Since last year, the number of people working from home has increased by about 8%; and from how things look, the number of marketers working from home will likely continue to rise over the coming years.
Looking at these statistics, one question arises – why is the number of marketing professionals working from home or remotely rising? In our 2019 Marketing Salary Survey, we asked the one-third of respondents currently working from home what their reasons for working from home were. In this article, we will be looking at some of the reasons in greater detail.
1. Avoiding Commute/Travel Time
Avoiding commute/travelling time was the number one reason why these marketers chose to work from home. Most of the survey participants we interviewed live in areas like Hertfordshire, Essex, Cambridge, Oxfordshire, and London. For most of them, commuting to the capital, as most marketing manager jobs in London, to get to work was a hassle and working from home allows them to avoid the crazy London traffic and train/tube delays. By offering staff more flexible options like working from home, city-based employers improve their chances of retaining their staff by improving the life/work balance of workers who do not have to be physically in the office every day. According to our survey results, this is something evidently important considering that a life/work balance was the third major reason why most marketers are leaving their current roles.
2. Increased Productivity
The second reason why most respondents prefer working from home at least once a week was because they feel more productive working from the comfort of their homes. Considering the creative nature of most marketing positions and how creativity can benefit from a work culture that is more flexible, the ability to work remotely with fewer distractions is something that most creative and marketing professionals naturally prefer.
In open-plan office environments, there are so many distractions like spontaneous meetings, office gossip, and noisy co-workers that could lead to reduced productivity.
3. Caring Responsibilities Like Childcare
Working around caring responsibilities like taking care of children and family with care needs was revealed as one of the main reasons why most marketers prefer working from home. For parents, remote working means that they can look after their sick children, drop them off and pick them up from school and perform other childcare responsibilities while still working full time.
Care responsibilities for disabled, elderly, or ill relatives/friends/partners is also one of the reasons why most marketers need a flexible working arrangement like working from home. According to Carers Trust figures, one of eight workers are active carers. This number is set to rise as the number of individuals in the UK acting as carers continues to rise each year.
4. Well-Being and Mental Health
Another reason most respondents gave for preferring to work from home was focusing on their well-being and mental health. In OnePoll.com research, 54% of those questioned said they were happier working from home than working in the traditional office setup, and two-thirds found it to be less stressful.
According to a Personnel Today survey, most home workers described working from home using terms like ‘calm’, ‘free’, and ‘in control.’ However, for some professionals, working from home could have the opposite effect on their mental health as it could cause feelings of loneliness and isolation. That’s probably why finding the perfect balance between managing stress and seeking well-being by working from home a day or two a week can be effective.
5. Personal Commitments (Fitness, Courses, Appointments, Deliveries)
Personal commitments like furthering education, attending appointments, being around for deliveries and fitness/health commitments, are other reasons why most respondents prefer working from home.
From these findings, it’s clear to see how beneficial working from home can be – even if it’s for a day or two a week. Interestingly, employers are becoming increasingly aware of the importance of attracting and retaining top talent using attractive work benefits. Considering these reasons, we should expect to see the ‘working from home’ trend within the marketing industry continue to grow in popularity.
