more than just a staffing firm — we’re a marketing solutions company, with deep expertise in the marketing and advertising industry and a consultative approach to client relationships. To deliver world-class marketing for your brand, we’ll help you determine who you need, and how you need them – then craft a compelling job description and compensation package to attract the strongest candidates for each role.

Ready to find your next great hire? Use the contact form below to reach out and start a conversation.

Get in touch with a Freeman+Leonard consultant today:

17 unique job perks and benefits to attract and retain top marketing talent

In today’s hot job market, it takes more than a great salary to win over top marketing and advertising talent. Many companies – whether to differentiate themselves to top candidates, offset a slightly less-competitive salary, or incentivize their workers to return to the office (rather than simply require that they do) – are getting much more creative with the benefits and perks they offer.

As you consider which benefits to offer your workers, or which perks to add to your own job-search wish list, be inspired by these innovative employers. 

1. Fully paid health and dental plan premiums

While there’s nothing new or unusual about offering health insurance to your workers, we’re seeing more companies offer fully paid premiums for low-deductible health, dental and vision insurance.

For example, Airtable, a SaaS company based in Austin, pays 100% of its employees’ health and dental plan premiums, among many other perks. 

This trend is spreading to the advertising world. We know of several Dallas-based independent agencies, including Arm Candy, that cover health insurance at 100% for employees as well as their family members, including health, dental and vision, and even life insurance.

2. Unlimited and mandated PTO

At Airtable, there is no formal vacation policy, but employees are encouraged to take at least a minimum amount of PTO, usually between three and five weeks. And at Dropbox, employees are allowed to take up to four consecutive weeks off per year, fully paid.

Though Netflix was among the first to offer unlimited PTO, the popularity of this perk has certainly grown. But just because a vacation policy is generous doesn’t mean people will feel comfortable in actually taking the time off.

So at Arm Candy, PTO is not only unlimited, it’s mandatory. A minimum of 15 days off per year is required to even be considered for promotions and raises.

3. More frequent performance and compensation reviews

One tech company in Austin with an already generous PTO policy encourages their highest-performing employees to take even more paid time off. But how do you know if you’re one of them? Easy. Performance reviews take place every six months instead of just once per year – so you always know where you stand, and what to improve on.

And they’re not just performance reviews, but compensation reviews: In addition to confirmation of that extra PTO permission slip, high-performing employees can generally expect a raise every six months.

4. Stock options and bonuses

Financial compensation can come in many forms. Companies unable to offer highly competitive salaries can make up for this with other financial incentives.

One employer in Texas offers Restricted Stock Units at onboarding, with the opportunity to earn additional RSUs every six months based on performance reviews. RSUs are also randomly awarded based on company performance.

And at Arm Candy, bonuses are paid quarterly rather than annually (or not at all), so employees have more frequent rewards for their hard work.

5. Flexible work hours and location

Overall, we’re seeing more employers emphasizing performance and measurable outcomes rather than the number of hours their workers spend in a physical office – or even log at home.

At Google, employees are offered PTO as well as four “work from anywhere” weeks per year. The rest of the year, employees enjoy a hybrid model allowing two work-from-home days per week for most roles.

But even if your company isn’t willing or able to embrace remote or even hybrid work, there are still ways to keep workers happy, like offering more PTO, sabbaticals or flexible work hours. After all, many of us are still working or online even after business hours, anyway.

6. No-meeting days and 4-day weeks

Regardless of where a workday is spent, it’s often full of distractions and meetings. It’s one thing for managers to encourage more-focused work time for their teams, or better time management techniques, and quite another to require it, and then create the structure to enable it. 

At Airtable, one day per month is declared a “recharge day,” where taking calls and checking email are discouraged. They also have “focus weeks,” which limit internal meetings so employees can focus on their actual work duties. At Asana, “No-Meeting Wednesdays” is a longstanding tradition.

Many advertising agencies for a long time have offered “Summer Fridays,” with employees encouraged to take Fridays off or leave early for the weekend. Now, tech startups like Basecamp and Buffer are on four-day work weeks – some year-round.

7. Paid parental and family leave

While there’s nothing new about maternity leave, historically it’s been paid out by short-term disability plans based on a percentage of the employee’s salary. Recently we’ve seen a greater number of employers offer fully paid leave for any employees who’ve recently welcomed a child into their home.

More companies are expanding this type of leave to meet a variety of family care-giving needs. Deloitte offers 16 weeks of PTO to “bond with a child as a result of birth or placement for adoption and/or to care for a spouse/domestic partner, parent, child, and/or sibling with a serious health condition.”

There are many ways to show you’re a family-friendly workplace. Independent agency PMG gives all new parents a $250 gift card to spend on diapers or anything else needed – PMG even temporarily turns off new parents’ email and Slack access while they’re on leave.

8. Health and wellness perks

There are more options than just insurance for promoting employee health and wellness. One Austin-based tech company offers a “digital” wallet funded at $200 a month for pre-approved items like fitness equipment and personal training sessions. Money can accumulate and be used anytime. A second digital wallet is funded with $1,000 for other wellness benefits, including mental health counseling, which must be used within the year.

