Is Your Agency Ready for the Future of Work?

“WFH”, “AI”, and “4-day-week” are part of our on a regular basis business language now.

Just a couple of years ago, though, this wasn’t true in any respect. It’s no secret that the world of work is changing. But businesses seeking to adapt to the future of work will need to arrange for greater than just language shifts.

Workplace operations are governed by evolving societal, economic, and technological trends – all aspects that the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated. Agencies, particularly, are affected by shifting trends, and it’s critical they adapt.

So, is your agency ready for the future of work? Let’s dive into how the future of work will impact the agency sector and what you may do to make the most of these opportunities.

What is the future of work?

The ‘future of work’ refers to how workplace operations shift based on global trends. Stories of robots taking on human jobs may spring to mind, but the reality is more nuanced than that.

Several key shifts have influenced the future of work, hastened along by the global pandemic:

• Growing popularity of distant work and versatile working
• Accelerating digital transformation, including the adoption of AI technology and machine learning
• Increase in the prevalence of e-commerce and digital transactions, which has prolonged even to traditionally conservative industries corresponding to medicine and banking

As agencies sit at the crossroads of shifting consumer expectations, business operations, and workplace habits, they’ll be significantly impacted by these macro trends.

How to arrange your agency for the future of work

Let’s take a more in-depth take a look at the key developments we expect to shape the future of work in the agency sector and the way agencies could make the most of these opportunities.

Automation and AI

Artificial intelligence has improved all our lives, providing smarter technological experiences that touch the whole lot from shopping to content creation. So, it’s no surprise that the AI industry is predicted to grow to $190bn by 2025.

AI is designed to copy human pondering and could be used to chop down time spent on repetitive manual tasks, corresponding to finding grammatical errors in text or engaging with customers on a business’s website. Automation technologies that use AI provide value by streamlining operations and supporting problem-solving.

Adopt intelligent tools

Agencies could make the most of this chance by adopting business tools that utilize AI-driven automation. A challenge many agencies face is increasing efficiency; there are countless tools designed to assist agencies to just do that, offering features corresponding to:

• Automatically creating revenue forecasts based on live projects and pipelines
• Optimizing audience targeting for marketing campaigns based on previous results
• Automating content creation using existing brand assets
• Increasing operational efficiency by automating repetitive tasks, corresponding to invoicing, chasing clients, and creating task reminders
• Streamlining processes by constructing standard operating procedures

Altogether, AI and automation can assist agencies increase efficiency, reduce costs, and delight customers.

Tip: Learn more about what AI means for digital marketing agencies and the way agencies use AI to hurry up their process.

Remote working

Analysis from McKinsey showed that 20-25% of workforces in advanced economies could make money working from home three to 5 days every week. Even before the pandemic, flexible working arrangements were on the rise. However, during the pandemic, lockdowns worldwide demonstrated that working from home increased productivity.

The growing popularity of distant work is opening up recent opportunities for collaboration and allowing businesses to rent from a broader pool of talent. 

Remote working offers many advantages to employees, supporting a healthier work-life balance and reducing commuting costs, amongst many others. For agencies, distant working opens up opportunities to scale back overhead costs, and to access top talent through location-agnostic hiring.

Create a culture of trust and autonomy

Research has shown time and time again that employees want flexibility. Many businesses in the agency sector and beyond have reverted to traditional arrangements post-pandemic, which played a job in The Great Resignation of 2022. 

In reality, flexible working arrangements increase productivity and prove to team members that you simply trust them. Agencies seeking to attract and retain the best talent should consider offering flexible working arrangements, including hybrid solutions and versatile hours.

Some agencies may have to adopt recent management practices that support collaboration and communication, requiring recent tools and recent strategies for managing distant teams. However, when you concentrate on 87% of American employees take the opportunity to work flexibly when offered it, investing in a versatile work environment is price the price to retain your top talent.

Creativity and innovation

At a time when the agency sector is becoming increasingly crowded, it pays to be competitive. As automation can take mundane tasks off employees’ hands, this frees up more time for creative work and innovation.

Promote creativity and innovation

By introducing development programs that promote creativity and innovation, agencies can encourage employees to plot recent ways to work with clients or offerings that can differentiate them from their competitors. This will go a good distance toward developing a culture of creativity and experimentation, benefiting client projects in the long term.

Data and analytics

The rise of AI has opened agencies as much as take a more analytical approach to project management and business operations. With intelligent tools putting easy-to-understand reports in decision-makers’ hands, there’s a superb opportunity for agencies to optimize client projects and day-to-day operations.

Invest in your employees’ development

An increase in the availability of customer and business data gathered by marketing and PSA software means agencies can access more measurable results for clients and actionable insights into run their businesses higher.

Empower your workforce by educating them on use intelligent software that promotes data-driven decision-making. Upskilling staff with training programs will help them meet client expectations and prepare them for leadership roles.

Consumer behavior

Shifts in consumer behavior are governed by the same changes that influence the future of work. Agencies must keep abreast of these shifts to proceed delivering excellent work to clients.

Keep up with trends

Ensure your agency stays ahead of the competition by attending conferences and digital events and reading industry reports and publications.

By now, you’ll understand that evolving technology is at the forefront of workplace innovation. One improbable tool to future-proof your resource management process is Runn.

Runn is an revolutionary resource management tool that does the heavy lifting around identifying, allocating, and optimizing resources for you. With forecasting features, project planning, reporting, and more, you may deliver profitable projects and exceed client expectations each time.

Plus, with a single overview of what everyone seems to be working on, Runn can assist your agency transition to a more flexible working model. Your team can work from wherever and each time – and also you’ll never lose sight of what they’re working on.

Final thoughts

Change can feel daunting, but without it, we might not be presented with challenges and opportunities that encourage us to innovate and learn. 

It’s all the way down to each agency to make the most of these opportunities. Embrace change: spend money on recent technologies, champion team development, and remain agile enough to adapt when the tides turn again.