From ‘the great resignation’ to the unnecessarily binary discussion of the merits of remote or office-based working; when the industry debates ‘the war for talent’ hyperbole is never far away. In many ways this hyperbole diverts much-needed time and attention away from the messy and fundamentally less combative business of creating a working environment in which human beings can thrive. Yet when it comes to the future of work in the creative industry it's this humanity, empathy and kindness, rather than hyperbole that is necessary to attract and retain the best talent.

To highlight this gap, and provide businesses with the tools to close it, The Kindness Corporation has revealed its State of Kind Business Report 2021. The report reveals an action gap for business; showing that while 84% of UK and US employees say kindness is important in the workplace, only 66% say their workplace is kind.  

A mental health epidemic

The research reveals that when employees in the UK media and communication industry are asked to name their biggest challenge at work? 36% cite mental health. It’s a statistic which Magnus Wood, co-founder of The Kindness Corporation describes as a ‘real cause for concern’.

According to the report the ‘great resignation’  is having a significant impact on the business ecosystem. The data revealed that the greatest organisational risk is the ability to hire key talent, cited by 36% of respondents. A challenge exacerbated by the fact that as companies struggle to recruit, leaving positions vacant for some time, the chances are more employees will choose change in the face of mounting workloads and impending burnout.

Overwhelmed and out the door 

In the wake of a pandemic that ushered in a multitude of challenges Wood explains that workload and the blurring between work and personal lives remain a real challenge for people. He points to comments from one UK agency account director, who shared: "I roll out of bed straight onto video calls all day, hardly break for much. And the laptop is open and I am responding to emails all night. I'm exhausted and I have no social life."

It's a situation which threatens to turn that once in a generation opportunity to reshape the workplace for the better into a zero-sum game; one in which far from being liberated by flexible working employees instead are facing  the worst of both worlds. As Wood explains: “The promise of greater flexibility through working hybrid, for many has been overwhelmed by being overwhelmed at work and struggling to maintain boundaries.”

According to the report in both the UK and US, workload is the biggest challenge for employees. A fact which Wood believes could explain why at the start of the day many feel motivated, yet many also feel relieved and exhausted by the end of the day. 

He explains: “The communications industry tends to have a young workforce and, if we consider the latest generation, our Report found that Gen Z employees tend to be more concerned than other age groups about kindness in the workplace but are also more likely to be challenged by mental health issues and feeling exhausted, both at the end and the start of the day.”

Kindness is the magic ingredient in the ‘war for talent’

Wood believes that kindness is a 'magic ingredient' in the war for talent because it helps companies both retain existing talent and attract new talent. He explains: “By being intentional and focusing on kindness as a golden thread throughout the organisation in everything you are, everything you create, and everything you do; businesses directly address these issues of workloads, boundaries and burnout.”

He believes that this approach is about more than wellbeing in isolation. Instead it is about focusing on ways of working which support the people who work in the organisation to thrive and create their best work. He says the key is to focus on the fact that people and outcomes are not separate, adding: “The business outcomes you realised this year and will realise every year after, are created by people.”

When it comes to attracting talent he points to the fact that people want to work in kind organisations - especially Gen Z, Millennials and women. “We also know that, increasingly, people are drawn to purpose-led organisations that seek to have a positive impact on society and the planet. If you want to attract the best talent, then genuinely be - and establish a reputation as - a kind organisation,” he adds.

Over-extended and overwhelmed: addressing the workplace tipping point

The founders of The Kindness Report believe that workload is a substantial problem for workers today. Cole Baker Bagwell, co-founder of the Kindness Corporation points to ‘over-extended’ as a word the company has been hearing often; in effect describing the mental and physical toll on staff taking on the work of open positions.

She explains: “We can't expect to carry on as we have been; expecting people to work at the pace they have been, making up for the fact that organisations are struggling to recruit quality talent.”

She continued: “Through video and remote working, we now have access to global talent pools. Leaders should be reassessing their operational practices and looking for opportunities to improve their workplace environments. They should acknowledge the shortage of talent, the overwhelming workloads that shortage is creating and the toll it's taking on their people.”

It's a challenge that requires more than simply regurgitating the hyperbole surrounding how difficult it is to attract and retain talent in today’s challenging market. As Cole concludes: “Finally, senior leaders need to acknowledge this inflection point, pivot and commit to kind business that honors people and the planet."  An inflection point which demands anything other than business as usual.