Deloitte offers a well-being subsidy of up to $1,000 per year for qualifying well-being expenses. 

9. Fertility and family-building benefits

More and more companies now offer fertility and family-planning benefits, either through their health insurance plans or specialized benefits providers like Carrot and Progyny. In 2021, FertilityIQ discovered an 8% increase in the number of large companies (across multiple verticals) who had introduced new fertility or family-building benefits or enhanced existing benefits.

10. Child care stipends and backup care centers

It doesn’t take a global pandemic for employers to realize that working parents with reliable child care are more productive. Over the last few years, more companies have begun offering workers child care benefits, including child care stipends and reimbursement, dependent care flexible spending accounts, and backup care centers like those offered by Bright Horizons. USAA, Adobe, Bank of America and others are supporting working parents with childcare benefits. 

11. Professional development and tuition reimbursement

In addition to in-house curriculum and mentorship opportunities like Enterprise’s management training program, many Fortune 500 companies including Google, Bank of America and IBM offer tuition reimbursement for degree programs relevant to an employee’s job, including MBAs and other graduate degrees.

But even on a lesser budget, there are many ways to invest in your employees’ professional development. Paying for certification programs or offering memberships to online course platforms including Coursera allows you to help your employees develop their skills without feeling like you’re sending another kid to college.

On an even smaller scale? We also like Teamwork’s two libraries, stocked with books applicable to various job functions. Totally doable (and makes for great office decor). For a digital option, try Blinkist.

12. Charitable donation matching and volunteer days

Many companies for a long time have offered donation matching and paid time off to volunteer, and we’ve seen this perk increase in popularity over the last few years. Footwear brand Timberland even offers up to 40 hours per year of paid time off to volunteer! 

Helping your workers support causes meaningful to them can foster a sense of community at your company. Plus, compassion and kindness are good for brain health – so you may even find your employees coming back to work feeling less stressed and more productive.

To get started, draft a volunteer time off policy, or reach out to your local United Way to start a Workplace Campaign.

13. Home office expenses

A comfortable home office setup is critical for getting things done in remote and hybrid work models. More employers are offering stipends to their workers for anything they need to focus better at home – from office furniture to extra monitors or computers.

The aforementioned Arm Candy even pays your cell phone bill with a monthly mobile stipend of $125 per month.

14. Discounts and free products

Consumer-facing brands have an advantage on this one. If your company sells a product to consumers, it’s an easy win to offer it to your employees for free, or at big discounts.

The travel industry might’ve pioneered this perk. Employees of many airlines, including Southwest, get unlimited free flights for themselves and their eligible dependents, plus travel discounts and benefits at hotels, rental car companies, theme parks and even other airlines.

A prominent fashion retailer we know gives their employees a product stipend so their staff can wear the current trends and clothes being sold in-store.

Agencies can also negotiate with their consumer-brand clients for deals on discounted merchandise for their employees. Any employer can set up an employee discount portal thanks to platforms like BenefitHub.

15. Fun surprises and gifts

Though not something you’d list as a formal benefit, sending employees random gifts to thank them for a job well done boosts morale.

Rather than logoed tchotchkes and conference swag leftovers, send gifts your employees will actually want and use. One SaaS company in Texas has been known to send to its top performers high-end luggage, North Face clothing and golf equipment.

16. Concierge services and lifestyle benefits

Once reserved for Silicon Valley and high-powered executives and lawyers, time-saving concierge services are becoming more common as a company perk. 

Running errands for employees, maid services, grocery and meal delivery, subscription services and more – employers are offering lifestyle perks to help their team members feel supported while allowing them to focus more on work – and less on the errands and chores of daily life.

17. Dog-friendly office

One of the drawbacks to going back to the office is leaving our four-legged friends behind. Especially those of us who adopted pandemic puppies who, naturally, developed a bit of separation anxiety after their owners had barely left their sides for two years.

Letting your employees bring their dogs to work is an adorable and easy way to boost morale – and for hybrid workers might even boost office attendance.

Benefits can sharpen your competitive advantage

Despite the variety of perks offered, all these employers have one thing in common: They understand the market forces driving candidates’ choices, and they’ve found ways to ensure those forces work in their favor. And – they listened to what workers said they wanted, knowing their people are their best asset and competitive advantage.

Whether remote or in-office, few people will take one job over another purely based on fringe perks, but they do increase the overall perceived value of compensation packages. And when employers put time and effort toward crafting generous benefits packages, they also send a message to candidates that they are valued. Ultimately, they’ve made it easier for high-performing employees to say yes to staying at their company, or joining in the first place. We applaud their innovative thinking, and we encourage more employers to do the same.

Before making your next hire, reach out to the talent experts at Freeman+Leonard. We’re more than just a staffing firm — we’re a marketing solutions company, with deep expertise in the marketing and advertising industry and a consultative approach to client relationships. To deliver world-class marketing for your brand, we’ll help you determine who you need, and how you need them – then craft a compelling job description and compensation package to attract the strongest candidates for each role.

Ready to find your next great hire? Use the contact form below to reach out and start a conversation, no strings attached.

Get in touch with a Freeman+Leonard consultant today: