The figure has risen by 8% since last year, and it is very likely that the number of marketers who work from home on a regular basis will continue to increase in future years.
Why exactly have an increasing number of marketing professionals started to work remotely, and why are marketing executive jobs so popular? As part of our 2019 Marketing Survey, we asked 1/3 of the respondents currently working from home what their major reasons were. The following is a more detailed look at the top reasons.
1. Avoid Commute/Travel Time
Avoiding commuting or travel time was the top reason that marketers gave for them working from home (WFH). A majority of the participants in our survey live in areas such as Oxfordshire, Essex, London, Hertfordshire, and Cambridgeshire. For those who live in these locations and having to commute for work into the capital, working from home allows them to avoid busy London traffic as well as train or tube delays. When city-based employers offer flexible working options such as WFH it increases their chances of being able to retain staff by improving the life/work balance for their employees who don’t need to be in the office physically on a daily basis. That is something that is evidently quite important. Our survey results reveal that a life/work balance was the third major reason why marketers are looking to leave the jobs they have currently.
2. Increased Productivity
Respondents told us that the second main reasons why they worked from home once a week at least was because they think they are more productive working at home. Given that many marketing positions have a creative nature to them and the strong argument that more flexible working conditions benefit creativity, having the ability to work remotely with fewer distractions is something that many creative and marketing professionals strongly prefer.
There can be numerous distractions in open-plan office environments, including loud co-workers, office gossip, and spontaneous meetings that can contribute to reduced levels of productivity.
3. Childcare and Other Types of Caring Responsibilities
The third major reason why more marketers work from home is to work around their childcare or other types of caring responsibilities. Remote caring enables parents to be available more for school pickups and drop-offs, to care for their children when they are sick and other obligations having to do with their children, and still have the ability to work on a full-time basis.
Care responsibilities for ill, disabled or elderly partners, relatives or friends is another major reason why many marketing professionals say that they need to have flexible working arrangements, like working from home. Carers Trust statistics show that almost one in eight workers are carers as well, and the number of individuals who act as carers within the UK continues to increase every year.
4. Well-Being And Mental Health
Another very common reason that was given by many participants was that working from home allowed them to focus on their well-being and mental health. OnePoll.com carried out research that showed that 54% of the people polled said they felt happier when they worked from home compared to working in an office or another traditional workplace, and about 2/3 found it to be less stressful.
Personnel Today conducted a survey that showed that many home workers used works such as “calm,” “in control,” and “free” to describe WFH. However, for some people, working from home can actually have the opposite effect when it comes to their mental health by causing feelings of loneliness and isolation. That is probably why striking the proper balance between managing stress and looking after well-being by working from home for one or two days per week is very effective.
5. Personal Commitments. E.g. Deliveries, Fitness, Courses, Appointments
Personal commitments like being home for deliveries, health and fitness commitments, fitting around education courses, and attending appointments are some of the other reasons that were given by respondent for them working from home. From the findings above, it is clear there are definite benefits from working from home – even when it is only for one to two days a week, with more employers becoming increasingly aware of the necessity to attract top talent and retain them by offering attractive employee benefits. It is clear that this trend of working from home within the marketing industry will keep growing in popularity.
