By sticking with working from home, adland could access the talent pool of dreams
Clients want creative solutions and that requires the best talent, not a fancy office and ping pong table, proposes Kim McKay. If there’s one thing agencies should take out of a forced period of working from home, it’s that we can do it. And that means you can hire people from beyond the metro bubbles.
There’s a lot being written about the entire world’s sudden switch to remote work, but there’s one critical positive that I believe needs to be shouted from the rooftops: virtual workplaces give you the flexibility and freedom to hire literally anyone you like.
Remote work means you’re no longer choosing from the most qualified person in your city, but the most qualified person in the country or even the world. It’s a win for everyone: employers get a far greater choice of candidates, and employees get the chance to work for companies they might never have considered previously.
Clients want creative solutions to their marketing challenges, and that requires the best talent and expertise in the world – not a fancy office and ping pong table.
As a creative, I’ve been trying to WFH since 2007, living outside major cities for much of this time. The biggest hinderance has been lack of stable internet connection. I’ve lost count of the amount of times I had to drive to a library or hotel to use their wifi when my ADSL went (frequently) down to make a deadline. It is still a major issue with heavily compromised NBN connections or simply no NBN at all (as has been the case for me living regionally and even five years back in a major city). At this stage, with poor internet access still an issue for many, casting the net wider for talent means some Australians miss out. This is something I’ve heard first hand from post production / SFX talent missing opportunities. If you’ve got a great connection, you’re damn fortunate.