Painful culture in the ad industry

Tan: ‘When we take care of our people, product quality will improve and profit will follow.’

Long working hours set to prevail due to poor planning

THE long working hours, which have been sort of a “culture” in the advertising industry, will continue to prevail due to poor planning, lack of leadership, unrealistic demand from clients and the demanding nature of the job, according to industry players.

Many agree, however, that there should be checks and balances and close monitoring to ensure employees are not stretched to the extent of affecting their health and well-being.

Responding to the recent suicide case of a manager at Japan’s top advertising agency from overwork and the work culture, Leo Burnett Group Malaysia CEO Tan Kien Eng tells StarBizWeek the situation has to be analysed in totality.

One has to look at the mindset of creative people and the corporate culture, leadership as well as client relationship, he says.

“Creative people tend to be driven by their passion and pride. Those who are truly passionate about what they do tend to have a positive mindset. They don’t look at work as work but instead as a challenge and an opportunity to do something exciting.

“The work pressure mounts when the organisation they work with do not invest in the right induction, leaving the people lost and unable to operate effectively. The other factor is corporate culture. There are some agencies that emphasise more on work, while some put pressure on winning awards whilst others on higher profit. My personal philosophy is people, product and profit. When we take care of our people, product quality will improve and profit will follow,” Tan says.

Lim: ‘We are mindful of our peoples’ wellbeing and value their work-life balance.’

Another reason is the lack of leadership and poor planning, he adds.

He says: “Many agency managers plan by the quarter and are not able to visualise or predict the future. Therefore they don’t plan ahead and anticipate projects and resources required. Poor planning puts pressure on the employees to double up with no immediate mid- and long-term solution on resource planning.”

In some cases, Tan says there is a lack of understanding and trust resulting in clients making unrealistic demand from their agencies.

“This trend is getting worse as agencies are placed under increasing financial pressure by their clients resulting in a compromise on the right allocation of resources to deliver the work,” he explains.

On long working hours which could jeopardise the employees’ health, Tan says although on occasions this could happen, it is not the norm in the industry. It is about productivity during working hours.

Meanwhile, Dentsu Aegis Network (DAN) Malaysia chief executive officer Nicky Lim says having to work long hours on occasions is not unique to the advertising industry.

“That said, at DAN Malaysia, we are mindful of our peoples’ well-being and value their work-life balance and views on the working environment.

“The fast-paced industry is powered by a high-performing culture where passion and hunger drive our people who will go the extra mile. Our regular ‘global check-in’ survey, which is an internal employee survey, tells us that our people feel we are providing them with opportunities to take on new challenges.

Au-Yong: ‘We cannot eradicate this culture of long working hours in the service industry.’

“While long hours may sometimes be warranted, it’s important to provide a stimulating work environment on top of being supportive and accessible to review working conditions when the need arises,” Lim points out.

However, he says the agency also ensures that there are monitoring measures in place. Besides having regular catch-ups with teams, the agency’s internal employee survey promotes constant employee engagement, providing checks and balances to help identify and close any gaps.

Such initiatives provide a conducive environment for the employees to voice work issues, Lim notes, adding that at the same time, it uplifts morale knowing that there’s a sounding board.

In short, Lim says it’s important to have a good support system, more so when there is a need for the employees to put in the extra hours.

“Above all, putting the health and wellness of employees first is crucial in any industry. Do better, not more – we understand that overwork causes more harm than good to the company and that getting better work out means letting them have sufficient time-out and opportunities to explore and grow,” he explains.

Malaysian Advertisers Association president Margaret Au-Yong says that long working hours in the ad industry, whether it is on the creative or media side, will continue as in other service industries.

“We cannot eradicate this culture of long working hours in the service industry. This culture could either be driven by clients’ inefficiencies or by lack of capabilities at the agency level. Ultimately, the executors of the creative works will suffer the most.

“Pressure comes from the top management to perform and sometimes only few clients can accept it if the creative or media work is delayed. There is a risk that clients may call for a pitch if an agency cannot meet their work expectations. At the same time, agencies must also improve their capabilities to deliver the work given in a specified time frame,” she says.

Digitalisation, Au-Yong adds, can help shorten the working hours. Besides, she says, the younger working group or millennials are faster and more creative in their work.

A winning and successful agency, she adds, will ultimately be the one who breaks away from this mindset by being street smart, agile, a fast-learner.