With Christmas and New Year celebrations firmly behind us and the inevitable dreary winter weather an ever-present, the turn of the year can be a struggle for employees across the country.
Coinciding with Blue Monday which fell on January 20th, research carried out by Mental Health First Aid England (MHFA) revealed fewer than one in five (17%) employees feel like going to work each day. The December 2024 survey of 2,000 UK workers also outlined one in 10 employees never feel inspired by their job while less than a quarter (23%) feel enthusiastic daily.
ClickOut Media, a global marketing and content company, is among the leading digital firms working to tackle such trends, providing workforces with clear pathways to career progression, autonomy of held positions and an array of cost savings to enhance employee’s quality of life outside of the working environment.
The MHFA study, forming part of the organisation’s ‘My Whole Self’ campaign, also revealed junior managers are more likely to be unhappy and demotivated at work compared to their colleagues with one in five (19%) saying they do not feel appreciated for the work they do and 22% expressing they never feel inspired by their job.
Nurturing the development of junior staff remains a top priority for ClickOut Media with the company conscious the demographic represents the future of its workforce. The last twelve months has seen six entry level employees join the ClickOut team, two of whom have now completed their apprenticeships.
Neil Roarty, head analyst at ClickOut Media, underlined the importance of supporting its junior staff and the critical role they play in the company’s output and on going progression.
Speaking to theHRDIRECTOR, he said: “Many of our people started with us as apprentices, interns, part-time or freelance, and are now running departments.
“Ultimately, we believe in a collective effort where employees of all levels and departments contribute to ClickOut’s development as we continue to provide innovative marketing solutions, ensuring efficient monetisation of our client’s traffic.”
ClickOut Media’s remote-first policy also works to reflect the company’s belief in the power of flexibility, autonomy and trust in its employees, which has contributed directly to company growth. Great Place to Work’s 2024 survey conducted over the past three years found remote workers are 28% more likely to look forward to work than their office-bound counterparts, of which ClickOut Media believes reinforces their remote approach.
Roarty continues: “We’ve observed firsthand how remote work can lead to a more engaged workforce. Our team members appreciate the autonomy and trust placed in them, which in turn fosters a culture of accountability and high performance.
“Going fully remote has also offered substantial financial benefits, our staff save on an array of costs that have spiralled with the current cost of living crisis, whilst we as a company have been able to reinvest operational savings into providing our remote workforce with the technology and resources they need to flourish. This reinvestment strategy has paid off ten-fold with our employees vocal with their satisfaction in terms of support received and how well equipped they feel to deliver insightful content.”
Encouraging a work/life balance remains vital to keep employees rejuvenated and driven as well as ensuring opportunities for growth and recognition. ClickOut Media’s approach underlines an increased dedication amongst companies in fostering a work environment that meets the demands of a modern workforce, ensuring staff are enthused about their firm’s ambitions, but also feel a sense of belonging and confidence that they are part of a team that supports their chosen vocation.
