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UK Digital Agency Census: what do agency teams want from their employers?

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By Sam Bradley, Senior Reporter

February 26, 2021 | 3 min read

It’s been a tough time for agency teams across the UK. So to find out what factors were keeping staff motivated or miserable, The Drum has surveyed employees at 1,886 British agencies.

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The Drum’s Digital Agency Census surveyed attitudes of staff at agencies across the UK

The survey was carried out as part of The Drum’s UK Digital Agency Census 2021 – a wide-ranging research project that maps out the new digital agency landscape of the UK. We’ll be publishing further findings from the Census over the next month.

First, though, findings from Census’s dedicated staff poll, which surveyed attitudes of employees at agencies across the country, asking them what they most liked – and disliked – about their workplaces.

Our findings paint a fascinating picture for agencies looking to recruit or hold on to their staff during this turbulent period.

What did we find?

  • Firstly, agency staff like going to work – and they miss their teammates. Over 90% listed colleagues and culture as ‘pros’ of their agencies.

  • UK digital agencies are well-run. Almost 70% of respondents listed the ‘way they work’ as a pro of their organization, while 71% listed ’leadership’ as a selling point.

  • After a year of working from home, city-centre destination studios are not the dealbreaker they once were. Just 57% listed their agency’s location as a positive aspect, while almost 6% were dissatisfied with their company’s base of choice.

  • Less than half our respondents were happy with their remuneration, however. Just 44.5% listed pay as a ‘pro’ of their organization – and it was the biggest negative listed in the entire survey, with 15.27% of our sample saying compensation was an issue at their agency.

  • Most digital agencies in the UK are small shops. 86% of our sample had under 200 staff while 38% had under 50.

  • Unsurprisingly, most (52%) of the digital agencies in our sample are based in London, with Yorkshire and the South East of England the next-biggest regions, respectively.

Learn more about The Drum’s UK Digital Agency Census 2021 and sign up for future updates here.

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