A four-day working week or hybrid working? Midlands' marketers have their say!
In a recent survey by Hays of nearly 12,000 professionals and employers, 62% of professionals said they would rather work a four-day week in the office than do five days on a typical hybrid pattern. But how does this resonate with the Marketing community?
In a recent poll shared across our LinkedIn group and Twitter profile, we asked CIM Midlands members which they would prefer: four days in the office or five days working in a hybrid pattern. The results were clear cut, and overwhelmingly contradicted the findings from the Hays survey: 71% of respondents would rather five days working hybrid over a four-day working week.
When speaking to respondents, though the four-day work week seemingly offers a better work life balance, by adding restrictions on where you work, how you work, and work office shift patterns, it can have more of a negative impact than a five-day hybrid role, which has seemingly had positive impacts for people personally and professionally too.
Flexibility and rhythm
Comments from CIM Midlands members found that though a 3-day weekend would be nice, they like the rhythm and familiarity with a 5-day working week, especially now this isn’t restricted by strict office schedules with many employers now offering hybrid working opportunities. This flexible way of working has allowed members to work when best suits them, switching between the two different environments to suit their working styles. Di Tunney, Vice Chair - Communications for the CIM Midlands Board, echoes these thoughts, with the added benefits of reduced stress and costs of a daily commute, and down time being stuck on trains/in cars that further extends the workday. Though working from home solely seemingly has many benefits, the hybrid model provides the best balance. For Di, it can often feel quite isolating working from home all the time, and having some time in the office and for in person team meetings can help compensate for this.
Environment
As marketers we thrive from interactions with each other and across the business, so office days to stay connected and keep in touch are incredibly vital. Di Tunney uses these days to bounce ideas off others in the team, and ensures she stays in touch with what others are doing and what is going on in the company. On the other hand, we all know how hard it can be to concentrate in a busy office when you need to focus and have work to do. As one CIM Midlands community member commented, they “really value interacting with my co-workers and clients in person but also like being able to shut myself away in the comfort of my own home when I’m researching, planning, creating content, etc.” Working from home provides marketers with the space to think creatively, plan, write, and strategise.
Though Jack Hardy, Education Ambassador for the CIM Midlands board, leans more towards four days in the office, it is clear that environment plays a huge part in this. Working in an extremely collaborative workplace Jack benefits from those office days, and believes that half of the day off should be dedicated to continuous professional development which has been funded by the employer. Jack benefits from a workplace that offers quiet spaces to provide opportunities to focus, though similar to wider community comments, the distance to his workplace from his home location and a noisy office where he couldn’t concentrate or that would disturb his creative flow, would sway him towards the five-day hybrid working week.
Jack nicely rounds up the debate by putting the focus less on how and when we work, and more so on what works best for the team and their environment: “Ultimately, I want me and my team to do the best job we can, and we all need the right environment to achieve that.”
Marketers in the Midlands have had their say: the choice of how we work trumps when we work. But ultimately, it all boils down to marketers wanting flexibility and trust from their employers to work how and when best suits their circumstances and environment – helping them truly achieve a work-life balance.
About the Author
Jade Jones has over 5 years’ experience in B2C and B2B marketing and is currently a Marketing Coordinator of the Northern European Marketing team with global digital manufacturer Protolabs.
Responsible for driving large integrated campaigns focused on demand generation and balancing brand positioning, Jade always likes to push the boundaries of traditional marketing practices and MarTech to create efficiencies and find new routes to market.
Joining the CIM Midlands committee in November 2022 as a Communications Ambassador, this additional role supports her drive and passion for professional investment and supporting other Marketers within the industry.