It is a truth universally acknowledged that we spend around a third of our lives working.
I stole that line from a Times article today which was reviewing the 2026 Sunday Times compilation of the best UK companies to work for. Whilst they do cover different sized businesses, I could not find any regional creative services agencies on any of the lists. No judging here - to be honest, as with most awards, surveys and 'best of' lists, a business has to nominate themselves to start with. Frankly with the market being as poor as it is currently, I'd imagine that most business owners have more pressing concerns.
That said, I do see the value and essentially this kind of list comes under 'employee branding'. Ironically, there are creative agencies who do specialise in exactly this! The bottom line for most businesses (apart from the actual bottom line) is to have happy employees. Happy employees are engaged, committed, loyal, productive and as success feeds success, it's definitely worth employers going the extra mile to ensure their employees are happy. Equally a major stressor for every employer is recruitment - acquiring the right employees and then retaining them and as with acquisition of customers - it is much easier to retain an existing employee than it is to find a new one.
Of course, the definition of happy will vary with individuals and the world has been spinning ever since the pandemic, not least have we coped with a global epidemic but it feels like since then there has been great uncertainty in the world - wars, political unrest, spiking cost of living, increased global warming and of course, the rise and rise of AI. It's not surprising that employees are twitchy and prioritising security when job-seeking. Whether it's a Sunday Times list or another 'list', potential employees will be encouraged by positive reviews of workplaces, particularly where those reviews are by peers. (Note - candidates are equally discouraged by poor Glass door reviews). So there is value in these surveys.
It's extremely tough for employers and business owners out there, particularly independent business owners with whom I talk to regularly. Several have told me about their 3am night terrors and inability to sleep as they wrangle with the challenges currently being faced. But the best businesses are those who continue to provide their employees with a safe environment where they can thrive and be connected to their work colleagues. 90% of my candidates reported that in the year 25/26, they did not receive any kind of work bonus. Additionally, promotions were postponed and salaries were frozen. Targets were missed, revenues and margin were down. This means there is also no money for additional initiatives to motivate staff - training courses, away days and other perks. So what can employers do? As with pretty much everything in life, communication is certainly part of the solution.
Whilst may employees choose to sit tight when the market is poor (safer to sit tight than move to a role which is more uncertain), they are certainly feeling vulnerable at the moment. Employees see lots of conversations behind closed doors (that's even if they are working in the office), they're seeing redundancies, it's very visible that clients are spending less and taking more work on internally. Agencies are definitely finding it tough. Transparency does, of course help. Keeping employees loyal and motivated and on track during tough times. Employers have it tough particularly given the cost of investing in new staff, of trying to do everything 'right' - making sure they have diversity and inclusion policies, ensuring there are progression pathways for individuals, trying to accommodate flexible working patterns for different generations, taking into account the requirements of neurodivergent employees - it's all hard and during difficult times, these things still matter - even in the smallest businesses. And if employers get them right, those staff will stick with them.
Many of my clients are owner managed and in the past years have shifted to Employee Owned status. Whilst on the one hand this sounds great, it generally comes with a large sum of money to be paid back to the bank. Again, in a difficult and uncertain business climate this is extra pressure - for everyone.
Managing expectations of employees is essential and communicating to them will reduce building tensions and the feelings of uncertainty and vulnerability. At some point, the tide will turn and agencies whilst they may not thrive in the same way as the past, I am sure they will adapt to the changes in technology and evolve their services accordingly. When that happens, having a loyal and consistent team in place will literally pay (the) dividends.
By Fiona, 22 May 2026