Opinion: The Future of Work Includes Burnout – Unless Agencies Invest in Their People 

We need new ways of working that benefit the people that do great work—not the work itself

 

By Marla Kaplowitz, President and CEO, 4A’s

The future of work in any industry has yet to solidify, just as the pandemic has yet to truly come to an end. With vaccination numbers on the rise and decreased case numbers, the long-awaited return to life—personal and professional—seems near.

However, the way of working as we knew it pre-pandemic is no more. We’re not looking to return to normal but to return to better. Remote work has achieved its own place in everyday business and is seen by several organizations as a way to optimize workflow, building out more diverse teams across states and countries and evolving into a more flexible model.

The trend of defining the future of work comes from the industry’s desire to anticipate how to maximize productivity in a nebulous environment. After a year of complex unpredictability, it is unsurprising that many are eager to map out what can, or should, be expected. But in doing so, one critical factor that has been a byproduct of pandemic-induced work norms is being overlooked in the process: burnout. And we all recognize it’s unsustainable and needs to be addressed.

Read more in Ad Age here.