Agency life: Late nights should be the exception not the rule
Many firms in the creative industry expect staff to work until the early hours but surely there’s a better way to balance deadlines with an employee’s right to a personal life?
During my agency life, there was one shared experience that stood out: The late nights. This phenomenon has been the proverbial elephant in the room at every agency I’ve encountered, without exception.
Late nights were not just a norm; they were an unwritten rule. An expectation hanging over every creative’s head, with little regard for personal plans or commitments. In my worst week I worked 119 hours! If you were lucky, you’d be rewarded with pizza or a 3am taxi ride home. But more often than not, there was no tangible reward or acknowledgment for these herculean efforts.
Complaints were met with vague promises of time off in lieu or that elusive year-end bonus.
I appreciate that there are a lot of people out there who thrive on the adrenaline of the late nights or the leaving things to the last-minute crew. Goodness knows I’ve been one of them.
However, there are also those times when you know things could have been done more efficiently or calmly. When you realise you’ve just worked an all-nighter for a false deadline, or a client calls on the day of a meeting to cancel!
For me it’s also a cultural issue. I once worked at a very well-known agency in the US. I’d only just started there having moved from the UK. In my first week I was leaving the office at around 6:30pm (office hours we’re officially 9-5:30) as I had boxes to unpack, bank account to set up and a new city to explore. However, in my second week I was reprimanded for leaving ‘early’!
I believe as an industry we must embrace a better approach to deadlines, more efficient working practices and respecting employees’ rights to a balance between work and life.
Unfortunately, even today, this practice hasn’t changed and its effect on staff continues to be disregarded. In fact, many work contracts still have it written into them!
This culture of late nights and relentless work is not without consequences. High staff turnover rates and burnout are the natural outcomes of such practices. They sap creativity, breed frustration, and ultimately lead to an environment that’s detrimental to both individuals and the agencies alike.
But, there is hope for change. Here are my five strategic approaches to combat this behaviour and transform the working practices within agencies:
1. Define clear work boundaries and expectations
Initiate conversations about realistic working hours and deadlines. Establish a shared understanding that late nights should be exceptions, not the rule.
2. Prioritise effective planning
Embrace efficient project management and planning. Lay the foundation with well-defined creative briefs, project scopes, reasonable timelines, and proper resource allocation.
3. Foster flexibility and balance
Recognise that employees have lives beyond the agency. Support flexible work arrangements that accommodate personal responsibilities. Nurturing a healthier work-life balance boosts morale, productivity, and reduces the pressure to clock in extra hours.
4. Celebrate efficiency and quality
Shift the spotlight from late nights to rewarding efficient, top-quality work. Introduce systems that acknowledge individuals and teams for meeting deadlines, producing exceptional outcomes, and contributing positively to the work culture.
5. Lead the change by example
True transformation starts from the leadership level. Showcase the behaviour you wish to instil in your team. Demonstrate a commitment to work-life balance, respect boundaries, and avoid encroaching on non-work hours.
Keshi Bouri is creative director at Keshi & Co, an independent brand and communications consultancy.
